About
Hello, my name is Rebecca Plunkett and I teach violin lessons out of my cozy and family friendly home in St. Paul, MN.
I have studied violin performance in college with a member of the Minnesota Orchestra and am currently studying violin pedagogy with Dr. Stephanie Allen of Violin Technique Coaching. I have over 8 years of violin teaching experience.
My main goal for teaching violin is to help each student learn the joy and freedom of being lifelong learners and to not get pulled into the trap of perfectionism that often plagues musicians. I teach following a gentle, sequenced path of technical work that when practiced, allows students to create solid and permanent foundations to their technique. Once they have ‘paved the path’ of solid technique and independent learning, so to speak, they are free to run ahead and play music in any genre that might spark their interest!
Playing music is fun, and I also believe that incorporating fun into the hard work of mastery is important for everyone! For children of all ages (yes, even children ages 18-98!), I love making learning and practicing fun, using games, stories, or simply by laughing! Not only does this encourage students to enjoy what they do, but it actually helps them learn better.
Highlights
Payment methods
Specialties
Do you own a violin?
Years experience
Able to read music
Lesson length
Student's age
Instrument interested in
Photos and videos
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
When working with a new student, I gather as much information as I can. Why are they wanting to learn? How do they best learn? What are their goals for learning the violin? Do they have any past musical education or experience? From this I begin to customize teaching plans for each student.
In the initial lessons, I set up each student with posture and technique that could support a professional, and introduce the simplest skills such as pizzacato and note reading.
We slowly build up the skills in a gentle and holistic way from there.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have a Bachelor's Degree in Music from the University of Northewestern with an emphasis on violin. I catered my degree to Violin Teaching by taking Elementary and Middle School Music Education classes and catering my research and lesson plans for private violin lessons.
I am currently studying Beginner and Intermediate violin pedagogy with Violin Technique Coaching and working on completing my certification.
How did you get started teaching?
My first experience teaching private lessons was in High School. I taught some private horse back riding lessons!
I began teaching violin lessons in college where I gained valuable experience with students of all ages. I worked alongside more experienced teachers and learned all I could from their teaching experiences and applied my new knowledge in every lesson.
What types of students have you worked with?
I have worked with a variety of students. My youngest student was 4 years old, and the oldest student I have taught was about 80 years old!
I taught students with varying learning styles, such as kinesthetic learners, who need to be moving, to aural learners who absorbed information by listening.
I have worked with students who are serious about learning quickly and have ambitious goals as well as students who are more interested in playing for fun. I cater my teaching style to my student's individual goals and strive to inspire them to reach for more!
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
Recently one of my young students needed to move up to a bigger size violin. Her parents took her shopping to look for a new instrument and she played a few to see which one she liked the best. She has been working on developing her tone and solid intonation.
She played a simple scale beautifully and analyized the sound of each instrument and decided on the one she thought had a more full sound. She played intune despite using a violin she was not accustomed to and played with a rich tone! I was very proud of her.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
I would encourage students who are looking for violin teachers to look for someone who has exerpience learning how to teach violin, not just play it.
Figure out what your goals are for learning the violin. If you are a parent of a child who wants to learn, I'd suggest asking your child what their own goals are, or why they want to learn. Many children, even very young ones, have ideas about what or why they want to learn. Then find a teacher who will provide the experience and teaching necessary for your child to achieve their goals. Remember that as children grow and progress at their instrument that their goals will most likely change. Find a teacher who adjusts to students' new goals. Some may start off with very simple goals, but a good teacher will provide solid technique that supports a student who wants to play for fun or pursue a career in violin playing.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
I suggest a few questions that students should think through:
What are my goals with violin playing?
Why do I want to learn to play violin?
How do I think my past musical experiences will help me in learning a new instrument? (If applicable)
In what areas in my life do I currently succeed, and how might this help me learn to play violin? (This can apply to young children as well, are they especially creative at drawing, do they listen well, do they sit for long periods of time, are they successful in more active activites?)
In what areas of my life do I currently struggle, and how might this affect me learning to play violin? (For example, I currently struggle to focus for long periods of time, and it might make practicing for a long time a challenge.)