Eric Eaton
About
Hello! My name is Eric Eaton and I am a professional cellist living in Brooklyn NY. I started playing cello at the age of 10 and instantly fell in love with the world of music. From an early age I was taught to love and appreciate music from all over the world and that has been something I'm very passionate about passing on to my students. My training was primarily in Classical Music specializing in solo and chamber playing. I attended the Manhattan School of Music where I studied with David Geber. After attending MSM I stayed in NYC to pursue a career in cello performance and teaching. Working as a Teaching Artist in NY state has been one of the most fulfilling jobs of my life. For the last 9 years I have worked in public schools in NYC and upstate NY giving private lessons, masterclasses, workshops and performances. I have also performed extensively in NYC playing in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Le Poisson Rouge as well as touring nationally with a production of Camelot. Most recently I had the pleasure of traveling around the world performing piano quintets with Lincoln Center Stage.
Teaching Style
For 10 years I have held a private studio where I teach students of all ages, backgrounds and skill levels including very advanced children and adult beginners. My teaching style is tailored for each student as everyone is an individual and we all learn at different rates and require different techniques. I do however have a few principals that carry over to all students. First and foremost music should be fun! Everyone loves music, its why we listen to it on the way to work, when we relax or just for the fun of it. Getting to explore the amazing world of music is a gift and I believe learning an instrument should be fun and stimulating just as music is. Secondly the lessons should be challenging without being overwhelming. It feels good to accomplish something that is difficult and that feeling of accomplishment is one of the major motivations behind learning an instrument.
Curriculum
My favorite series of book for beginning students is the Essential Elements Series. It does a really great job of setting up students who are new to the instrument in a clear and concise way. I like to pair that with traditional scales and arpeggios to facilitate comfort over the range of the cello. For more advanced students we will begin to work from etude books and Suzuki books to start incorporating more serious pieces into the repertoire as well as starting to explore the Bach Cello Suites. In addition to the more traditional classical style as mentioned before I am also comfortable teaching more current forms of music such as pop and rock. We will explore ways the cello can be used as both a melodic and rhythmic aspect of a pop or rock band.