FIDDLE with Sarah Hotchkiss and John Mowad

Sarah and John both give fiddle lessons.  There will be more here soon, but in the meantime, here is the basic information for both teachers:

• Sarah begins fiddle lessons for students as early as age three.  In general, age four is a good age to start, but upon occasion there is a three year old who is ready and willing.  For the very young ones, Sarah's lessons include games to help maintain the child's interest.  Lessons for this age are on a trial basis and are kept "success oriented" so that if it seems that the child should take a break and return when they are a little older, they feel positive about doing so.  This would be the case with any child, but is especially important for the 3 - 5 year olds.  Many of the 3 - 5 year olds do continue, though, so if your child is showing interest, it is good to give it a try as the benefits of starting this young can be enormous.
• Sarah teaches all ages and offers fiddle and beginning classical, with an emphasis on Vermont, New England, and Welsh styles of fiddling which are her specialty.  Sarah also has familiarity with many other styles of fiddling and is able to give her students an introduction to these genres to help them make an informed decision about which direction they may want to focus once they become a more proficient at their instrument.  Fiddle styles Sarah can introduce her students to are New England, Welsh, Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton, French Canadian, Old Time, Cajun, Bluegrass, Klesmer, and Scandinavian.
• Sarah prefers to work with students at the beginning and intermediate level and has developed a great many special skills for this very important period of instruction.  She can teach students of any age and encourages senior citizens to take up the fiddle as well, as there is no better instrument to learn to help keep one's mind sharp; and there are peers to play with who are also beginners!

• John begins instruction for fiddle students, youths and adults, starting at age six. He enjoys writing special tunes for his students and has a great ability to bring out the natural fiddlers in everyone who studies with him.  Like Sarah, he also teaches adults of any age and has a special interest in starting students at the beginning level.  He is great at helping intermediate and advanced level classical violinists "crossover" to the special demands of fiddling.  John is a master dance fiddler and can help classical violinists get to the heart of fiddling as quickly as possible.  He has also helped several classical fiddlers learn how to do well in fiddle contests.
• John can introduce fiddlers to every style of fiddling and specializes in Old Time, New England, French Canadian, and Blues Fiddle.