Our Mission

The mission of Boot Camp is to improve your student’s violin technique, discover new practice methodology, and have the opportunity to perform for a group. We will utilize online technology to create a fantastic mixture of both group and individual instruction, as well as performance opportunities that benefit each student individually.

What to Expect

Your student will receive supervised personal practice time, group technical work and instruction, and daily master class and performance by each student, plus topics such as sight-reading, quick music learning techniques, orchestra excerpts, and much more! Your student will complete the Boot Camp a more accomplished, confident, enthusiastic, (and tired!) violin player. This is a perfect opportunity to jump-start fall practice, prepare for fall auditions, and get ready for in-school-based orchestra and symphony classes and/or continuing private instruction.

Who Is Camp For?

Open to violin players 6th grade through college. Younger students can register for the group Master Class on either August 7 or August 14. Friday Master Class is included in full-day Boot Camp registration.

Boot Camp Goals

Our Camp is designed to take advantage of online technology to combine the benefits of group practice, instruction and performance with solo practice, instruction, and performance opportunities. Each day begins with group exercises, followed by solo drop-in practice sessions designed by your teacher. The afternoon sessions are individual mini lessons, followed by a master class. After designing and sharing the daily practice plan with you, I will drop in on your individual virtual practice room throughout the day to help shape your personal choices during practice time. In addition to the regular time I am with you in the breakout rooms, each person will get the equivalent of one 60 minute private lesson each week.I will be tailoring your individual practice assignments to what you specifically need in your practicing and technique, instead of choosing the same thing for everyone (like in a group class)

I will guide you through your practice time to make sure your practice schedule is maintained, motivated, and keeps you accountable to yourself, thus heading towards your goals in music. As needed, I will offer my solutions to any faulty practice technique that I discover based on my performance and teaching experience . In addition , there are daily master classes to cover the myriad of important topics musicians need to be aware of I will help you:

• Create a personalized daily practice plan

• Organize your practice to make it more efficient and beneficial

• Know when to stop and when to keep going

• Set short, near and long terms goals in your practicing

• Identify good and bad habits in your practicing

• Clean up: pitch, sound, bow control, shifting, vibrato, coordination, and accuracy in all types of musical passages

• Learn quickly and efficiently

• Use sight reading skills to help you learn more quickly

Daily Schedule

(A complete daily schedule will be provided during the first day of Camp. Subject to change)

 9:15-9:45 Arrive and tune, set up technology

9:45-10 mental health for musicians message from psychologist Cynthia Hughes

10-10:50 Scales and other technical exercises group style with mics off Each morning we will all be playing together through designated scale and arpeggios with you with your microphone off but mine on. It will be like playing with only me: you can hear me but I can not hear you.

11-11:50  Individual practice in breakout rooms of your recommended (by me, or your teacher) technique

12-12:50  Individual practice in breakout rooms of your Etude/Bach or other technique

1:00-1:30 Lunch Break, and the ½ Day ends here

1:30-3:00 Individual Mini lessons (15 minutes each) /Individual Practice time (Solo)

3:00-4:00 Lit and Rep Master Class, with repertoire varying per person and age level

Friday afternoon will be special:  

2:00-4:00  Master Class with solos, everyone plays one by one (not required)

4:00-5:00  Individual practice in breakout rooms of information from the Master Class

NOTES on Schedule

All Individual practice is monitored by me and in breakout rooms. The Schedule will remain flexible, according to the number of people I have and discovering ways to improve the above schedule if possible. For ½ Day Students your time can be used for your private lesson music except for the first hour.

What You’ll Need

• Computer, tablet or smartphone for video. *I need to be able to see you, and you need to be able to see me.

• Stand or holder for your phone or computer that puts your violin at a visible angle for me to see you play.

• Recommended is the LOUDEST speaker you can have so you hear me clearly and/or use headphones.

• Any personal repertoire that the student’s teacher wants them to work on

• Practice Journal (spiral notebook is fine)

• Schradieck School of Violin Techniques Book 1

• Sevcik Opus 1--Books 1-4

• Sevcik Opus 8—Shifting preparatory to scales

• Recording device (smartphone, tablet, digital recorder,etc.)

• Pencils and erasers

• Music stand

Notes

Please plan in advance to be in the spot of highest speed internet connection in your house/ place.

*this program is designed to supplement your private teacher’s efforts and goals for you, thus I recommend keeping your weekly lesson with your teacher during the Boot Camp week.

If you have any questions at all, please contact Petia at radneva@hotmail.com

Thank you!