Joseph Lorang

I believe that music education is extremely valuable to everyone, regardless of age, past musical experience, or career path. Studying music can help develop essential skills for many professions, and it can provide a powerful sense of beauty, accomplishment, and community. I believe that everyone has musical potential, and it is my job as a teacher to help students achieve all that they are capable of achieving.

I believe that it is important to develop students’ ability to learn by ear and play by heart from the beginning. An important component of this process is listening to good recordings of student repertoire and advanced repertoire. Music reading is also an important skill that I incorporate into my teaching if students have not already learned this elsewhere. Another important skill that I discuss often in lessons is how to practice - this is crucial for students to make the most of the time between lessons. For students of all levels, I believe it is also imperative to provide frequent performance opportunities as well as opportunities to play music with other people - we will find creative solutions to this during the current COVID-19 pandemic. I also find that simple improvisation activities can be very valuable in encouraging each student's creativity.

Every student learns somewhat differently, and I believe it is essential to have a flexible, thoughtful, and customized approach for each student. While specific techniques and repertoire will vary, many basic principles are essential to cover for every student. Melodic playing, musicality, and creativity are encouraged from the beginning. A sensitivity to sound quality and development of a warm tone is also essential, as well as developing a strong sense of rhythm and pitch. In all aspects of violin playing, I believe in encouraging efficient body movements without any unnecessary tension to produce sound, and using a relaxed and natural posture. I encourage natural physical motions in response to the music (without disrupting the basic posture or technique) without specifically prescribing or choreographing them.

For bowing technique, I encourage a very relaxed and flexible, yet firm, bow hold. I teach a bowing motion primarily from the forearm with involvement from the upper arm closer to the ends of the bow as needed. A flexible wrist is also essential for many bow strokes. I encourage the use of gravity in creating sound, rather than pressure. Developing a keen awareness of contact point and angle of bow to string is also important. I also encourage developing an awareness of the relationships between the primary factors that affect sound – weight, speed, contact point, and hair angle. Teaching of bow distribution in particular is especially important, and can be taught through repertoire from an early stage.

For left hand technique, a key foundation is an effective placement of the violin and a relaxed approach to holding the instrument. It is also essential to hold the instrument at a high enough angle, as this helps the bow stay close enough to the bridge, as well as maintaining a good left hand/wrist position and making upward shifts easier. I encourage an awareness of when fingers should be lifted or kept down, and emphasize an efficient vertical motion for the fingers dropping onto the string. I also emphasize keeping the fingers ready to play and close to the string. A proper alignment of the wrist and forearm is also key to left hand technique. I value keeping a relaxed left-hand position with no squeezing, as this is necessary for efficient fingering lifting and dropping, and particularly for shifting and vibrato.

At all times, the particular interests and goals of the student are of key importance. The same skills can be taught with many different pieces - if a student is interested in playing a particular piece, I will find a way for them to play it and learn from the experience. If a student is interested in working on a particular skill, I will make sure to prioritize that. I want to make playing music be as positive and joyful an experience as possible for every student.