Violin, Fiddle, Viola & Improvisation Lessons
Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York & Online

Teaching & Education

Music as a Wisdom Path

My teaching is shaped not only by 5 decades of musical practice, but by my commitment to Insight Meditation (Vipassana) and silent retreat practice over the last decade.

In our lessons, music becomes more than technique — it becomes a way of seeing and understanding.

I guide students to relate to feedback not as criticism, but as useful, friendly information. From there, we build practical skills that support both musical growth and personal clarity.

This approach helps you develop not just as a musician, but as a listener — to your sound, your body, your creative instincts and the world around you.

Together, we practice:

  • Cultivating non-judgmental awareness
  • Sharpening perception — learning to more clearly hear and feel
  • Distinguishing direct, embodied experience from the evaluating mind
There is a Path whereby we cultivate a friendly, non-judgmental and discerning awareness — understanding music as a vehicle — carrying us beyond the instrument into a field of wisdom & love.

"Understanding is love's other name. If you don't understand, you can't love."

― Thích Nhất Hạnh, How to Love

Thích Nhất Hạnh and Martin Luther King Jr.

Violin & Viola

— Suzuki-informed, hybrid approach; embracing of all students' musical curiosities

Fiddle

— Bluegrass, folk & jazz studies; from the ground up

Improvisation

— Rooted in Alan's M.M. in jazz studies at Berklee College of Music, bringing improvisation into classical and folk contexts

Songwriting & Production

— Learn the art of self-expression & building something tangible to share

Non-Judgmental Awareness

— Cultivating a friendly, non-judgmental and discerning awareness through the instrument

Online Platform

Open Strings Academy

Alan's online education platform for string players

Visit Open Strings Academy ↗
Essays and practice guides on music and contemplative practice
Courses for violinists and string players at all levels
IMS lineage Insight Meditation-informed approach to practice
A community for musicians traveling the instrument as a Wisdom Path

In-Person & Private

Current teaching positions

Private Practice

Private Lessons

One-on-One violin and strings improvisation study — all levels — in-person (New York City) and online (Everywhere)

School Position

Brooklyn Waldorf School

On faculty for violin & viola instruction

Community Work

Teaching Artist

Appearances throughout the U.S. and in under-resourced areas of New York City

Former Position

Five Towns College

Former adjunct professor of violin and improvisation studies

Inquire About Lessons