Eldon O Bradfield

I believe there are as many ways of teaching music well as there are people! Everyone comes with their own skillset, goals, and circumstances, and it's my job as you tutor to build a curriculum around who you are that will help you achieve your goals on the instrument. I am very well-versed in ABRSM and Suzuki techniques, and supplement both of those methods with my own knowledge of technique and musicianship. All of my work is person- and comfort- centered; I want to help people play freely and sustainably with excellent technique and confidence.

One of my areas of focus as a teacher is in how to adapt technique to each student's unique physical features; instead of forcing people to follow a set of absolute rules along holding the bow or violin, I look at how to make the instrument fit with them in a way that facilitates tension-free playing. This is especially vital for young people, as their bodies change so much when they grow and their technique will change with them if they are set up properly.

I also center aural learning in my teaching whenever possible; learning to play and sing based on matching pitch, learn music by ear as well as by paper, and connect the ear to the process of playing. This sets people up to be free to do whatever they want with their instrument, whether that's reading string quartets for fun, learning tunes off the radio, or applying to study the violin in a conservatory.

I don't just teach the instrument or technique; in any genre, I think it's essential to also teach the stories that come with the music. Whether that's tales of tunes travelling by the Silk Road or funny facts about Mozart, learning about the people and cultures around music is just as important for our ability to play and express ourselves as having a good setup and ear.