Cello Solo Performance

First of all, she speaks English with a heavy accent. I had a hard time understanding her. If I asked her to repeat or clarify, she either ignored or her verbal communications often became condescending. Many communication problems occurred as you could imagine. I let her know what I have studied with former teachers, but she made me play the same music. She demonstrated without any explanations. If I pointed that out, she often said I should've asked her to explain. How does a student learn if a concept is not explained how to do it? I explained the reason it was challenging for me, then she said Yo-Yo Ma does it all the time. I clearly communicated the purpose of taking a private lesson, but she nitpicked me and asked me if I noticed my faults over and over like a broken record. After the first lesson I came home not wanting to play at all. I felt very unmotivated and discouraged. After the 2nd lesson, I decided not to take her lesson any longer.

As an adult beginner learning a musical instrument for the first time, Eliza has been very encouraging and patient with my musical endeavor. She makes sure that each essential technique is properly learned before moving on to the next. I look forward to continuing my musical journey in the coming months & years, and would recommend Eliza to anyone who is interested in learning music and playing the cello.