Teaching

Dallas Symphony Orchestra Young Strings Masterclass

Music enlivens and enriches our lives. We are so fortunate that we are able to hear, feel, and create music in each of our precious lifetimes.

When I teach music, while I praise students who have innate talent for the violin, what I most value is the passion, potential, and perseverance the student has for music. My goal is to find each student’s personality and potential so that they can bring out their own unique sound and color, eventually becoming special artists. What I emphasize the most when I teach are: right fundamentals; effective practice methods; and the ability to interpret composers' intent.

It is so crucial to develop good foundation as early as possible since it will serve them good for the rest of students’ lives. Complicated techniques can only be built upon the solid foundation, resulting in abilities to freely express the music the students want to create. For this reason, I examine students’ uniqueness and analyze with detail which allows effective lessons that can help bring out the best of the students.

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to practice EFFECTIVELY. I try various practice methods for students when they are dealing with difficult techniques. I often encourage mind control approaches to help them overcome challenges that may come along in learning.

Lastly, I encourage students to have an in-depth understanding of the composers and their music. Understanding the composer's intentions for their music is essential to properly interpret the music. Conversing with students about the composers and encouraging them to come up with their own musicality gives me joy in teaching.

Ultimately, my goal in teaching is to inspire students to conceive what kind of artists they strive to become, and help them grasp how to express their own artistry. Rachmaninoff once said, “Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music." Making music is an endless journey, but at this present moment I can say that I am so grateful I can make amazing music. It is an immense pleasure to teach students. And that experience would be even more special if they would wish to follow my musical journey and share the same experiences.

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What People Are Saying

“Learning from Ms. Yoon has been an eye-opening experience for me. I have grown so much as a young violinist thanks to her hands-on, interactive, and meticulously detailed lessons. I feel like I have begun a whole new chapter of my violin journey with Ms. Yoon as my teacher. Her lessons are always very intense, packed with both technical know-hows and musical insights that upgrades the efficiency and focus of my practice time. Ms. Yoon not only provides step-by-step explanations on how to practice correctly, but also her excellent playing examples throughout our lessons which serve as a wonderful resource that helps me understand the piece much faster and more intuitively.”

“윤선생님께 배운 후 저희 아이의 바이올린 음색에 성숙함이 깃들게 되었고 선생님께서 가르쳐 주시는 대로 정확한 방법으로 연습함으로써 연습 시간이 더욱 효과적으로 변화되어 전체적으로 이전과 비교할 수 없는 완전히 새로운 수준의 연주를 지향하게 되었습니다. 탄탄하고 꼼꼼한 테크닉에 대한 설명과 레슨 내내 들려주시는 좋은 연주 예제들이 많은 도움이 되는 것은 물론이고 배우고 있는 곡 전체를 이해하고 해석하여 각 부분을 섬세하고 적절하게 표현할 수 있는 음악적 능력을 키워주시기 때문에 이전보다 훨씬 완성도있는 연주를 하게 되었습니다. 어린 연주자부터 전공을 원하는 학생들까지 여러 수준의 학생들의 필요에 맞추어 지도하시면서 한편 학생 본인도 생각하지 못했던 놀랄만한 성장과 변화로 이끌어주실 수 있는 높은 역량의 선생님이라고 생각합니다.”

— Elijah Kim

Ms Giyeon Yoon is the best violin teacher I’ve ever had. Her ability to teach with masterful technique and passion cultivates so much improvement. In all of her lessons, she is precise with every detail. I have never improved as much from a teacher in years than a month of lessons from her.

— Sophie

“Ms. Yoon is a very dedicated and hardworking teacher who has helped me a lot to improve in my playing techniques and abilities. Her teaching is very detailed and I benefit a lot from her. She is by far one of the best teachers I’ve had. Without doubt, I recommend Ms. Yoon as a private teacher for those who are interested in learning and discovering their potential.”

— Hannah E.

“Giyeon was a great teacher who helped me immensely while I was preparing for college auditions.I saw her 1-2 times a week and every lesson would be incredibly detailed and helpful. She would not only teach me how to perform each piece, but also effective methods to practice so that I could go home and keep on improving even outside of my lesson. I ended up being accepted to Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music with her help, and I am very grateful to her as a student. She is a phenomenal teacher.”

— April

“It just took one lesson to make a difference. Ms. Yoon identified my daughter’s habits on the first day, which may eventually be detrimental if left unaddressed. My daughter is beginning to sound totally different now. Ms. Yoon’s instruction uses creative analogies and smart expressions when explaining foundational and important skills. This reflects how much thought process she has put into in teaching.”

“처음 레슨받은날부터 딸의바이올린 소리가 달라졌어요. 지금까지 다른 선생님이 지적하지 않았던 나쁜 버릇도 윤선생님이 바로 잡아주셨습니다. 아이들에게 스킬을 가르칠 때 재밌는 예와 적합한 설명으로 하는 걸 들으면 윤선생님이 얼마나 아이들을 가르치는 일에 깊히 고민하는지 느껴져요.”

— Addison

Ms. Yoon is a wealth of knowledge and experience for violinists at any level. She provides immediate and specific feedback during lessons and can easily tailor particular exercises and etudes to maximize your efficiency and progress. She is incredibly personable and empathetic, and takes great care in understanding and supporting your goals and expectations. I enjoy studying with Ms. Yoon and appreciate her flexibility in our lessons.

— Dalena

My child met Ms Yoon while preparing for the Austin Youth Orchestra and All Region Auditions recently. I doubted at first, about taking lessons online, but we lived too far for in-person lessons. As a new comer to the US and a first-timer for every auditions in the area, I felt lost in getting ready for any of this. At the first lesson, however, I exclaimed ‘this is it!’ Ms Yoon was able to point out negative habits that my son had unknowingly accumulated over the years, and was able to explain every detail. Her eagle-eyes were able to detect minor details even in the screens. No wonder Myung Bin was able to stay focused even in online lessons! Also, Ms Yoon made sure to emphasize skills and tips specifically needed in getting ready for auditions, so that was exceedingly helpful. If you were watching these lessons yourself, you would have seen me frequently nodding with respect. In case you’re hesitating and doubting about online lessons, I confidently encourage you that it will work with Ms Yoon.

My son's attitude towards practicing have also changed while taking lessons with her. Ms Yoon outlined specific and achievable goals for each lesson, so I strongly believe that it definitely helped his mindset about practicing. I am a huge fan of Ms Yoon!

I am writing this for the parents who may have similar concerns, hoping this would be helpful for you.

이번 Austin youth orchestra, all region audition 준비하면서 윤지연 선생님께 레슨 받았던 지명빈 엄마입니다. 선생님이 사시는 지역과 저희가 사는 동네가 차로 3시간 거리나 되었고 대면 레슨을 할 수 없는 상황이었습니다. 미국생활은 처음이고 오디션 경험도 없어서 어떻게 무엇을 준비해야 하는지 너무 막막한 상황이었습니다. 또한 zoom으로 바이올린 레슨이 가능할까 의심스러웠고요. 그런데 정말 첫 레슨 하면서 "어 이거다"하는 생각이 들었습니다. 그동안 6년정도 바이올린을 배워오며 아이 자신도 모르게 쌓였던 잘못된 습관들을 하나하나 잘 설명해주셨고요. 화면으로 수업을 해도 ’매의 눈으로‘ 정확하게 짚어내시니 아이도 수업에 집중을 안 할 수가 없었고요. 또 오디션 볼때 아이의 실력보다 결과가 훨씬 잘 나오게 하는 Tip들을 오디션 가까울때 집중적으로 말씀을 해주시니까 오디션 준비할때 정말 큰 도움이 되었어요. 윤지연 선생님과 레슨을 받으면서 수업시간 내내 저는 한쪽에서 존경을 담은 끄덕임을...

혹시나 윤지연 선생님과 직접 대면으로 레슨을 못 받더라도 너무 실망하시지 말고 온라인으로 레슨 받아보라고 자신있게 말씀드립니다.

저희 아이는 바이올린을 하는데 왜 해야 하는지, 이걸 어떻게 연습해야 하는지 그런 구체적인 목표들이 없었는데 매 수업 시간마다 아이가 꼭 해내야하는 부분들을 구체적으로 말씀해주시까 연습태도는 물론 목표들이 너무 좋아진 케이스라 저는 정말 윤지연 선생님 팬 입니다.

아이들이 바이올린 배우면서 비슷한 고민들을 하고 계신 다른 부모님들께 도움이 되었으면 하는 바램으로 글을 남깁니다.

— Myung Bin

“It’s been two years since we’ve started to take lessons from Ms. Yoon. After year by year both of kids have remarkably improved and as a result, my kids were both accepted by GDYO Sinfonietta orchestra and placed 3rd and 4th in TMEA Region 24 All-Region Middle school audition with Concert and Chamber orchestra. They are leaders of the top orchestra in their school and they enjoy playing with other members of orchestra. Ms. Yoon always points out their deficiencies carefully and continuously trains them the necessary techniques in consideration of each one's strengths and weaknesses. Thanks to her effective way of teaching, my kids have learned a lot and are able to play better sound now. I am deeply grateful for Ms. Yoon's attentiveness and passion to my kids!”

“바이올린을 4년이상 레슨받았는데 지연선생님께 레슨 받은 2년동안 저희 두 아이 모두 실력이 몰라보게 향상되었습니다. 그 결과 두 아이모두 GDYO오케스트라 Sinfonietta 레벨에 들어갈 수 있었고, TMEA (Texas Music Educators Association) Region 24 All-Region Middle School Orchestra Audition Concert부문 3등과 Chamber부문 4등을 차지했습니다. 그 이후에도 학교나 GDYO DSE의 모든 시팅 오디션에서도 많은 향상을 보이고 있습니다. 항상 부족한 부분을 세심하게 지적해주시고 아이들의 장단점을 고려하여 필요한 테크닉을 반복하게 해주시는 선생님의 관심과 가르침에 깊이 감사드립니다.”

— Joie & Anna K.

“선생님께서 아이의 성향에 맞춰 장단점을 정확하게 찾아주시고 부족한 부분을 완성도 있게 만들어 주십니다. 기본기부터 테크닉까지 정말 꼼꼼하게 잡아주셔서 레슨을 받으면서 아이의 연주가 변화되고 있는 것을 느낄 수 있습니다. 매 레슨마다 하나라도 더 정확하게 연주 할 수 있도록 애써 주시는 열정에 진심으로 감사합니다.”

— Claire