Fiddle and Banjo lessons With Sarah Hotchkiss
Sarah offers lessons, occasional classes, and a variety of media tools online and in person to give her students and their families memorable personalized individual or group experiences.
FIDDLE LESSONS
Children as young as age four to twelve will get a loving and patient start on the fiddle. Sarah has a natural ability to make her students feel comfortable while learning at their own pace with instruction tailored to their individual learning styles. Her good instincts combine with a focus on ergonomics for safe and efficient technique that gets her students happily playing tunes in no time!
Sarah has temporarily suspended instruction for teens and adults but may resume at some point in the future. In the meantime, teen and adult students may obtain instruction from her husband, John Mowad.
CLAWHAMMER STYLE BANJO LESSONS
Sarah has developed a unique pedagogy for teaching clawhammer style banjo to young children starting as young as age four. These banjo lessons also include an introduction to two finger and three finger techniques for a well-rounded introduction. In this photo Sarah is giving one of her banjo students a lesson online during the pandemic of 2020. Currently students receive primarily in person lessons, but online lessons are available as a backup option when a family member is sick or they have car trouble, etc.
FAMILY MUSIC
Sarah works with family members of her private students to help create a family music model that enriches their lives on many levels. In this photo, Sarah is working with a parent and child duo during an online lesson.
GROUP CLASSES
Sarah hosts periodic slow jams with her husband, John, as well as medium and small group fiddle lessons for beginners online. Contact her for a schedule and to get on an Elist for the group you’d like to participate in. In this photo, Sarah and John are teaching a Slow Jam which meets virtually occasionally during the school year and outdoors on select days during warm months. This slow jam is temporarily in suspension, but Sarah still alerts members to events of interest so getting on the Elist is recommended.
The BACK ROW GANG performs at the Burlington Farmers Market on May 11, 2024 as part of the Young Tradition Vermont Student'/Mentor Showcase. Photo by Christine White.
This summer the Back Row Gang will be performing again at the Owls Head Blueberry Farm on July 23rd. Here are links to the tunes this group is learning this summer (chosen by each member!)
Hunt the Squirrel, Chicken Pecking, Humber to Winooski, Burnt River, Y Lily, A Fig for a Kiss, and the Butterfly. These were all chosen from and can be found on the North Atlantic Tune List managed by our friend in Montpelier, Andrew Jackson.
INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS
Sarah offers a variety of instructional videos that include technique and tunes to supplement what she teaches in her private lessons and group classes primarily through her YouTube channel.