Violin virtuoso Mark O'Connnor to train local teachers in his new method
Merry Music Makers is excited to welcome world-renowned violinist Mark O'Connor and his wife Maggie to Chicago to train a new generation of teachers in their ground-breaking method. This comprehensive 10-hour certification course covers all of the teaching points in the sequence of tunes for beginners, which has ushered in "A New American School of String Playing" around the globe.
DATES: Fri, March 25, 5:00-10:00 pm & Sat, March 26, 1:00-6:00 pm
LOCATION: Philadelphia Church, 5445 N. Clark St., Chicago
CLICK here to register or learn more

Mark and Maggie share key insights to the repertoire, learning philosophies, music styles, and how to inspire children to love music, learn string instruments more efficiently, and see the path to becoming a musical artist. They also provide instruction on teacher-student duos, accompanying students, and how these methods translate to ensembles, group classes, and string orchestra.
This training emphasizes how to use the method books thoroughly, taking advantage of the book’s learning pages, history boxes, charts, set up, exercises for theory, ear training, improvisation, and bow and finger development. Approaches to tone, rhythm, vibrato, scales, phrasing, harmony, chords, counterpoint, and practice routines will be both demonstrated on the violin and communicated. Mark and Maggie's teaching emphasizes creativity, cultural relevance, and excellent technique as hallmarks for American string playing.
TUITION: $200