What they are saying:

"[My son] says he appreciates Mr. Fallstad because he's able to explain things clearly and inspires him to do things that he's interested in. [My daughter] enjoys music lessons with him because she thinks he really knows how to help her play emotionally. Different ways to play that way. We as parents love Suzuki music and Russell Fallstad as a mentor. He is so helpful for us to listen to as parents. We apply the skills we learn with music in our home. We also really like sharing books we are learning from and that he is trying to improve himself as we are as well. We are better people for coming to music lessons."

“Russell Fallstad is an excellent teacher for the adult student (of any level).  His holistic method of teaching respects me as an adult student, meets me where I’m at, allows me to progress forward, keeps it interesting, and is different/unique from other teaching methods because it is a hybrid of traditional and non-traditional methods of teaching.  This multi-dimensional method is effective and makes learning fun. In addition to his curriculum, Russell recognizes and encourages the value of fun, leisure playing, and how important that is!"

"I’ve really enjoyed taking lessons with Russell.  The thing that led me to him was his openness to many forms of music, particularly rock and pop music.  With Russell, I get a healthy balance of classical with other types of music like rock, pop, and fiddle.  I think Russell would be a great choice as he’ll keep you engaged and lessons fun. He’ll keep you progressing forward, assist you when you hit obstacles, and applaud you when you succeed.  He understands the adult violin student and the unique challenges adults face in learning an instrument. He has a unique method of teaching that identifies what you need as a student to help you progress...right now he’s making minor adjustments in my bow hand and he’s been making adjustments in my left fingers and exactly where they should contact the string to give me the best chance of correct intonation.  These little tweaks seem so small but yield big results. No one else has approached these techniques with me except Russell. I think Russell’s an excellent choice for beginners because he’ll teach you the right way from the get go so you won’t have to undo years of bad habits like myself.”

“As I speak my daughter is singing the 'Hi' song to put herself to sleep in her crib (not kidding). We have gained so much from these classes and her love for music and song has been nourished and encouraged. “

“Russell’s way of teaching music has completely transformed my son’s learning. He is enthusiastic and eager to practice. We’ve tried a few different music schools. This one goes beyond basic music instruction.”

My daughter came home today just glowing [from her last lesson before college] Bittersweet. She is ready for her new chapter, but she is sad to see all of these old chapters come to an end. She is really going to miss you. I can’t thank you enough for how you have invested in her over the years. She is such a special human for all the adults that have invested in her. And you are one of the ones at that top of that list. Thank you thank you thank you. I’m so glad my son will be continuing with you too. Thank you my friend.