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Testimonials
Comments About My Virtual Music Academy From Some of My Students
Since I was 22 I've been permanently employed in a symphony orchestra. Straight out of conservatory I did an audition and 6 months later I was made a full-time tutti violist.. So this year I turned 26 and I felt I had reached a plateau and I was getting bored with my own playing and its limits.
This changed some weeks ago when I started having lessons with Miriam Ross.
Before my first lesson I wasn't really sure how it would be to have a viola lesson over Skype. Of course it turned out to be totally fine; plus I don't have to travel hundreds of kilometers to Vienna - I just stay in my own living room:)
Besides being a great player with a wealth of experience, Miriam has a unique and inspiring style of teaching. She is fast at pin-pointing what is necessary, how to do it and where to go mentally to make changes that will take your playing further.
I have made big changes in a relatively short amount of time, but not alone. I received the relevant guidance and advice from Miriam without ever feeling I'm being judged negatively. I am learning intensively while at the same time mapping out and planning my own progress.
Scheduling lessons is easier than ordering pizza. I go Miriam's website, choose a time and the next lesson is confirmed instantly. Come lesson time, all I do is open Skype and I can be sure the lesson starts on the minute with a smiley greeting. It's awesome!
Christian
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My first reaction to the very idea of distance learning via the internet was curiosity mixed with, admittedly, a tinge of skepticism. However, I decided to give it a try, so there I stood in front of the camera, in tune, online and expecting Miriam’s call.
At first, it felt odd to play for someone in front of a camera alone in the room. However, after the first hour of my lesson with Miriam, all my doubts disappeared because it was obvious that the virtual distance was not a stumbling block. Miriam’s sharp eyes and ears saw and heard everything and her comments hit the button. All of this all in spite of my less than brilliant internet connection! Furthermore, the lesson had an intensity and concentration that I had never experienced in a physical eye-to-eye lesson.
After an intensive block of virtual music lessons with Miriam, I can conclude that lessons via Skype have a number of advantages:
• Concentration and effectiveness. The length - or rather the brevity - of the lessons spurs you on to make the best possible use of the time, inhibiting major detours, simple digressions and unnecessary discussions. You know immediately when you have hit upon something and achieved something and you are ready to put in additional time on your own. This focus combined with Miriam’s concept of working in blocks - where you address a specific problem or issue - are extremely effective.
• Flexibility. Because my lessons with Miriam are not tied to the time it takes me to get to and from her music studio, we can change the length of my lessons or divide my lesson into segments when we want. For example, occasionally even though I’ve scheduled a 30-minute lesson with Miriam, we agree after 10 minutes that the lesson is long enough, or we agree to temporarily stop the lesson so I can practice what I’ve learned for a couple hours, and to resume the lesson later that day.
• Preparation, Rather than spending time at the start of a physical lesson warming up, when you are having a virtual lesson, you warm up prior to the start of your lesson at your own pace and at your own home or studio. So, you are ready to go when your lesson begins.
• Continuity. When your lessons are virtual, you do not have to interrupt your lessons when you are traveling. No matter where you are, you can work with Miriam as long as you have access to the internet. At times, this continuity can be extremely valuable.
Many thanks, Miriam, for your innovative teaching idea and its successful implementation, I look forward to my next block of lessons!"
Oliver
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"I have a job in Qatar where the opportunities for artistic advancement are minimal. Therefore, I am very enthusiastic about the Miriam Ross Academy. Working with Miriam on a virtual basis has allowed me to maintain my musical fitness as a violinist and to prepare for auditions in Europe.
Receiving regular music lessons via Skype makes it possible for me to get the instruction and advice I need as a musician without having to incur the cost of travelling to another country for that same help -- a cost that would be considerable from Qatar. I especially value the opportunity for daily monitoring from Miriam. In my experience, it’s essential to preparing for a successful audition.
Initially, Miriam’s suggestion that we develop a plan for my practicing seemed like an unnecessarily time-consuming exercise. However, after a few days of using the plan, I realized how helpful it is. It’s particularly useful when I am working on numerous orchestral passages because the plan helps me make sure that I pay enough attention to each passage. As a result, during the days immediately before an audition, I am now much less prone to panic attacks because I feel thoroughly prepared.
I intend to continue working with Miriam and whole-heartedly recommend her."
Nina
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"I enjoy my web cam lessons with Miriam. I like the convenience of not having to leave home to have lessons and I find them very educational. I’ve learned a lot about playing the viola and about myself, too."
Lazlo
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"Miriam’s “15 minutes practicing method” works! During a 15-minute time period, you focus all of your attention on a specific technique or musical passage. Practicing something different every 15 minutes means that you do not tire or lose focus easily. Even when I do several 15- minute practices one after the other, I am surprised at how time flies. I enjoy this practice method very much."
Stephanie
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"Talking to you was the support I needed! Now, during my auditions, when I think about what you told me, I feel protected and not so alone."
A.
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