“First, I learned something very important about myself during the week. Yaakov assumed I could do more than I thought I could, and he was right - I learned more, and faster, than I thought was remotely possible for me. I heard daily improvement in...”
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“First, I learned something very important about myself during the week. Yaakov assumed I could do more than I thought I could, and he was right - I learned more, and faster, than I thought was remotely possible for me. I heard daily improvement in my own playing as well as that of every other student. Yaakov has respect for all skill levels and the work it takes to address the difficulties, and he offers ways to be musical at even the most basic of skill levels. He has a lot to offer in terms of technique, but it's all in service of the music, not in service of virtuosity for its own sake. It's a highly focused, intense environment, but Yaakov is incredibly generous and patient, as were his assistant Alon (very helpful - thank you!) and the other students. At the end of the week Yaakov gives each student an individual set of goals and a work plan for the year, including practice routine. When I decided to do this, I thought it would be a one-off for me, but now I'm determined to get there again. 16 stars out of 5. Oh, and ... Carlo did an incredible job with logistics before and during the week, helping all of us non-Italian rubes with anything we needed. And the venue, staff, food, etc ... wow! All in all, a wonderful experience.”
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