I am absolutely in love with Schradieck Book 1 of “The School of Violin Technics” for my intermediate violin and viola students. It is perfect for developing left hand finger strength, and precision in rhythmic articulation. Etude #4 is fabulous for developing relaxed bow wrist movement. I also use it to train students to ignore repeated notes and identify, (and silently hear), the musical line. This is great preparation for among many other works, the Bach solo sonatas and partitas. The Schradieck studies then proceed to guide students from 2nd – 7th position. The studies are challenging, in such a way that students discover they are definitively unable to sight-read them at their lessons, and so they are more inclined to do their daily work. And over time, students seem to really enjoy all this tricky passage work. It’s fun to see how delighted they are upon finding how completely their hard work is rewarded, as they discover similar passages throughout the concerto and orchestral literature. ​

It’s Anime week at Princeton Violin and Viola Studio. With gray weather outside and long days inside, it’s time for some creative escape to round out our challenging technical work. My inspiration is a wonderful (and virtuosic!) recording of the main theme of Miyazaki’s “Howl’s Moving Castle” in an arrangement by Shadow Tenshii on YouTube. Interested students are picking up the tune by ear, or with the notes, and trying it out. The sheet music slides by on the YouTube video to help them out.

Some students are composing and/or improvising their own Anime themes as well. I look forward to hearing them!

Here’s the YouTube link of “Howl’s Moving Castle” for you to enjoy as well!

Happy 2021!

Amy Wulfman

For two weeks of Master Classes, students played their prepared repertoire for Amy Wulfman, and we worked together on all manner of topics ranging from stage presence, to vibrato and musical style. A great time was had by all!

Really, I do. I’m a total fan. I can come close to the camera and demonstrate the most precise way to set a hand shape, or model a fingering for a difficult passage in our repertoire. Students working on finding their personal vibrato can watch up close, and experience exactly how I make mine work, and begin to create their own. They have the instant visual feedback of looking in the Zoom camera and seeing their work in progress. This avoids the need to walk through the home in search of a mirror, and the possible disputes with teen-aged house mates using said mirror! Okay, I will concede that the sound is not concert hall worthy. But it’s good enough to tell if things are getting scratchy, and the shoulder, wrist and fingers need to relax more in order to get that silky tone we all love so much. C’mon over to our Zoom Studio!

Amy Wulfman  will be bringing her students on a concert tour of Sicily this summer with the Stretto Youth Chamber Orchestra. This is a great opportunity for cultural exchange through music making. The orchestra, under the baton of Sherri Anderson, will perform throughout the region.

I teach Monday through Friday in Princeton, I’m teaching at the New England Conservatory on Saturdays. Feel free to contact me to ask about auditions and the status of my waiting list in either place. Thank you!

China Tour, June 2016

Amy Wulfman  brought her students on a concert tour of China this summer with the Stretto Youth Chamber Orchestra. This was a great opportunity for cultural exchange through music making. The orchestra, under the baton of Sherri Anderson, delighted audiences in Shanghai, Wuxi and Beijing.