Music theory lessons in Iwamizawa

My review is based on two 60 minute online lessons but also on communication outside of the lessons. Mirko comes across as a genuinely nice guy. When messaged, he responds quickly. Last night I had a small question regarding a piece from our lesson, that I wished would be answered prior to our next meeting and he answered in a very timely fashion and to full satisfaction. If you're someone who wants to build a solid foundation, then I think that you don't need to look any further. Like a concrete slab floor that needs hardening prior to further construction, he doesn't rush through material but makes sure that you're ready before the next stage. As I was not a total beginner, Mirko would start at the lowest or near the lowest entry point after I showed him a range of the things that I was familiar with. So a good starting point for me was a simple I-M rest stroke alternation exercice on the first string and he gradually increased the difficulty. He also introduced me to a short piece that I haven't heard before and right now I can play 40% of it and the plan is to play it fully by the next lesson which is a very realistic goal. When it comes to conveying techniques it would be too early to make a comment because as I already had acquired a reasonably good technique, we didn't focus much on it (yet). I will conclude by saying that if you're someone who doesn't like structure and only wants a taste of everything that a guitar has to offer but not really fully digest anything that is presented in front of you, then skip this teacher. I ,for one, am happy that I found Mirko.

I started my lessons with Giorgia four months ago, and I am so glad to have found her. As a 26-year-old beginner, I was not sure if I should even try to pursue learning an instrument at this point. But now I am so glad I did! I am learning online, and I was a little unsure of how lessons via webcam would go. Despite my prejudice, everything turned out great, even though my setup is quite basic. Her approach to teaching is very creative. She is able to explain things that seem hard to put into words, and she always finds comparisons and descriptions that convey clearly little details of approach that make a lot of difference in the end result. For any difficulty I encountered, she presented methods of exercise that helped correct it. Another thing that I appreciate is that from one lesson to the next, the volume of work is challenging enough that I feel I am making progress, but not to the point that I am overwhelmed. Also, even though I am just beginning and the pieces are not that complex, she explains the musical interpretation in a way that not only helps me advance my skill but also enriches the way I understand and listen to music, and I find great value in that. Her manner of teaching is very organic, and she is a patient teacher with a warm presence. I wholeheartedly recommend her lessons!

My private violin lesson with Ester was absolutely perfect. I had a privilege to hear Ester play her violin and she is so good- it is crazy to think I was able to learn from her. She is also such a good teacher. Full of knowlege and patience- which is, in my opinion, a rare combination. I had no prior musical education and this was my first real music lesson. Ester managed to teach me basic note reading, correct violin holding and even playing my first tunes. Her explainations are very clear and easy to understand. And her approach is very friendly. She is also a very nice person and easy to talk to. I wish we lived in the same city so I could keep studying playing violin with Ester- that's how good she is. Lidia