VIOLIN LESSON
STUDIO || ONLINE
MUSIC is one of a gifts to human that we may recognise, enjoy, and appreciate its beauty.
Everyone from different background, different country, language, colour, size, culture, and so on and so on, could enjoy what we call MUSIC. Music transcends boundaries; Global & universal.
For me, growing up, I enjoyed the presence of my music communities. Besides the fact that my close friends were from those music communities, I looked forward, everyday, to be back in those groups sharing music, making music, and laughing together - HAVING FUN! I have had those good memories with me, and now I want to make this environment available for you and/or your children, too.
Good education influences people and shapes their lives; Music, on top of that, transforms heart.
Music has changed me in a good way: my way of thinking, problem-solving skills, perseverance, patience, discipline, work-ethics, work-efficiency, and self control. Music has nurtured me how to handle stress and pressure well, mentally and psychologically.
Arithmeticians could perhaps do math fully with their heart & soul, but generally speaking, not as much as musicians do with their hearts. Even Plato, the great Greek philosopher, believes that good music affects human’s mind and soul. I’m hoping that my students are becoming a more and more balanced human being; to have a finer characters and emotions, also to have a really structured ways of thinking, while spreading the joy of music to the uttermost parts of the world.
This is what I am aiming, and this is why I teach MUSIC; Music is a supplemental food for the soul. Music affects people’s soul. Good music creates good soul.
STUDIO BACKGROUND
Why CENTRO VIRTUOSO?
I’m a picky listener, but I really like Baroque music. And during Baroque period, Italy was the country who made classical music alive. Italy was also the one who make violin an important instrument. Italy has many many great composers from Baroque until today. So, that why I use Italian language, at the first place.
Secondly, CENTRO VIRTUOSO could be translated to 'Virtuoso Centre', and CASA DELLA MUSICA means 'House of Music'. I’m longing to make a place that conserve the great music, a place that produce virtuoso musicians (person with high-skills), and a place that good musician could call it home too; to interact and to make friends with other musicians around them. There’s no point on being a virtuoso on music when one doesn’t have the virtue of a heart as well.
This is a place to educate not only fingers on musical instruments, but also a heart full of virtue towards each other!
WHO AM I?
If you wanna read the detailed version of my background: you may go here :)
I’ve been a Certified Suzuki Violin Teacher since 2008.
My first teacher trainer for my pre-twinkle and Book 1 was from New Zealand, Val Thorburn and Lynley Culliford. Afterwards, I kept going further with more & more Suzuki Teacher Trainings.
Starting my official teaching in 2009, I have taught students in Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, USA, and Canada.
I have also been teaching online since 2015, and some of my online students are now in Music Conservatory in Asia, Australia, and Europe.
I’m dedicating myself to be a high-calibre violin teacher.
In 2013, I’ve got my Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Pelita Harapan University, Indonesia, under the direction of Dr. Tomislav Dimov. Not enough, I then pursued my Master of Music degree in Violin Performance & Pedagogy at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada, under the direction of Dr. Nancy Dahn. I'm grateful I was graduated with a magna cum laude title, for both degrees.
STUDENT - PARENT - TEACHER
WHAT?
Parents are highly suggested to join into the lesson while it is on-going (for students under the age of 8). There could still be considerations due to particular occasions, for example if the student is independent enough, responsible, and in his/her intermediate / advance level.
WHY?
Parents will be the student’s teacher at home for the whole week. Please give encouragement and please support your child/children with good atmosphere and environment.
HOW?
You may take notes during the lesson, so you and your child know what the lesson points are, what is the problem, why is it happening, how to fix it, how to practice at home, and what is expected for the next lesson.
Parents also have to make sure that their child are practicing with good techniques, instead of a destructive ones. The importance of home practicing is repetitions; making habit.
So let’s think this way, student who repeats good techniques will gain habits toward good techniques (excellence); and student who repeats wrong techniques is actually destructing their good habits.
So, highly suggesting parents to come into the lesson, if you have a young child taking lesson.
I'm thanking you for that, as well as your child's thanking you too, I believe.
JOURNAL BOOK
Every Student will get their own Journal Book*, where the teacher will write notes and give reward(s) for fluent or outstanding performance in the lesson.
Besides the reward info, another important information will also be written down after the lesson, such as the meeting counter per month, the next meeting schedule, and in some cases, there’ll be a special note [or note that is addressed for parents].
* Online lesson students will use a digital-formed journal
REWARD SYSTEM:
Regarding to the “reward”, I recommend you this idea to boost up the motivations from your child even more.
For instance, before the new cycle begin, set goals:
25 stars: go to cinema with the whole family.
50 stars: choose what city to go for the next family trip.
100 stars: set options of country and let them have 2 votes into the
family-trip deliberation.
SCHEDULE & CANCELLATION
I am currently an active ensemble / orchestra member of 4 orchestras in Indonesia, 3 in Australia, 1 in Singapore, and 3 in Canada.
There will likely be some request regarding lesson rescheduling, which I will inform you in advance.
I’ll try to reschedule not so far away from the scheduled time/day, or we could arrange an online lesson, or I could find another teacher with a high calibre to substitute me while I’m away.
I am also asking for your commitment for the lesson; to always come on time and prepared since we have reached our decision to use that hour for nothing else but OUR LESSON TIME. So, let us keep the time and not to cancel the lesson by a sudden.
Rescheduling is NOT a problem at all, as long as I have firmly been informed by 12 hours before the scheduled time. Otherwise, it’s going to be considered as a missed lesson or an absent. It will also be applied to me, to inform you not by 24 hours before. Otherwise, I am going to compensate that with one complimentary lesson.
However, I’m aware that there could be a situation where we couldn’t anticipate, such as a natural disaster or an emergency situation. There will definitely be a consideration for that; Don’t worry!
So, weekly regular schedule will always be as it is, if there’s no further info about cancelation / rescheduling. Let’s respect each other’s time & effort while being considerate as well :)
FEE & PAYMENT
FEE (new rate adjustment by September 2023)
The lesson fee** will be based on the Suzuki-Book used, the playing-level, & lesson duration, as follows:
Beginner - Book 1A: 45' lesson: CAD 40
Book 1B - Book 2: 45' lesson (including theory session): CAD 50
Book 3 - Book 6: 45' lesson & 15' theory: CAD 60
Book 7 - Book 8: 60' lesson & 30' theory & solfeggio: CAD 80
Book 9 & up: 60' lesson & 45' theory & solfeggio: CAD 90
(Centro Virtuoso is integrating theory & solfeggio into the lesson hour, for theory is the basics to understanding musicality and understanding technical skills)
Advanced Theory & Solfeggio classes (without instrument lesson): CAD 60/hour (will be taught by theory experts; Time will be discussed with our teachers, regarding your musical backgrounds).
** Students outside of Canada will use CAD currency as their rate, and may pay with their local currency using PayPal (with an additional CAD 5 administration fee).
SPECIAL RATES
I'm giving a special rates to any of you, who are:
- Post-COVID subsidy for Indonesian living in Indonesia ($10 off, ending September 2023), or
- A university student paying for your own lesson fee ($5 off), or
- 50+ year-old senior adult paying for your own lesson fee ($10 off), or
- Anyone else under financial difficulties.
PAYMENT
Meeting numbers are always going to be written down on the journal (either the physical book or the digital-formed journal). The monthly payment should be paid within the 5 calendar days of the following month. You’ll get a notification in the beginning of those 5-day period. There will be a charge for a late payment of 2% which will be donated annually to charitable organisations around our communities.
AFFILIATIONS
Aside of my teaching experience since 2009, I also have some teaching background and experience from different professors.
I’ve been working with different professors with different playing styles, methodologies, and even teaching approaches, for quite a few years. The big three methods / approaches are Russian, American, and Galamian. This way, I could see and compare on which will be the good potential for each of my students to learn efficiently. Sometimes, a hybrid would works even better!
I have made this "EVERYTHING NEEDED, MADE SIMPLE!" page to cater this hybrid methods, as we might be needing books from different schools and systems. Feel free to use this for your reference, too.
SUZUKI MUSIC ASSOCIATIONS
As I have mentioned before, I have been a certified Suzuki Music Violin Teacher since 2008. That means, there has to be something special with my studio-lesson program. YES! By having a lesson with me, all of my students have access to get additional classes in a group lesson, orchestra, or even summer program the Suzuki Music offers (depends on which country you live in).
TEACHERS & PEDAGOGUES, COLLEAGUES, LUTHIERS, & MUSIC SHOPS ALL OVER THE WORLD
Centro Virtuoso & I have built, and are still building, good relationships with many local and global music performers, music teachers, pedagogues, luthiers and music shops around the world. If Centro Virtuoso students are going to the other part of the world, I could set my students to have lesson with the teacher wherever they are. It’s always been a good thing to take lesson with other recommended good teachers; students will learn from different perspectives.
Just let me know if you’re going to Australia, Canada, Indonesia, some countries/cities in Europe, USA, or other cities in Asia.
KREDDLE Customised-Chinrest Company
My studio is having a good relationship with a customised-chinrest company, KREDDLE, in the USA. Centro Virtuoso students could get their extremely comfortable chinrests for a fraction of price.
Go here to find Kreddle!
GELREST Customised Chinrest Pad Company
Many are struggling with chinrest, either it's finding a perfect shape, or finding a perfect and comfortable fit. My experience with GelRest has been so good by far, and approved by my students as well. Centro Virtuoso students and some of Dave Nathanael's students outside Centro Virtuoso could get the perfect comfort with a discount, too.
Go here to find GelRest!
AMAZON CANADA Company
Centro Virtuoso is affiliated with Amazon Canada. And we have tried to neat-pick things that are needed for Centro Virtuoso's students (from beginner students to professionals), so you don't have to get overwhelmed by too-many options (which is actually a good problem to have). You may see the list here.
ADDITIONAL INFO
BRANCHES:
Australia
Canada
Germany
Indonesia (Tangerang): maps
Indonesia (South Jakarta): maps
Singapore
USA
GO WATCH GOOD CONCERTS!
I always suggest all of my students to fully submerge to the musical world. One of the ways is to come to a music concert. This's actually a good way to learn music; not by playing, but by seeing and listening. Even sitting down doing nothing trains the brain and sharpens the ears.
Therefore, I will highly recommend you to go to my blog often to check if there's concerts going on in the city you live in. You could subscribe to the blog too, in order to get realtime posts and news.
Blog: here
Subscription to Blog: here
ORCHESTRA
I also suggest my students to join orchestra, either student orchestras, youth orchestras, or professional orchestras. During lesson, students will gain their skills, mostly on playing solo, and sometimes, we'll discuss about playing as an ensemble or with someone else. But it would be such a richer experience if they could get into a real orchestras. That's a totally different skill to learn as a musician, violinist specifically.
SUZUKI MUSIC
If you're in Indonesia, to be specific, I recommend my students to make themselves become a Suzuki Music Association member wherever they are. This way, they could get a Suzuki certification, they could also join the group lesson, as well as the fun Suzuki Summer Institute / Camp, where they could meet hundreds of other violinists from other cities, provinces, or even other countries / continents! If they're too young to start the instrument, there'll be a few early-childhood classes for their preparations, as well.
MANY THANKS
for your time reading this info!
If you have further question, please feel free to contact me:
here, +62 859 2225 8880, or centrovirtuoso@gmail.com.
“Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us” – Martin Luther.
