Basic info about private lessons

Tristan’s Credentials

  • Masters of Music Degree at the Yale School of Music studying with international soloist and chamber musician Tai Murray.

  • Bachelor of Music Degree and Performer Diploma at the Jacobs School of Music in Indiana University Bloomington studying with Dallas Symphony Concertmaster Alex Kerr.

  • Violin teacher at the Elizabeth Morrow School in Englewood NJ and the Elizabeth Faidley Studio.

  • Suzuki Certified Unit 1 and Every Child Can

  • Invited to internationally renowned music festivals on full tuition scholarships including the Gstaad Menuhin Festival Academy, Taipei Music Academic Festival, Pacific Music Festival, the Music Academy of the West (twice), the Sarasota Music Festival, and the New York String Orchestra Seminar (twice).

  • Received chamber music training from members of the Pacifica Quartet, Brentano Quartet, Tokyo Quartet, Cleveland Quartet, Takács Quartet, Juilliard Quartet, and Orion Quartet among many others.

Method

Setup

I help my students learn how to play with ease and freedom. This helps prevent injury, and makes playing violin much more fun! Having a comfortable setup and bow hold are two of the most important aspects of violin technique.

Music and Technique: one and the same

Violin-playing is made up two equally important components, musicality and technique. Without one, the performance is left incomplete. I help my students nurture and develop these individual aspects in creating a whole greater than the sum of its parts, a performance both musically inspiring and technically grounded.

My role as a Teacher

The famous violin pedagogue Shinichi Suzuki stated so eloquently in his book Nurtured by Love, “If he or she really goes about it in earnest, anyone can cultivate ability in ten years, I believe.” Contrary to popular belief, violin-playing is not only reserved for the “innately talented,” “prodigies” or “wunderkinds,” but rather for those willing to put in the time and effort in polishing their technique and refining their musicality. The principles that guide violin-playing are common sense and require steady dedication in their successful cultivation.

Following this, my job as a teacher includes:

  • Treating the student as an individual with specific technical, musical, and emotional needs

  • Providing constructive criticism in training the student’s technique and ear, refining their sense of touch, feel, and hearing, always with positive reinforcement

  • Lifting the student up and helping their confidence! What’s music without joy and fun?

  • Demonstrating what to do, how to do it, and most importantly, why

  • Preparing the student in becoming their own teacher

    …and most importantly

  • In the spirit of Suzuki, teaching them to be fine musicians so that they become fine people

Learning from Afar

As an undergraduate student in Indiana, I studied with my world-renowned violinist and pedagogue, Alex Kerr, who is the concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony. You might be asking yourself, how did he teach me in Indiana from Texas? Half of my lessons were in person and half were over a video conferencing system. These lessons over the screen were integral to my growth as a violinist, and demonstrated the amazing capabilities of modern technology. I continue to teach private students every week over Zoom with amazing results. Video lessons don’t only just work but are a fantastic tool!