What kinds of lessons do you teach? 

I primarily teach one-on-one private lessons in violin for all ages and experience levels. I also teach lesson in viola, beginner piano, and music theory. Lessons are available in 30 or 60 minute increments.

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How do I schedule a lesson with you?

Contact me through this form or email me at raina.arnett@gmail.com and include your name and a little bit about you (if you have any prior music/violin experience, what you're looking to learn, etc). Once you contact me, we will schedule a short initial meeting (generally over Zoom). This meeting will be about 30 minutes long, and is a chance for us to get to know each other, for you to ask me any questions you have, and for me to get to know a little bit about your background, current playing level, and musical goals.

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Where do you teach?

I am based in Astoria, Queens (about 15 minutes from Manhattan by train) and teach locally from my home studio, or am available to come to your home anywhere in Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, or Brooklyn.

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Along with my in person students, I also teach lessons over Zoom or FaceTime. All you will need for your virtual lesson is a relatively quiet space, your instrument, and a computer, smartphone, or tablet with internet capabilities. Though I recommend in person lessons if they are possible for you, I have seen students make incredible progress through virtual lessons and they are absolutely worth the investment!

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What is your teaching background/philosophy?

I have a Masters in violin performance from the Juilliard School, as well as a BM in violin performance and music theory from the Eastman School of Music. You can check out my bio for more in-depth info on my previous teaching and performing experience!

 

As a teacher, I focus on building a strong foundation which is constantly improved upon over time, as opposed to just getting through a lot of material quickly. I strive to personalize my teaching to each individual student and their goals, so I will often check in with you about what kinds of things you want to learn. I firmly believe that the experience of learning an instrument has something to offer everyone, at every level of mastery. At the end of each lesson, we'll come up with a practice plan together for the week ahead based on your personal goals and schedule.

 

I have worked with students of all ages one-on-one and in group settings, mostly using Suzuki books for beginner and intermediate students. I grew up learning violin using the Suzuki method and really believe it is one of the most successful and positive ways to teach music, especially to younger learners.

 

I usually incorporate other pieces and books outside of Suzuki depending on the level of the student and their personal interests. Once students are more advanced, we move on to Kreisler short pieces, the Mozart concertos, romantic concertos like Bruch and Mendelssohn, solo Bach sonatas and partitas, and other similar works to help build technique and musical artistry.

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I want to learn violin, but I don't want to play classical music. Do you teach any other styles?

I have professional experience playing jazz, rock/pop, folk, and other styles of music outside of the classical realm. I also have experience improvising in all of these styles and am happy to incorporate whatever you are interested in into our lessons! I am personally a big fan of improvisation as a tool for exploring and incorporating theoretical concepts on your instrument, as well as a way to expand your musical creativity. I also really believe classical training is great for developing and deepening a mastery of fundamental technique, which is what allows you to play any kind of music well. Each one-on-one session is specifically tailored to your needs as a student, and to your personal goals. 

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Why should I/my child study music?

Arts education is vitally important in creating thoughtful, empathetic, and motivated members of our society. Music specifically provides an ideal framework for learning almost any skill due to the nature of the craft. Linguistic skills are developed in the process of learning to read music and parse musical “grammar” in terms of phrase structure and harmonic color. Motor skills are honed through navigating the physical challenges of an instrument. Many diplomatic and social skills are sharpened through the process of working together with other musicians, where the ability to compromise is usually necessary with many different (and sometimes conflicting) personalities in order to achieve a unified goal. Creativity is intrinsically involved in learning music, including the understanding of gestures and figuring out inventive approaches to established traditions, while more broadly understanding how to create something beautiful and personal. Auditory aspects are central in learning to create sound and nuance within it, as well as truly listening and responding to what we hear. Good time management skills are necessary in organizing productive, efficient, and effective practice sessions. Finally, the ability to synthesize all of these skills is realized in performance, when they come together as a cohesive unit. The skills developed through the musical learning process are vital not just to our understanding of music or art, but to our general understanding of other people and more broadly the world around us!

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