FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
The First Lesson Is Always Free! One Hour = $100 0.75 Hour/45 Minutes = $80* Half Hour/30 Minutes = $60* *I can only travel for lessons one hour or longer.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
I start by asking them or their parent (in the case of younger students) what their background is with the cello, and what their goals are! Often, there is an upcoming audition or performance, in which case I work with the student on that repertoire and assign supplementary material when necessary. Sometimes, especially with older kids and adults, the student’s needs can be more technically specific. I’ve had many students come to me with bad habits in their playing, and we work on fixing them with a combination of simple but highly effective daily exercises, and repertoire which is targeted at their issues. On the other hand, some students want to work on a specific piece or style of playing, and I actually love this! There is nothing better than a student who is motivated by the music, because close listening requires less effort, and will result in easier, more relaxed (and accurate!) cello playing.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I started teaching privately in early high school and have taught online and in person since then. I earned my Bachelor’s in cello performance and a Graduate Performance Diploma (GPD) from the Peabody Conservatory, my Master’s from the Juilliard School, and am currently a DMA Candidate in cello performance at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. While working on my Bachelor’s at Peabody, I assisted my teacher Amit Peled in editing and developing his now renowned scale and technique book, The First Hour. I also taught scale and technique class there and sometimes gave lessons in his absence. During the pandemic, I maintained a private studio and started a free international scale class based on The First Hour. I have taught and given classes all around the world and currently serve on the faculty of the MusArt school in Syosset, Long Island. For more advanced students that want to audition for competitive programs and schools, I have performed in some of the most intense and prestigious music festivals in the world, including the Marlboro Music Festival, the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival, and many others. I have prepared young cellists for successful auditions at the Juilliard School, the Manhattan School of Music (both college and precollege levels for Juilliard and MSM), Cleveland Institute, New England Conservatory, for international competitions, and for NYSSMA All-State adjudication.