Please, find a good teacher soon!
Becoming a good instrumentalist can be one of the most satisfying endeavors in life. The possibilities of making music either alone or with others is endless. The human soul loves to 'sing and dance,' and having an outlet for expression is emotionally satisfying and intensely healthy.

Finding a good teacher from the start is extremely important. The physical and mental mechanics of playing the violin are very specific and unfortunately can be a bit complicated. Teaching the muscles how to approach the instrument correctly from the beginning is very efficient. Habits, either good or bad, are formed early, and the more basic the habit the harder it is to change in the future.

As most people have experienced, bad habits are hard to break. And the longer a child plays with bad habits the less the child will want to make a change. Don't make the mistake of allowing the child to play alone or in a large group setting to "wait and see if they are interested." Quite often I receive new students who have already played for a couple years without a (good)private teacher. Without a doubt, the biggest challenge I face is keeping the student motivated and having fun while I try to fix all the bad habits which the student accidentally ingrained for two years!


Common mistakes to avoid:
1. As mentioned above, letting the child accidentally develop bad habits.

2. Having trial lessons and letting the child choose. The teacher that talks with the sweetest tone of voice is not necessarily the best teacher. Of course if the child feels really uncomfortable for whatever reason then I wouldn't go with that teacher. The difficulty is distinguishing between a child (subconsciously) thinking "hmm.. I might have to work a little harder with this teacher," or the opposite "this teacher seems easier, I can coast by," as opposed to a genuine clash of personality.

3. Finding the cheapest teacher. I once had a college aged student who, after her first lesson with me, commented she learned more from one lesson with me than a whole month with the previous teacher. What a nice compliment, I thought! One of the benefits of getting older is that I have amassed quite a bit of experience.

4. Finding the closest teacher. I realize there are practical limits to how far you can travel for weekly lessons, although I have had students travel over 90 miles to have lessons.