Teaching

Louise Dubin has taught cello masterclasses at many universities including UNC Chapel Hill, Sam Houston State, Grand Valley State, University of Connecticut Storrs, University of Virginia Charlottesville, Wichita State, North Greenville University, and has presented lectures connected to her research at New York University, Arizona State University Tempe, CRR Paris, and Indiana University, among others. She has taught/teaches cello and chamber music at Auckland University and Julliard Pre‐College, Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music, Greenwich House School of Music in New York City, Hoff-Barthelson Music School in Scarsdale, at the Lucy Moses School in Manhattan, and in her private studios in her NJ home and in Manhattan. Miramax hired her to prepare Allison Williams and Logan Browning to play cello in the movie The Perfection.  She has also conducted the string orchestra at Third Street Settlement's program at NYC PS 34, and coached young cellists on orchestral playing in the internship program of the Auckland Philharmonia and in the Greater Newark Youth Orchestra (a program run by the New Jersey Symphony). Please get in touch via the Contact page of this website for more information.  

She has coached young cellists on orchestral playing in the internship program of the Auckland Philharmonia and in the Greater Newark Youth Orchestra (a program run by the New Jersey Symphony). Please get in touch via the Contact page of this website for more information.

How I Teach

I’ve been finding, in my work as teacher and cellist, that we cellists often have similar challenges to overcome in our playing. My teaching style relies on general principles that can offer a lifetime of problem-solving applied in different playing situations. Not only are these essential to get the cello to sound its best, but they provide ways to play without the unnecessary tension which can lead to frustration, pain or injuries. These guide my own approach to the instrument as well as my teaching, so my students are always teaching me, as well.

Some examples: 1) Finding ways to play that exploit the natural arcing motions of the arm, originating from the back muscles. 2) Holding the instrument and bow in ways that allow these motions to occur. 3) Finding the natural weight of the right arm and learning to release it into the string rather than hold it up or press it down in ways that accumulate tension unnecessarily. 4) Starting with whole arm legato long bows as the basic stroke, and using this to determine arm placement on all strings in all parts of the bow, which is useful for all bow strokes. 5) Establishing left hand positions that distribute muscle tension evenly as possible, knowing what notes we’re actually playing on the fingerboard in real time, and releasing tension in non-playing fingers, especially when vibrating.

Once such principles are understood, the student applies them to different situations and becomes skilled at problem-solving independently.

Musical playing guides our technical decisions. This often involves our analyzing the music (phrase lengths, differentiating voices, tracing harmonic developments, etc.), knowing any other parts as well as possible, playing as if singing or talking, thinking about a narrative development that can go with the music, etc. There is a lot of creative freedom in this part of music, and it’s a lot of fun.  Like the technical principles above, these musical concepts that can be introduced to students early and returned to, in greater depth, for a lifetime.

Teaching Philosophy, Short Version: My teaching style for my students of all levels relies on physical principles that use the body in healthy, natural ways. I also teach students to rely on their own ears to make the cello sound its best. We make this fun by setting and attaining goals in the lesson and similar goals for home practice, including preparing duets to play with me. Some examples of technical principles that my students of all ages learn: holding the instrument and bow in ways that allow the natural arcing motions of the arm to occur, learning how to release the natural weight of the bow arm into the string to make a ringing tone without pressing, releasing left hand tension in non-playing fingers. Principles like these are essential to get the cello to sound its best, and they provide ways to play without the unnecessary tension which can lead to frustration and injury. My students hear the good sounds they are making and this motivates them to practice to hear more! There are also musical concepts (sight-reading, phrase lengths, harmonies, etc) that I begin to introduce early on in my pupils' studies. I see my role as supplying problem-solving skills that my students can return to for a lifetime.

--Louise Dubin

Short video (captured by Yi-Duo Li) of teaching at NY Big Apple Music Festival at Queens College, NY, July 2018: