Darius Kaperonis

In order for young students to play violin well, they must be set up correctly. Therefore, their teacher in this initial stage will be one of the most important, often having a profound impact on their musical life. Ironically, beginner setup is an often neglected topic and teaching practice. This presentation will aim to outline effective pedagogy that can help enhance student proficiency and teacher enjoyment. I provide a detailed overview of beginner setup spanning the first twelve months of learning. Specific reference will be made to Paul Rolland String Pedagogy, Colour Strings and the Peter Zhang teaching method. The content will mainly be focused on teaching primary school age students however the methods can be adapted for beginners of any age.

Topic areas include …
The left hand:  Finger functionality – how to left hand pizzicato and flageolets
Avoiding Immobilisation – how to create a dynamic and mobile left arm
To tape or not to tape – setting up the left hand with and without finger tapes
The right hand:  The lost art of the balance point: how to establish a balanced and “relaxed” bow hand; The big three: developing the detache, martele and legato bow stroke
Beauty of sound: how to create a smooth and beautiful tone from the very beginning
Reading Notation: Start with symbols: using “graphemes” and symbols to enhance note reading
Practice videos: Incorporating technology: using practice videos to enhance piece learning

About Darius Kaperonis

Darius is a sought after violin and viola teacher. He directs multiple primary school string programs in Sydney and is a salaried tutor at the Cranbrook School. He has extensive expertise teaching Paul Rolland string pedagogy, Colour Strings and the Peter Zhang Violin Method. In 2023 he completed a teacher training course at the Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington Indiana, USA, facilitated by Mimi Zweig. In August he’ll be completing teacher training with Geza Szilvay at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music. He is also an established freelancer and experienced performer. Darius completed a music performance degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where he studied with Janet Davies and Stuart Johnson. While studying at the Conservatorium he was awarded a $20,000 merit based scholarship for an outstanding audition. During his studies, he participated in masterclasses and lessons with many of Australia’s eminent instrumentalists including Roger Benedict, Anne-Louise Commerford, Sandro Constantino and Giovanni Passini. He regularly performs at the Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra and tours professionally with established musicians including Mark Vincent and Peter Byrne. He has recorded professional music videos with Harry Connick Jr and appeared in professional recordings for Netflix and Disney Plus.