Shar Music Blog

Fresh from the ASTA national conference, 2019 ASTA Eclectic String chair Tracy Silverman explains why violinists should focus more on playing rhythm, not just melody . . .

Any classical string player who has ever attended an improvisation workshop led by Christian Howes will tell you that it is a life-changing experience. In fact, for most classical-only players, the very thought of attending such a workshop is a radical…

In his last SHAR blog post, Christian Howes introduced us to his Creative Strings Academy and the pedagogy that he developed especially for string players. In this new article, Christian shares the lessons of a master.

For many classical string players, sticking with classical music is enough. In fact, it’s plenty. After all, the repertoire is incredible, and the technique required to play it is both challenging to learn and rewarding to use. But for others, it is…

The ability to explain complex and difficult concepts in a way that can be clearly understood and successfully acted on is the hallmark of great teaching. Combined with motivation, student success is assured!

Every teaching method has its merits,…

Melissa Lusk is co-author of The Violin Recital Album, a companion publication to the Sassmannshaus Early Start on the Violin series. She is a violinist and a violist. Her hobbies include gardening, composting, vermiculture, sewing and now weaving. She…