Teaching Videos from the Musicians of the Minnesota Sinfonia

A note from Conductor Jay Fishman of the Minnesota Sinfonia:

My greetings to you all, and I hope that you are staying healthy and safe! With so many difficulties created by the Coronavirus, especially to students who play instruments and do not have regular personal interactions with their teachers, we at the Minnesota Sinfonia thought it would be helpful for our players to create short “teaching videos” to offer ideas and suggestions to use with their learning and practicing. These videos should be thought of as supplements to their work in the schools and with their teachers – not replacements. They cover a wide range of topics for both wind and string players starting with some of the basics of note reading, rhythm, care for the instruments to phrasing, vibrato, bow techniques, etc. As you can see as you look over the links below, they are organized separately for winds, brass, percussion, and strings (violins, violas, cello, and bass).

I hope you will find these videos to be helpful and easily accessible. Teachers, please pass the links along to your colleagues, and students, please pass the links along to your friends. If you have questions or suggestions, please contact me at the Sinfonia:

[email protected]

I wish you all well, and hopefully soon we can all do what we do best – playing together and enjoying making music!

Jay Fishman,
Artistic Director


Violins and Violas featuring:
Carol Lebovich,
Violin Bow and Sound

Emily Saathoff,
Violin Bow Strokes and Chords

Julia Persitz,
Holding the Violin

Claire Loudon,
Violin Shifting

Elise Parker,
Violin Shifting

Kseniya Khvashchynskaya,
Violin Pitch and Rhythm

Angela Hanson,
Phrasing

Laurel Browne,
Viola Fixing Spots

Susan Crawford,
Violin Practice Strategies

Elizabeth Cregan,
Voila! Viola Vibrato!


Cellos and Bass featuring:
Darin Anderson,
Cello Bow

Jane O’Hara,
Cello Use of Metronome with Jane O’Hara

Diane Tremaine Kogle,
Position at Cello with Diane Tremaine Kogle

Jennifer Rubin,
Holding and Tuning the Bass


Woodwinds featuring:
Paul Schulz,
Clarinet Embouchure

JoAnne Bartlett,
Beginning Flute Lesson

Sarah Carmack,
Oboe Basics with Sarah Carmack

Merilee Klemp,
Oboe Basics with Merilee Klemp

Laurie Merz,
Bassoon Basics with Laurie Merz


Brass featuring:
Neal Bolter,
French Horn Water Removal

Charles Hodgson,
French Horn Intermediate Level – High School

Chris Volpe
Trumpet Intermediate Level – High School


Percussion featuring:
Kory Andry,
Drum Set – Setting up the Snare
Drum Set – Snare Grip