JAVS Fall 2000

35

CULTIVATING A PRIVATE STUDIO

by Christine Due

After many years of teaching, I have come to the understanding that a private studio is much like a forest. With each new beginner, I am reminded that new seeds must be planted so that when the older, mature trees are har vested, there will be plenty of saplings ready and properly developed to move into their places. Just as a forest thrives with its varying needs of sun, water, and nourishment, main taining a private studio presents the unique challenge of consistently teaching to disparate ages at various stages of technical and musical accomplishment. I believe that if one is able to incorporate an overall philosophy and outlook on life into the teaching curriculum, then the challenge is conquerable. I aspire to teach from a position of noblesse oblige, believing it is both a privilege and a great responsibility to influence young minds and artistic souls. I strive to instill in each stu dent, whether seven or seventeen years old, a benevolent and honorable character and code of behavior. It is not my goal simply to turn out violists. Instead I strive to create noble human beings who, through the discipline required· to be successful in music and emboldened with a sense of professional deco rum, can gracefully enter their adult lives and chosen professions, however far removed from music those may be. The foundation of my studio's philosophy is that everything we do in life is reflected in our playing. If we are careless in our appear ance and grammar, chances are we will also be careless in our practicing and performance. If our behavior is rude and obnoxious, our play ing probably will reflect that as well. How we speak, how we dress, how we act, how we think, and how we play are all inter-connected. If our speech is proper and refined, if our appearance is tasteful, elegant, and appropri ate, and if our thoughts and actions are guided by kindness and tolerance, there is a good

chance that our playing will be likewise. Embellishing this premise, I sprinkle in a huge dose of humor, a pinch ofoutrageousness, and several heaps of courage, creativity, beauty, and excitement to create my formula for teaching. Of course, remaining true to this philoso phy is the challenge. Disorganization and slovenly practicing habits are never acceptable, but sometimes they are age-related. The best example is that period when students reach the seventh grade, a time when even the brightest brains can turn to mush. I humor my students through this awkward stage in physical and emotional development with a fanciful story that aliens snatch all brains of seventh graders. When their brains are re turned in the eighth grade, they are full of holes, acting like giant sieves out ofwhich leak much information. By the ninth grade, how ever, the holes have healed and all has been made right again. This brain-snatching-alien story may seem like an excuse, but it is important to commu nicate with students in language and on a level they understand. The challenge is balancing empathy and friendship with each student yet maintaining a respected position from which one can successfully guide and motivate. I per ceive this as having a powerful hand of steel that is gently cloaked in a soft velvet glove. Every problem or situation that arises dur ing the study of music has an analogy in life, and I take every possible opportunity to make these connections. When I break a musical passage into small practice sections, I talk about managing homework time and con structing effective plans for achieving short term goals. Entering competitions or taking auditions is never about winning or losing, but rather about the intense preparation and time management necessary to achieve long range goals. Just like learning a foreign lan guage, mastering the viola is a cumulative