Fiddle & Bow Music Co.

I prefer to have a new student come in for an hour for our first lesson or two so that we can get to know each other and learn ‘the basics’. My goal is for students to learn to play something meaningful as soon as they are ready. My experience teaches me that they are ready to play much sooner than they, or many other teachers think is possible. 

I began learning the violin when I was nine. I was trained by Josephine Boudreaux while studying at Houston’s HSPVA, and by Donald Wright at The University of Texas at Austin. I began playing professionally when I was fifteen. After college, I continued my studies in theory, composition and improvisation with Charles Sepos, and learned Fiddle stylings from Texas Fiddler Bill Northcutt. I have played professionally for over forty-five years in a variety of genres, including Classical, Jazz, Bluegrass, Rock and Country. I am presently completing my PhD in the Visual and Performing Arts at The University of Texas at Dallas. 

Yes, at present, I charge $55 for a half-hour lesson. Lessons are typically once a week, though I can schedule more than one per week, should the student prefer that arrangement. Lessons are payable in advance each month. 

I started teaching formally in 1998 in order to answer the demand for a teacher who was flexible regarding the student’s age, as well as the kind of music they wanted to play. Each time I performed, I was asked if I taught. Deciding to share what I had learned in a unique musical career, I opened Fiddle & Bow Music Company in 1998 with my brother, Rob Case, a luthier, teacher, guitarist, songwriter and performer. 

I work with students that want to play. Their desire to make music, not their age, is the deciding factor as to whether I will want to teach them. I teach people with special needs, from performance anxieties, to autism and physical disabilities. 

Students may come in as it best their goals may require or their schedules permit. 

Watching one student perform a set of Celtic songs at Dallas’ nationally-reknowned ‘Poor David’s Pub, playing the violin and singing.  He was followed by another student who performed her own songs while playing the guitar; we concluded her set by playing a lively set of fiddle tunes. 

Look for someone that you like, in a place where you feel comfortable. Look for a teacher that is a working musician. Ask questions about how they teach. Do not necessarily be impressed by their resumé; you will be working with them closely, often for years: make certain that they are a teacher with whom you can work to achieve your goals, not theirs alone. 

What do you want to play? What kind of music do you like? Do you want to perform for others or play for yourself? Why do you want to play?