Meet Isaac, an 11-year-old violinist and quick study who has impressed everyone at Opus 1 Music Studio with his remarkable talent. Before joining us, Isaac was a self-taught musician who sharpened his skills through online resources and a disciplined practice routine. His passion for the violin and classical music shines through in his recent achievements, including joining the San Jose Youth Symphony and performing at his school talent show. Under the guidance of Teacher John, Isaac has continued to excel, refining his technique and reaching new milestones in his musical journey.
How long have you been studying violin, and why did you choose that instrument?
I've been studying the violin for two and a half years, and I chose the violin because it was fun to play.
Teacher John told us that you mostly taught yourself violin before you started taking lessons with him. How did you teach yourself? Did you have a process that you followed?
I used an online music sheet platform named “Musical” to find songs that were interesting to me. Then, I practiced each song for 15 minutes every day, which helped me learn how to play faster. I practiced playing notes in third position, which means playing notes with your first finger where your third fingers are supposed to be.
Do you play any other instruments?
I used to play the piano, but now I'm mainly just focusing on playing the violin.
What is your favorite style of music to listen to and perform?
I normally like to listen to and perform Baroque or classical style.
Do you have any goals to compete in any competitions, or join any orchestras in the future? If not, what are your goals in learning music?
I recently joined the San Jose Youth Symphony, and I'm going to play in the advanced orchestra at my school.
What is your current practice routine like?
Right now, I try to practice for 30 minutes everyday and I listen to violin pieces for a reference while I am practicing.
Do you have any advice for students your age or younger kids who are trying to teach themselves an instrument, or students who are taking lessons but think that learning the violin is too difficult?
If playing the violin is too difficult, just practice, and over time you'll get better. Also, you can try to pick an interesting song to motivate you to keep practicing, and finally you can try to find the right teacher to improve your skills faster!
What is your favorite or most memorable recital performance?
I actually recently played at my school talent show, which was probably the most memorable recital because all my friends were cheering for me!
What accomplishment in your career as an Opus 1 student or at your school orchestra are you most proud of?
After practicing at Opus 1 for a couple of months, I noticed that I had better intonation when I was practicing, and also I was proud that the tone from the violin didn't consist of any bad noises, or squeaky sounds when I was playing.
How has Opus 1, and studying with teacher John helped you achieve your goals as a musician?
Teacher John helped me achieve one of my goals of joining an orchestra. He also helped me practice different major and minor scales and practiced the songs for an audition. He also helped me practice a violin solo for the orchestra I attended in the 6th grade.
What lessons have you learned through your musical studies that you can apply to other parts of your life that aren't related to music?
I learned that if you want to get better at a skill, you need to practice. For instance, if you want to improve your tennis skills, you need to practice consistently so that you can achieve the dream.
What is the most important thing Teacher John has taught you?
Before meeting Teacher John, I tried to search for a YouTube tutorial on how to do vibrato, but it was too difficult for me to understand. But when I met Teacher John, he was able to teach me vibrato to make my music sound much better within the first month of taking lessons.