Stephanie Chen's Cello Studio
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Teaching Method:
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My teaching style is tailored to each student, recognizing that everyone learns and grows musically in their own unique way. I structure my lessons to align with each student's personality, learning style, while also emphasizing on solid technical foundation through the Suzuki Method.​
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I believe a fun and educational environment can foster a special relationship between the student and their instrument, thus allowing students to find joy in learning! The most important aspect of a one-on-one lesson is the teacher-student relationship. I also believe in fostering a supportive and safe environment, where encouragement and positivity are central to the learning experience.
My students have gained great success in Junior & Senior Districts, Honors County Orchestra, ASTA Certification Advancement Program, Modesto Youth Orchestra, New England Conservatory's Preparatory School, Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, among others.
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Lessons may be taught in both English or Mandarin Chinese in Moutain House or Manteca, California.
Steps to Getting Started:
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Read through The Suzuki Method (below)
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Review my Studio Policies
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Schedule an In-person or Online Observation
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What does a typical cello lesson look like?
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Scale/ Arpeggio/ Warm-ups
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Technical Exercises/ Etude (Vibrato/Shifting/Thumb Position)
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Solo Piece (and/or additional district pieces)
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Review
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Recap of the lesson by writing in your notebook
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Lessons:
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30 Mins= Pre-Twinkle - Book 1
45 Mins= Book 2- 3
60 Mins= Book 4 +
Adult learners can begin with 45-minute lessons.
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Lesson Location/ Days:
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Mountain House, CA: Tuesday, Wednesday​
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Manteca, CA: Monday, Thursday, Friday
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​What is the Suzuki Method?
The Suzuki Method was conceived by Japanese violinist, Shinichi Suzuki in the mid-20th century. Suzuki believed that Every Child Can, if properly taught, is capable of high musical achievement. Our goal is to create a positive environment, emphasize positive reinforcement, and nurture with love (and laughter). ​​
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Suzuki Philosophy:
Parent Involvement
Think of it as a Triangle — parent, child, and teacher. The teacher is just there once a week, so as parents it’s essential to make sure you are supervising your child to practice his/her instrument every day and take notes during the lessons.
​Starting Young
​Starting children at a young age (between ages 3-5) BUT it is never too late to start a musical instrument!
Mother Tongue Method
The Suzuki method is all about following the mother tongue method— which means listening first, reading later, and creating an environment for learning music that is similar to learning your native language.
Listening
Listening to Suzuki recording at home is essential, even if it's just in the background.
Group Class
Group Classes are also important to the Suzuki method because the common repertoire helps students to participate together and fostering a local community.
TESTIMONIALS
"Stephanie is a fantastic teacher and has already helped me so much with the cello. She uses every minute of our lesson time well. She is very patient, kind and understanding. She was also very aware of an arm injury, and gave me a lot of feedback on how to fix it, and how to adjust my playing so that my progress wasn't slowed. I love how many different approaches she has to all aspects of the cello. She's fantastic, highly recommend!"
- Kimberly, Adult Student
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"Stephanie is an amazing Cello teacher. She teaches me in a fun way! I enjoy every lesson!"
- Joy, Age 9
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"Stephanie Chen is a very patient and capable cello instructor. I am 66 and she has been a wonderful inspiration with her teaching style. Every lesson seems to be just what I need at the time.”
- David, Adult Student, Age 66
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I started weekly lessons with Stephanie in August 2019. She is the quintessential teacher. She cares about her students’ success. She instills good habits and technique from day one. She caters to her students’ needs and interests through a variety of learning material and exercises. In less than a year, I’ve learned scales, solfeggio, and repertoire. I highly recommend any student at any age looking for a high quality teacher to check out Stephanie’s studio.
- Cynthia, Adult Student
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"Stephanie is kind and patient with all her students. She is creative with her teaching styles and her passion for cello inspires me to be the best player I can be!”
- Sherry, Age 17
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"Stephanie is an amazing cello teacher. Her teaching style is the best I've seen and her lessons are always enjoyable."
- Tianna, Age 17
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