Monkcello Studio

Regular disciplined practice is the daily "work" of a musician. 

I encourage my students to practice six days a week.  I believe that students can progress very quickly.   The route to developing confidence and artistry is through engaged and self-driven daily practice, with a positive " I will figure it out attitude."

Of course younger students need friendly reminders to practice,  and breaking up their  practice time in 2-3 short sessions works best.

I encourage my students to approach practicing as problem solving and skill building to develop more and more power of expression.

Daily exercises:

scales and arpeggios build ear training skills and shifting and core tone 

bowing exercises to develop many types of bowing and develop flowing musicality  

etudes of various kinds for technical agility

sight reading

repertoire : broken down into small sections of 1-8 measures, played slowly 6x, then if correct, pick up the temp gradually, and move soon to the next 8 measures, etc...

This discipline, dedication and focused, goal oriented work builds much confidence over time.

It is important for students to have personal goals and deadlines for recitals, performing in youth orchestras, regional try outs, Astacap submissions each year, recordings, and competitions, striving at all times for one's highest achievement on the cello. 

In lessons I encourage students to develop their proper balanced posture, their listening ears and their critical thinking skills. 

We work out guidelines for effective practicing so students can model their home practice on strategies used in lessons.

With this foundation, practice sessions are very productive and creative from the start.

 Through attending live concerts, hearing their peers, performing in ensembles and listening to recordings and watching great artists on you tube, , young cellists are quickly drawn into the beautiful web of the cello repertoire and practice in order to perform new pieces which they've heard and love. 

I strongly encourage my students to take piano lessons simultaneously with cello, and to begin studies in music theory and ear training at a young age.  . Together with each cellist, I  design a curriculum based on his/her interests and goals, following  guidelines from my own professional development, and sources such as American String Teachers Association Cello Syllabus and The Royal Conservatory of Music Cello Syllabus.   As each cellist has individual goals and needs, I research the best approach to technique, and the correct repertoire and etudes.  This coaching and dialogue builds confidence and technical ability so each cellist can unlock his/her own beautiful tone and develop his/her unique connection and contribution to music.