Black Violin’s Kev Marcus Offers Teaching Tips
It’s important to pass along the positive influence of music teachers from your past.
In the blog post, Black Violin Dares Students to Dream Big, Kev Marcus shared how he formed Black Violin with Wil B. Marcus learned many valuable lessons from his music teachers throughout the years.
Focus Your Practice: Avoid simply running through your music for an extended time. Instead focus on how you are playing. “My teachers always said, ‘It’s not about how much you practice, it’s about how you practice,'” Marcus says.
Add the Familiar: If there’s a really hard passage, incorporate something familiar or likable instead of getting frustrated. “My college professor was really big on that,” Marcus says. “He would always encourage me to give it a hip hop beat, ’cause that’s what I like. …It makes you get into the practice more.”
Try New Things: You should always be willing to try new things and always be free with your music. It takes away the nervousness. “Let it all hang out and have fun with it,” Marcus says.
This article originally appeared in the Fall 2016 issue of Yamaha SupportED. To see more back issues, find out about Yamaha resources for music educators, or sign up to be notified when the next issue is available, click here.
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