ABCs of Violin for the Absolute Beginner Course for Adults with Janice Tucker Rhoda, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Have you always wanted to play the violin but thought it too difficult? Or have you previously studied violin and wish to take it up again? Discover an easy and enjoyable path into playing a bowed string instrument! Have fun playing popular folk, classical, fiddle tunes and duets while focusing on correct posture, basic music reading, and rhythm. The final class will be a play-in with advanced students. Listed below are Stores renting violins and selling the required books, The ABCs of Violin for the Absolute Beginner, The ABCs of Duets for Violin Book and Practice CD. Student Testimonials Taught every Fall Winter Spring Summer.
8 week SUMMER COURSE 2012 on WEDNESDAYS
DATES: June 20, 27, July 11, 18, 25, August 1, 8, 15
TIME: 6:15pm to 7:45pm
Aug 15: Final class Play-In

Registration: 42 Brattle St. 617-547-6789
Online Signup

Dear New Violin Students,

Thank you for signing up for my Violin course at CCAE. At the very first class I attach finger dots to the fingerboard to help immediately with playing in tune. Mutes are placed on the violin to sweeten the tone. Rubber bands are placed on the bow to help with finger placement. Students tell me music reading and posture is easier to learn than they thought it would be! You will learn to play 10 to 15 classical, folk and fiddle pieces, 2 studies, many warmup exercises, 3 scales and several duets by the end of the 8 weeks!
Be sure to bring the REQUIRED materials to the first class:
The ABCs of Violin for the Absolute Beginner, Book 1 (Book & CD)
The ABCs of Duets for Violin
The ABCs of Duets for Violin Practice CD (optional)

Supplementary materials:
The ABCs of Violin for the Absolute Beginner DVD
The ABCs of Violin for the Intermediate Player DVD
The ABCs of String Orchestra - Violin I part
The ABCs of String Orchestra - Violin II part

ALL ABCs of Violin materials can be purchased at the music stores listed below. The Harvard Coop's Textbook section on the 3rd floor of their 2nd building is located across from their main building. There is a big CCAE sign by the registers. The Coop sells the two REQUIRED books and the ABCs of Duets Practice CD only.
My MISSION at CCAE is to encourage adult students of all ages to play the Violin, whether it be age 20 or 90. A 93 year old student took my class. When the semester was over he continued private lessons in his town.

At the first class I have asked students this question:
"Were any of you discouraged from taking this course and told the violin is too difficult to learn as an adult and don't bother??" 100% say YES! They had the courage to go ahead and take the class anyway.

This is an archaic way of thinking: "one must study violin at a young age or don’t bother." Why are we told this, or naturally think this? After years of life’s pitfalls, do we automatically discourage ourselves from trying something new for fear of failure? Why are adults discouraged from learning something difficult? as an adult, "we can't get really good at something difficult?" "we must begin as children to get really good at it?"

So I try to nip this attitude right in the bud at our very first class! I will tell you about my TOP 4 Violin students over the past 30 years:
2 Adult Prodigies, 2 Child Prodigies.

Why ADULTS Learn To PLAY VIOLIN Quicker Than CHILDREN:

1. Adults learn to read music quicker!! They concentrate better, and don’t look away from the music. Once they learn to read they can take the book home, go ahead in the book and be very independent.
2. Adults are physically stronger and can hold the violin with a straight wrist in ONE SHORT WEEK!
3. Adults are use to hard work at some level; I teach children to work really hard at something from scratch, so Adults play better quicker.
4. Adults are more motivated to practice, so they practice more and get better quicker.
5. Adults have years of listening to music, so their intonation is better! (they play better in tune)
6. Adults are stronger, and can play a piece many times in a row. So, they memorize quicker.
7. Adults can think about more than one thing at a time; I’m teaching children to think about more than one thing at a time from scratch.

Now, learning the violin IS especially difficult and many people think it is the MOST difficult musical instrument to learn. So, at our 4th class I have asked Students if the Violin is a lot easier than they thought it would be, and everyone says YES!!

When the semester is over, students move on to small ensembles or private lessons. So your journey just begins with my class. You can have a great hobby for life while overcoming your fears and raising your self-esteem in the process! I get very excited hearing people continued violin after this course.

I look forward to meeting all of you!! Feel free to send me an email with any questions you may have prior to our first class.

Janice Tucker Rhoda
Author of The ABCs of Strings
Published by Carl Fischer Music
abcsofstrings@gmail.com
This letter and its contents are
Copyrighted © 2011 by Janice Tucker Rhoda

LIST OF MUSIC STORES

Johnson String Instrument at 11 John Street in Newton Centre is off Route 9 near Bloomingdale's. 617-964-0954
*ABCs of Violin Books, DVDs, CDs, violin rentals and purchases, accessories.
Rayburn Musical Instrument at 238 Huntington Avenue is across from Symphony Hall in Boston at Symphony T-stop. 617-266-4727
*ABCs of Violin Books, DVDs, CDs, violin rentals, violin purchases, accessories.
Wood & Strings Music Center is at 493 Massachusetts Avenue in Arlington Center. Take Bus No. 77 from Harvard Square to Arlington Center. 781-641-2131
*ABCs of Violin Books, DVDs, CDs, violin rentals and purchases, accessories.
Mass Ave Music at 1904 Mass Ave is across from Porter Square T-stop. 617-492-1930
*ABCs of Violin Books, DVDs, CDs, violin purchases, accessories.
(No rentals)
Rutman's Violins at 265 Massachusetts Avenue near Symphony Hall at the Symphony T-stop. 617-578-0066
*ABCs of Violin Books, DVDs, CDs, violin purchases, accessories.
(No rentals)
Music Espresso is a classical sheet music store at 295 Huntington Avenue in Boston across from New England Conservatory of Music, close to the Symphony T-stop. 617-424-9322
*ABCs of Violin Books, DVDs and CDs only.
Yesterday Service is a classical sheet music store in Arts at the Armory building at 191 Highland Ave. in Somerville, MA. Bus #88 and #90 from Davis Sq. or #90 from Lechmere T-stop. 617-547-8263
*ABCs of Violin Books, DVDs and CDs. Some violin accessories.
Spectrum Music is a classical sheet music store at 1844B Massachusetts Avenue in Lexington Center. 781-862-0088
*ABCs of Violin Books, DVDs and CDs only. Some violin accessories.
Carriage House Violins at 321 Columbus Avenue is near Copley Square T-stop in Boston. 617-262-0051
*Violin purchases and accessories only. (No rentals)
Kloss Violins at 1200 Great Plain Avenue in Needham is near the Needham Center stop on the Commuter Rail. 781-444-4383
*Violin purchases and accessories only. (No rentals).
Unique Strings is at 165 Belmont Street in Belmont. 617-489-1254
*Violin purchases and accessories only. (No rentals)

The ABCs of Strings is published by Carl Fischer Music

The ABCs of Strings is published by
Carl Fischer Music