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I’ve watched many instructional violin videos, and Violin Lab is clearly the most comprehensive and well-organized program. I like your in-depth discussion of topics, and your philosophy that there’s no “one size fits all” best way for many techniques. I also enjoy your having other master teachers present their own points of view, tips, and practice suggestions.

I’m attracted too by your focus on adult students. I think a lot of teachers are uncomfortable with adult students because we often ask a lot of questions, and aren’t satisfied to just do whatever the teacher says. I’ve learned a lot from Violin Master Class, but get annoyed that the students shown are all quite young. The implicit message is that you have to start when you’re a kid. And I really don’t need constant reminders that there are kids who are much more skilled than me!

I applaud the professionalism of your lessons. They’re extremely well organized and presented. You’re very relaxed before the camera, and know just what you want to say. I’d watched other video teachers fumble around, correct themselves, or apologize for some goof or technical production problem. I wish they’d just do another take and get it right, showing the same care that they would for a performance CD.

I’m a very visual learner, and I like your videos’ sharp image quality and plain backgrounds, which let me focus totally on the lesson. In some other teachers’ videos, I’ve gotten irritated at poor camera angles or lighting, or distracted by interesting personal objects in the background of their living rooms or studios.

Perhaps your most impressive single feature is the lesson with vibrato in slow-motion. I’ve seen this nowhere else, and it’s so helpful to see exactly what the motions are in real performance-level vibrato.

Christine Robins