A lot of students tell me that they want to become better at the violin. Of course not a weird thing to ask a violin teacher to help with. Isn’t that my job?

But what is ‘better at the violin’ or when exactly are you ‘good’ or ‘good enough’ at the violin? What does it mean to you?

What will happen if you’re better at the violin? Will you impress your audience? Will you play a dream piece?

Or will you enjoy having more freedom in your technique and be able to express your feelings in music? And touch people’s hearts… or just your own?

In violin playing your ears advance faster than your fingers. You’ll always hear your own mistakes, whether you’re a beginner or a professional or a world class soloist. I bet the last are most critical to themselves.

As you know that there will never come a point that you think you play perfectly… what goal will you strive for?

For me growth is the goal: to deepen my mastery of the technique and explore new expressions, but most importantly inspire my students.

What do you REALLY want on the violin? Share it out loud in the comments below!