COVID-19 NOTICE
Given covid-19, all of Deberly's teaching is virtual for the near future.
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Set-up details: As long as you have a laptop or phone with an internet connection, she can teach via Zoom or other applications (FaceTime, GoogleDuo, or Skype). Laptop microphones tend to be more sensitive to pick up sound, but are not absolutely necessary. Headphones can be helpful for best sound quality during the lesson. For more information or with questions about this, please feel free to reach out!
Teaching
Deberly has experience teaching both violin and viola, in different genres, for over a decade. She has taught students ranging from age 3 up to senior citizens, and at all levels, from beginner to college-level music majors. Deberly can teach the Suzuki method upon request, but otherwise believes in an individualized program for each students, combining the repertoire and skills that best suit the student's needs at the time. Deberly focuses on setting each student up with posture and a technical foundation which is both comfortable and natural to that student, as every person works best with a set-up suited to their physiology.
Teaching Violin
Deberly has been playing violin for 25 years. Her main teachers have been Oscar Ravina (NY Philharmonic) and Patinka Kopec (Manhattan School of Music). She studied at Manhattan School of Music Pre-College, and then continued her music education with a Certificate in Music Performance from Princeton University. Deberly has taught individual and group lessons, with students ranging from beginners to conservatory-level, and ranging in age from pre-school to seniors.
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Unless otherwise requested, Deberly usually starts beginning students with the Suzuki method, alongside technical and sight-reading exercises. As students progress, she focuses on the Galamian technique for posture, and switches over to individually assigned pieces.
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Teaching Viola
Deberly has been playing viola for almost 20 years. She has taught all ages and levels, as on violin. She is a coach for the viola section of Boston University's All-Campus Orchestra. She has taught both beginner violists--with a focus on setting them up with the correct posture to avoid injury, and violinists, who face often ignored challenges in making the transition (see below).
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Deberly also teaches other genres (fiddle and pop) on viola, just as on violin, if that is the direction the student wishes.
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For students interested in transitioning from Violin to Viola:
Having started on violin herself, Deberly spent many years studying the common mistakes violinists make when switching to viola. Beyond the obvious changes in left-hand finger placement, Deberly focuses on adapting bow hand and right arm technique to avoid the common pitfalls of students making this transition. For more information about the differences here, please feel free to reach out to Deberly with any questions.
Teaching Program Experience
Private students (violin and viola) 2009 - Present
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Strings Work, Founder, Program Manager, & Teacher
Founded and led a nonprofit program providing no-cost music education and instruments to communities without arts programs.
Served a diverse group of 50+ students ages 3-17 and their families, with additional curriculum to make the program accessible to ESL students and differently-abled students. Developed weekly programs integrating with school curriculum, including individual and group lesson plans.
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Modern Improvisation Music Association, campus chapter co-president 2012 - 2014
Creating workshops in tandem with professional musicians, hosting music-making educational workshops for the public. Included a variety of instruments and teaching methods, with a focus on engaging the community in the arts.
Specializations
While Deberly's strongest background is in classical music, she also has fairly extensive experience with jazz, pop, bluegrass, folk tunes, Broadway, and older rock. This includes teaching fiddle and pop music in particular. Deberly changes the repertoire, technique, and goals for each student based on their genre and style preferences.