I teach many students at Lunsford's Musical Instruments Inc, Walters State Community College on both the Morristown and Sevierville campuses, and as a substitute teacher in the Knox County Schools. I take pride in my expertise in the violin and viola, from a technical and musical basis. I am a teacher of violin and viola students from all different backgrounds and expectations. We work with where the students and parents are at any given point and work in a positive manner with their self esteem and confidence. We don't motivate in a fear base way but for a love of playing violin and viola in an artistic way. I teach and my lessons are structured to help students with issues of learning and holding on to concepts, understanding pitch, sound, rhythm, and vibrations of the instrument. We assist with the care of the instrument and bow, learning how to take gentle care of this precious equipment. We recommend reliable and first rate repair shops for maintaining the student's equipment.
I bring my three decades of experience as a full time performer with orchestras and chamber music groups into the lessons.I play for the students and with the students regularly.We aim to make playing fun and inspiring even if it is hard work! Enjoy!
I teach my students hopefully a good foundation mechanically where they have a relaxed but expressive bow arm that consists of a good follow through from the upbow to the downbow, good finger motion, and a relaxed shoulder. Their left hand works with the fingers setting good patterns and the proper whole and half step placement on the fingerboard. The student learns about the key signatures in the music and eventually translates that into these patterns or clusters of fingers. The student learns to identify these in the music itself. It is a process that takes time but its rewards are quite beneficial for the long term for the developing student.
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About Me
- John Michael Fox
- I am a member of the Southwest Michigan Symphony in Benton Harbor, St. Joseph, and Berrien Springs, MI, Johnson City Symphony, and many other performing organizations throughout the United States. Formerly a member of the Knoxville Symphony, Oak Ridge Symphony, and Assisi Performing Arts in Italy, I teach as the String Faculty at Lane and Bill Jones Music in Knoxville, TN. I taught at Walters State Community College from 2012-2016. I freelance in churches in the Southeast United States.
Studio Guidelines
May 10, 2020
PO Box 1731
Knoxville, TN 37901-1731
` (865) 691-8897
jmfoxviolin@gmail.com
foxteachingstudio.com
foxteachingstudio.blogspot.com
Fox Teaching Studio is an BBB
Accredited Business!!
Dear Students and Parents,
To be more user friendly, I have I made my studio guidelines more concise and easier to reference!
1) Mission Statement:
To provide first-class violin, viola, and cello instruction in a care-giving and nurturing environment that
places human dignity first and foremost. My violin performing reflects the highest artistic standards in
the most musical and technically responsible manner. We work with area symphonies, churches, and
educational institutions, to promote beautiful music-making!
2) Procedures:
To stay effectively on task, lessons are weekly year-round. Vacations etc in the summer are
rescheduled. Lessons are paid monthly at the beginning of the first lesson during the first week of the
month. If a student is absent during the first week, payment is still required at that time. Non-payment
may delay further lessons and or require a late fee of $25.00 with the fees. Thank you! Returned checks
are charged a $25.00 late fee for banking reasons. Please pay cash at that time if that happens. I can
take cash but not credit cards!
The student may reschedule a lesson with more than 24 hours notice provided a reason is given and the
make-up occurs in a timely fashion.(I do not want to forget your make-up!) Serious health and
personal emergencies are the only exclusion of the 24 hour procedure if a specific explanation of its
nature is provided to the teacher at the time of postponement. Serious emergency cancellations must be
communicated to me prior to 2 hours of your scheduled lesson period. Work schedules etc and
educational reasons for postponements are not included under 24 hours by the student however. At all
times, the decision to make-up a lesson is at my discretion but I always try to accommodate the
students’ needs as I also will have schedule issues due to changes in my work schedules! If I am late to
a lesson(traffic or overtime at rehearsals)-- please stay at site for 20 minutes before leaving. No worries
then however. I always guarantee make-ups due to my schedule issues.
Please have voice-mail on your phone in case of an emergency and I need to contact you enroute.
When able, I will text. Please do not email schedule requests. I will also give a card with schedule at
the prior two lessons before payment is due each month.
When bad weather occurs, 1:00PM is the time to communicate the pending schedule that day. The
roads must be poor even if schools etc are closed.
We do remote lessons when necessary- or between lessons.If the student needs clarification on a topic,
this gives us more options. I am happy to assist with no charge or fees- consultation on equipment and
music purchases. When I ask for a book for the lesson, please obtain this as soon as possible for
continuity reasons.
3) Philosophy:
The student may study any style of music whether beginner, intermediate, or an advanced level student.
I will share my experiences as a performer directly for the benefit of my students. We are all artists and
students of the instrument!
Fox Teaching Studio upholds effective dialogue and conflict resolution in the most dignified way!
While disagreements will occur at times regarding the pedagogy(playing and teaching the instrument)
and guidelines; its resolution does not have to occur immediately but at its best time. Please do not
argue in the room or outside the lesson- as we wish the lessons to always be enjoyable for you! We can
agree to disagree but a solution is always possible. We are in this endeavor together!
Thank you!!
John Michael Fox
PO Box 1731
Knoxville, TN 37901-1731
` (865) 691-8897
jmfoxviolin@gmail.com
foxteachingstudio.com
foxteachingstudio.blogspot.com
Fox Teaching Studio is an BBB
Accredited Business!!
Dear Students and Parents,
To be more user friendly, I have I made my studio guidelines more concise and easier to reference!
1) Mission Statement:
To provide first-class violin, viola, and cello instruction in a care-giving and nurturing environment that
places human dignity first and foremost. My violin performing reflects the highest artistic standards in
the most musical and technically responsible manner. We work with area symphonies, churches, and
educational institutions, to promote beautiful music-making!
2) Procedures:
To stay effectively on task, lessons are weekly year-round. Vacations etc in the summer are
rescheduled. Lessons are paid monthly at the beginning of the first lesson during the first week of the
month. If a student is absent during the first week, payment is still required at that time. Non-payment
may delay further lessons and or require a late fee of $25.00 with the fees. Thank you! Returned checks
are charged a $25.00 late fee for banking reasons. Please pay cash at that time if that happens. I can
take cash but not credit cards!
The student may reschedule a lesson with more than 24 hours notice provided a reason is given and the
make-up occurs in a timely fashion.(I do not want to forget your make-up!) Serious health and
personal emergencies are the only exclusion of the 24 hour procedure if a specific explanation of its
nature is provided to the teacher at the time of postponement. Serious emergency cancellations must be
communicated to me prior to 2 hours of your scheduled lesson period. Work schedules etc and
educational reasons for postponements are not included under 24 hours by the student however. At all
times, the decision to make-up a lesson is at my discretion but I always try to accommodate the
students’ needs as I also will have schedule issues due to changes in my work schedules! If I am late to
a lesson(traffic or overtime at rehearsals)-- please stay at site for 20 minutes before leaving. No worries
then however. I always guarantee make-ups due to my schedule issues.
Please have voice-mail on your phone in case of an emergency and I need to contact you enroute.
When able, I will text. Please do not email schedule requests. I will also give a card with schedule at
the prior two lessons before payment is due each month.
When bad weather occurs, 1:00PM is the time to communicate the pending schedule that day. The
roads must be poor even if schools etc are closed.
We do remote lessons when necessary- or between lessons.If the student needs clarification on a topic,
this gives us more options. I am happy to assist with no charge or fees- consultation on equipment and
music purchases. When I ask for a book for the lesson, please obtain this as soon as possible for
continuity reasons.
3) Philosophy:
The student may study any style of music whether beginner, intermediate, or an advanced level student.
I will share my experiences as a performer directly for the benefit of my students. We are all artists and
students of the instrument!
Fox Teaching Studio upholds effective dialogue and conflict resolution in the most dignified way!
While disagreements will occur at times regarding the pedagogy(playing and teaching the instrument)
and guidelines; its resolution does not have to occur immediately but at its best time. Please do not
argue in the room or outside the lesson- as we wish the lessons to always be enjoyable for you! We can
agree to disagree but a solution is always possible. We are in this endeavor together!
Thank you!!
John Michael Fox