Each of my Ensembles consists of 3 to 8 children, ages 8 to 18, most of whom take weekly private violins lessons with me and also meet approximately every 6 weeks as a group. Ensembles tend to contain kids who are only 1-2 yrs apart in age, although sometimes there is a larger gap. The social connection of the children is the glue that makes the ongoing musical experience successful. Usually when there are differences in the kids' playing abilities, the lesser-experienced children will naturally rise to meet the level of the others. Ensembles can be any combination of girls and boys, though as you see in the photos the groups have coincidentally been one or the other.
These ensembles are meant for children who have been taking private lessons for over a year, who already know the basics of how to play the instrument. With beginning violinists who study privately with me, however, often a beginner can join an ensemble within months. Whether a child can be in an ensemble will depend upon whether there are other students of mine of similar age
The youngest age I will consider is 8 yrs old. Rehearsing a group of children is very challenging, especially when it involves violins. When the kids are too young, the lesson becomes mostly about managing behavioural issues.
The instrumentation is usually mostly violins, and sometimes piano or cello. There have also been recorder or flute.
