Autumn is in full swing, and here at ViolinSchool we've been busy beavering away behind the scenes, making preparations for three BIG ViolinSchool projects, which we're about to unwrap...
The new, expanded Digital Library (already a VS member? Take a sneak preview here!)
More Online Courses taking you right through Level 1 of our Curriculum and beyond.
The Violin Orchestra that we run in London twice a year - booking opens early next week!
Look out for news about ALL of these over the next month or so! In the meantime...
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London Ensembles - 21st & 28th October
If you're here in the UK, come and join us! The Orchestra will now begin on Saturday 4th November, but before that, we're running two sessions for everyone who'd like to join the orchestra, on these dates, in London (Victoria/Pimlico):
This Saturday, 21st October(1-3pm Orchestra Preparation Workshop, 3pm-5pm Performance Class & Ensembles)
Next Saturday, 28th October (1-3pm Orchestra Preparation Workshop, 3pm-5pm Performance Class & Ensembles)
Not in the UK? Keep an eye on your email and our Facebook page for news about the new Library and Online Courses!
Happy practising!
- Simon
Summer is in full swing, and there's plenty going on at the London branch of ViolinSchool! Check out this new video from Simon to hear all about our new Violin Ensemble Sessions in London, as well as One to One Lessons and our popular Beginner Violin Class. And don't forget the biscuits!
Hi Everyone!
Wherever you are, I hope you're having a great summer! Here at ViolinSchool HQ, we're pushing forward with our video production, and rolling out the long-awaited Learning Guide which will soon be available to all our members.
Every week we'll now be releasing new video tutorials. Core content will be published in the Learning Guide and in our Online Courses, and our free tutorials and other special video content will also appear on our new Youtube Channel.
Here's a video from the 'Essentials' course, which explains how to practise the 'Circles' exercise:
As we move through into the autumn, we've got many many video tutorials coming your way, to guide you sequentially through all the most important topics that will help you to play the violin the way you want to! So stay tuned to this blog, as well as to our Facebook page, and we'll keep you updated whenever there's a new video for you to enjoy.
Thanks for watching!
We're delighted to present a brand new website for ViolinSchool London:
This new site is separate from our main eLearning platform at www.ViolinSchool.com, and features up to date information about all of our London-based tuition and events, including calendars and booking forms, plus details of our...
Our new Ensemble Sessions (like the Violin Orchestra, but with smaller groups!) start on Saturday 5th August and run fortnightly throughout August and September. Our full Autumn program including the next Violin Orchestra project will also be announced in a few weeks. Do let us know if there are any particular topics you'd like us to include in our Autumn classes, and keep the suggestions coming for pieces you'd like us to arrange for the Ensembles or the Violin Orchestra!
The second half of the livestream featuring the Violin Ensembles and The Violin Orchestra will now begin at 3.45pm London time. Tune in at 3.45pm this afternoon to hear THE VIOLIN ORCHESTRA!
Here's the programme for today's concert (click to enlarge):
ViolinSchool wishes to thank WAY ELECTRIFICATION LIMITED for their sponsorship of the Violin Orchestra Summer Concert.
The violins are out! The soundchecks are underway! And in just a couple of hours from now, the Violin Orchestra will be performing live here in London for all to hear!
Join us from 2pm London time to hear all the ViolinSchool students perform their solos, or 3.20pm for the ensembles and Violin Orchestra itself!
You can catch the livestream on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/violinschool/, and don't forget to share it with the hashtag #violinorchestra!
We look forward to seeing you online later!
ViolinSchool wishes to thank WAY ELECTRIFICATION LIMITED for their sponsorship of the Violin Orchestra Summer Webcast.
We're pleased to announce that ViolinSchool's annual Summer Webcast will take place live from London at 2pm (London time) on Saturday 1st July.
The Violin Orchestra will be performing at Whitefield's Tabernacle on Tottenham Court Road, in the main hall of the American Church in London. The concert will feature a selection of solo performances by members of ViolinSchool, and ensemble performances by the violin ensembles from our Saturday classes, The Pimlico Players.
The Violin Orchestra will then perform exclusive new musical arrangements, written especially for the concert by ViolinSchool's David Worswick, and featuring multi-level parts so that participants of every age and level can join in! The orchestra will be performing:
La Folia by Arcangelo Corelli
Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen
Rhapsody by David Worswick
Palladio by Karl Jenkins
He's a Pirate from Pirates of the Caribbean by Hans Zimmer
Advanced players and ViolinSchool members from outside London who wish to come and join us on the day of the concert should get in touch as soon as possible at [email protected], or call us on +44 (0) 20 3051 0080.
Tune in live here at ViolinSchool.com on Saturday 1st July at 2pm London time to watch the concert. Or, come along to 79a Tottenham Court Road, London (entrance around the back on Whitfield Street) to join us at the event! Entry is by donation, no tickets or advanced booking required.
See you there!
ViolinSchool wishes to thank Way Electrification Limited for their sponsorship of the Violin Orchestra Summer Concert
Happy New Year from everyone here at ViolinSchool!
We've got some exciting news to share with you for 2017...
Sheet Music Publishing Partnership
We're really happy to announce that the ViolinSchool team is taking over management of Musicland Publications, a leading publisher of sheet music and educational materials for string instruments.
Musicland itself is a family business, established in the 1980s by Alan and Caroline Lumsden (Hewitt Jones). Caroline, who is the aunt of ViolinSchool Director Simon Hewitt Jones, has been an advisor to ViolinSchool since 2013, and we're really excited to be bringing together her experience of educating children with all of the expertise in adult learning that's been built up by the ViolinSchool team in recent years.
In the near future, we'll be collaborating together on several ViolinSchool books, including all-new 'tutor books' that will complement our online learning programs. But the Musicland catalogue is already a goldmine for string players (and many of our London learners and Violin Orchestra players are already familiar with some of Musicland's chamber music!)
The new Musicland website is now live at www.musiclandpublications.com featuring 50 of the most popular pieces from the catalogue (and the rest will be arriving over the next few weeks). Music is despatched daily from our dedicated 'cottage warehouse' in South-West England, and as each edition is revised and updated, digital versions will become available through ViolinSchool and other digital sheet music distributors.
Release Dates for Online Courses
We're happy to announce release dates for the revised online learning programs:
We can’t wait to share these great new resources with you! Access to all of these great new courses is included in ViolinSchool membership, and we'll let you know by email as soon as they become available. Remember, you can check our online curriculum to see all the topics that will be coming your way.
The Violin Course
The other big project we’re about to start is The Violin Course, our epic 12-week course in London that guides learners from total beginner level to Level 4 of our curriculum. We’re starting this Saturday, and we have just a couple of places remaining, so if you’re interested in taking part then make sure you get in touch today! All the info is on the page at https://www.violinschool.com/violincourse/.
The content of the Violin Course will also form the basis of our online learning programs, so even if you can’t make it to London, then keep an eye on our blog, our social media and our newsletter. Over the coming weeks we’ll be sending you lots of video lessons, sheet music and other great resources to help you make 2017 the year where you take your violin-playing to the next level!
Happy New Year!
Introducing The Violin Course, our new flagship study program, developed exclusively by the team at ViolinSchool:
Following a major upgrade on 5th November, we’re rolling out our long-awaited Online Courses between now and the end of the end of the year.
Our new Online Community is now available for members once you’ve logged in, and our program of Live Online Classes begins from 7th November.
Our twice-annual Violin Orchestra project is underway… this Christmas, you’ll be able to take part ‘virtually’ by sending in your recordings from wherever you are!
Or if you’re in the UK, join us in London on 10th December for our live webcast!
If you’re new to ViolinSchool, start with our New Learner Questionnaire which will show you where to begin learning!
If you’ve got any question or need help learning the violin, then get in contact with our Learner Support team anytime! We’re here 7 days a week to help you learn:
A new series of first-hand stories from people learning the violin. Here's the journey of Setareh Mood (Violin Learner, Yoga Student, and Head of ViolinSchool Support)
My name is Setareh Mood. Since my childhood I've loved to play instrumental music, I've always found it fascinating. Living in different eastern and western countries, made me very interested in every kind of musical genre. I always wanted to work and study music, but rarely had the possibility of accomplishing that.
At the age of 12 I began learning keyboard and that was the first time I got familiarised with music notes. I played it for about two years, but the life of a student was very busy and I just used keyboard to perform some small school concerts.
When I was 18 I left my country (Iran) and went to Italy to continue my studies of Foreign Languages and Literature. After my degree from Milan's university, I taught Persian language and literature to Italians.
When I was 25 I felt that music playing was lacking so badly in my life. I didn't have any instrument
with me in Italy, so I borrowed a violin from my husband's cousin who was studying violin at that time. I played that violin for 1 year, which was enough time to make me fall in love with this beautiful instrument!
So after one year I bought my own violin. And went to some private lessons during two to three years. But a sense of community and setting goals was lacking in my playing and so I wasn't very disciplined and constant in my violin learning.
When I arrived with my husband in London in October 2014, life was very challenging. I tried to play violin when I could but it wasn't very easy without a guide or a community. Then one day last summer I found there was a violin orchestra for any age and level in London, run by ViolinSchool. The idea of being part of a group with my same passion thrilled me a lot. So I participated in the orchestra and I've got much more than what I was expected. I found a family, and my best English friendships came from this orchestra and ViolinSchool members.
I found that ViolinSchool gives us the hope that we can play the violin beautifully and enjoy it even if we have just begun to learn it.
And the eLearning program makes ViolinSchool special because we have access to the violin learning everywhere we go. And we have a dedicated advisory team who are always glad to help everybody with their questions.
At the moment I am studying Yoga to become an advanced yoga teacher, and my dream is to combine one day the unity of yoga to the harmony of music.
At the beginning of this year I began to be a part of the ViolinSchool team and my dream of working and studying for music became true 🙂
As Rumi said: Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames!
Are you learning the violin and would like to share your story? Email us at [email protected] - you could be featured here next!
We were really excited to welcome the brilliant jazz violinist Christian Howes for the very first in our new series ViolinSchool Presents..., in which we'll be welcoming star violinists to share their expertise with ViolinSchool learners. Christian was delighted to round off his European tour by spending several days with ViolinSchool learners before returning back home to America.
Creative Improvisation Workshop with Christian Howes
Over the course of the weekend, players of all experience levels had the opportunity to work with Christian. Everyone was thrilled by the sessions, and they relished the opportunity to work on their violin skills with such a talented artist. The residency ended with Christian Howes giving a brilliant concert for everyone to enjoy, followed by many pints!
Advanced and pro players' session with Christian Howes
The whole weekend was a great success, and many people have already asked when he will be coming back again to Europe... we're already discussing future plans, so watch this space! In the meantime, we urge those who missed the weekend to discover Christian’s work by checking out his videos on his website: http://christianhowes.com/performance/videos/
Christian Howes coaching ViolinSchool's Director, Simon Hewitt Jones!
We look forward to inviting more top calibre violinists to ViolinSchool Presents… and sharing their knowledge with ViolinSchool learners!
We're continuing to update ViolinSchool.com For members, Online Learning is available as usual at https://learn.violinschool.com/
eLearning for the Violin.
15 Palace Street Westminster, London SW1E 5HS, ENGLAND
London Ensembles - 21st & 28th October
The violins are out! The soundchecks are underway! And in just a couple of hours from now, the Violin Orchestra will be performing live here in London for all to hear!
We're happy to announce release dates for the revised online learning programs:
My name is Setareh Mood. Since my childhood I've loved to play instrumental music, I've always found it fascinating. Living in different eastern and western countries, made me very interested in every kind of musical genre. I always wanted to work and study music, but rarely had the possibility of accomplishing that.
Creative Improvisation Workshop with Christian Howes
Advanced and pro players' session with Christian Howes
Christian Howes coaching ViolinSchool's Director, Simon Hewitt Jones!