Thomas Collum Violin Studio

$50/hour

estimated cost

Zip code

Student experience

Lesson length

Interested musical styles

It’s free, with no obligation to book

Introduction: My teaching philosophy is centered around two main prerogatives: 1) to teach efficient, reliable, healthy body mechanics to maximize longevity, technical facility, which will also great expand your capacity for musical expression; and 2) to teach students how to coach themselves the other six days of the week when I'm not around to reinforce and help them to retain new and recurring concepts. To truly develop good and natural technique one must also develop the skills to practice effectively, and autonomously drive and navigate their own progress. Transferable to anything we do (not just violin), these skills take a long time to develop, and are most quickly done so with understanding guidance.

Overview

Hired 1 time

Serves Boston, MA

Background checked

1 employee

4 years in business

Payment methods

Cash, Check, PayPal, Square cash app, Venmo

Featured Projects

1 photo

Specialties

Interested musical styles

Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for work quality, professionalism, and responsiveness.

Exceptional 5.0

7 reviews

100%

Read reviews that mention:

Yolanda T.

I cannot state enough how blessed we are to have Thomas as my daughter’s violin teacher. My daughter started working with Thomas when she was six years old. After two and a half years, we have seen how his dedication to her growth as a musician goes above and beyond anything we could have hoped for and expected. He builds lessons around music she is excited about, striking the delicate balance between challenging her technique and giving her room to explore at her own pace. If she chooses to pursue a specific song, he takes that as an opportunity to build fundamentals, identify key problem areas, and outline drills to help her achieve her goal. Thomas is very creative at motivating students and embracing tools to expand upon teaching opportunities. When the pandemic hit, our lessons did not skip a beat, transitioning seamlessly to a virtual format. His teaching has even gone beyond violin skills. He is helping my daughter build life skills like planning, confronting performance anxiety, overcoming frustration, and dedicating time toward mastering a skill. As an active musician, Thomas is relatable. He uses his own past and present experiences to connect with students, testify to his own personal challenges and share his love of music. In short, Thomas is a gem of a violin teacher.

Dec 5, 2020

Marissa P.

I highly recommend Thomas for anyone looking for violin lessons or to purchase an instrument. I'm an adult learner who started taking lessons from Thomas over a year ago--starting from zero. Thomas is great at meeting you where you're at to make the learning experience fit with your life and preferences, which always makes lessons both enjoyable and challenging rather than stressful. As someone without any prior experience, I also appreciate how he equips you with the skills you need to problem-solve and practice on your own. In addition, I recently purchased a violin from Thomas. I was blown away by his thoroughness and generosity with his time and attention. He made the process a fun learning experience, leaving me both excited and confident in my final decision!

Nov 21, 2020

Joseph G.

Thomas has been teaching me weekly for 3 years. Each and every week, I can tell that for the week before he has been thinking hard about each aspect of my playing the violin and personalizes that week's lesson to what I need. He is thoughtful about everything from my understanding of the music's rhythms, to what I need to do to improve the sound I make with the violin given my particular body mechanics, to how I should approach a piece that I want to learn. He is warm and makes good use of humor. On top of all this he is a master musician and I know I am learning from someone who has thought deeply about the violin as well as about me as a student of the violin. I have made tremendous progress because of Thomas. I could not ask for a better or more dedicated teacher!

Nov 21, 2020

Amy M.

Thomas is wonderful to work with. He is very patient with my daughter. He is always responsive and on time for lessons. My daughter enjoys working with him,

Nov 21, 2020

Ramkumar P.

My experience with Mr.Collum has been excellent so far. He always ensures I perfect everything because he wants me to be a good violist.

Nov 22, 2020

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Thomas Collum

FAQs

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
I charge a fixed monthly rate, much like a retainer, which accounts for student absences throughout the year for various reasons (sick days, family vacations), as well as a few federally observed holidays. Consistency is immensely important to seeing improvement and I have found that a fixed rate most incentivizes weekly attendance. For all teacher cancellations, I do credit one lesson's worth to the following month.
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
It really depends on their experience level. I generally will start by taking a step back (if not new to the instrument), and make sure that there are no glaring gaps in fundamentals. Even in my own practicing, the fundamentals that I teach beginners and intermediate students are usually immediately pertinent to the professional repertoire I prepare.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have studied with some world-class musicians including Markus Placci (Violin Faculty, The Boston Conservatory), Marc Rovetti (Assistant Concertmaster, Philadelphia Orchestra), Ariana Kim (Aizuri String Quartet, The Knights, Cornell University), Joseph Lin (First Violin, Juilliard String Quartet), and Roberta Crawford & Michael Salmirs (Finger Lakes Chamber Ensemble). I am currently regularly coached by Daniel Stepner, formerly of Brandeis University and the Lydian String Quartet.

Thomas Collum Violin Studio

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