Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756, and is a legend in the music world! ​He started composing at age 5 and touring at 8. When he turned 13, he received sensational press reviews stating he was a "miracle in music, one of those freaks that nature causes to be born." In his 35 years, this virtuoso violinist and keyboardist composed 800 pieces (though this number varies by different sources).  I was exposed to the Der Spiegel (The Mirror) Duet as a teenager. This sheet music is designed to be played on a tabletop and demonstrates his unrivaled conception of t ..read more

Who wrote Twinkle?  For decades, I thought this clever tune was composed by W. A. Mozart until a colleague enlightened me. Enjoy this delightful re-post by guest author Murray Charters from 2015. By Murray Charters (B. Mus., M.A.) Cellist and Teacher, Kitchener, Ontario    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-91) holds great appeal to teachers and students of the Suzuki method. There are pictures of the young boy playing the harpsichord with his older sister, Nannerl, and we know much about the strong guiding hand of his father, Leopold, in his music education. They were alr ..read more

This was a suggestion from one of the musicians in the newsletter group here, who sent me an email a while ago requesting sight-reading material that violin players could play along with viola and cello players. ​This is a fun follow-up from another musician named Heather, who just did a guest post for us and shared some sheet music samples that are also perfect for sight reading material -  ​click HERE to learn more.  violin_sight_reading_for_beginners.pdf File Size: 41 kb File Type: pdf Download File viola_sight_reading_for_beginners.pdf F ..read more

From guest musician & teacher Heather Braden:  ​ Would you like to add some extra fun and joy to your teaching? Do you believe that learning to read music should be enjoyable? If so, we are on the same page, and I am thrilled to share that my books of Mystery Songs have been released to the world. Click to learn more & download free sheet music samples. ​I found my students unenthusiastic about reading random notes and open string rhythms every week, so I spiced it up and helped them see the "why" of the random note drills. Students can apply their basic note-reading sk ..read more

The newest M4YV FREEBIE is a 2-page PDF designed to help students practice string crossings. The recent Oh Danny Boy FREEBIE inspired this resource with its beautiful opening made treacherous by a string crossing. ​These worksheets help guide a curriculum to master technical elements like this and can be used independently to help with other repertoire.  Click for 100s of More FREEBIES m4yv_string_crossing_study_sheets.pdf File Size: 140 kb File Type: pdf Download File ​Let's talk about string crossings. To do this, we must go back into history and remember what ..read more

Every purchase from the M4YV digital store gets a thank you card in the mail from yours truly and some super cute violin stickers. It's a digital world, but I love to also connect in the physical world and have so much fun writing everyone and showing up in your snail mail. ​I also have a lot of fun decorating the envelopes with these stickers (see below for mail going out today).  The annual back-to-school sale is still going on for 10 more days, and all sheet music collections are available at 50% off regular prices. Everything (including the Bonus Bundles) is 50% o ..read more

Enjoy some PDFs of the classic lament Oh Danny Boy in the keys of F, G & D Major. Perfect for beginning-intermediate level violinists.  If you are interested in learning more about this iconic tune, there are plenty of articles on the World Wide Web to share its history, the lyrics and famous renditions.  I have long believed that beauty tells its own truth, and our hearts understand messages like these and that sometimes involving the brain breaks this sacred communication pathway, so I will refrain from sharing any historical data about this piece here. I will, however, share ..read more

Sometimes, you don't need a full-scale book, 4 octaves of notes, multiple fingering options and all the extras like relative minor and chromatic scales (though these are all fantastic and have a vital place in pedagogy).  Sometimes, you only need a simple scale sheet to teach a simple concept. These G & C major scale sheets are just that - simple. I created them to help a student work on their marching, as a visual guide and to provide basic repetitions to integrate marching while playing, but they can be used for a multitude of beginning-level violin skills.  ..read more

Eeek! High 3rd Fingers (or Low 4th Fingers) - New FREEBIEs The time has come, and a beginning violinist has just encountered a piece with a new geographical location for the 3rd finger - what do we do? First of all, congratulations! This is so exciting and takes a little support, but soon you will feel comfortable with this new technique and thrilled to play this new tune that has enticed you. Next, we want to take the old and add the new. What does this mean?  ​Keep scrolling to learn.  high_3rd_finger_study_sheets.pdf File Size: 30 kb File Type: pdf ..read more

HAPPY NATIONAL TEACHER'S DAY! Disclaimer: If you are seeing this and not a teacher, consider forwarding this to your teacher so they can continue offering their amazing gifts to the world. They work hard behind the scenes, are often underpaid and deserve all our support to thrive. Download  7 Steps to Attract More Students & Grow Your Violin Studio (What I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Studio 10 Years Ago) free for the next 48 hours. "How do I get more students?" ​ So many teachers emailed me this question privately that it was time to share my responses with a great ..read more