Esther Howard
About
My passion is music! I started to play the piano and violin when I was five years old. Through the years, I learned many instruments, but finally focused on violin. I have performed professionally throughout the years with many different musical groups, including The New Music Festival Orchestra, the New Wilmington Opera Guild, the Greenville Orchestra, the Ashtabula Area Orchestra, the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, and the Howard Report, with whom I am a regular performing member. I have been teaching music privately for nearly 30 years and have taught students from age two to ninety. I love music and I love teaching. As Lessonface's 2024 Teacher of the Year for Violin, one of my goals is to bring a love of music to life for my students. Whether your desire is to bring the classics to life or rock on your electric violin, I am here to guide you. I look forward to helping you on your musical adventure!
My second passion is language. I am not only a student of language, but I have been teaching English for more than two decades now. I have experience teaching ESL to both very young beginners and older beginners. I also have experience in test preparation including Toefl, IELTS, GED, ACT, and SAT. I hold BA in English along with TEFL certification. I have found success teaching in the classroom and virtually. Let me help you to build a strong foundation in English!
Teaching Style
I believe that the basics are important! No matter what level I am teaching, we use scales and etudes to build skill. These along with an organized approach to new concepts help to lay a strong foundation. Students always have a solo that they are learning that is appropriate for their level. One of my goals is to help you learn to play music that is fun and interesting to you! I can provide suggestions for any genre, but I am also open to new ideas. Let me know if there is something that you have always wanted to learn to play!
Curriculum
For violin, each lesson begins with a scale and then etude or method book, depending on the student's level. I lean toward Essential Elements as a great method book. The Wohlfahrt Etudes are a good place to start for etudes. Solos are often selected from standard repertoire, which can be found in the Suzuki method books, or other similar sources. Of course, the student's personal tastes are always taken in to consideration! If there is a style of music that you have always wanted to play, my goal is to help you make that happen!
Credentials & Affiliations
I have a long history of performing professionally. I received my degree from Youngstown State University, where I studied with Professor of Violin John Wilcox, and I also worked closely, both as a student and professionally, with Doctor Robert Rollin, internationally recognized composer. I have had the privilege of learning from and working alongside so many talented musicians!