WWWalker's Music and Multimedia

Dwight Walker teaching violin in a student's home in Orange in 2012

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See Music Theory; Music Technique and Instruments: Violin Technique, Violin Instruments, Piano Technique, Piano Performance, Piano Instruments | Violin Sizes

Face to Face or Online Music Lessons

Video conferencing: Skype | Zoom | Facebook Messenger

I teach violin and piano face to face or online. Let me teach you violin or piano face to face or online.

I have run online training before in Web indexing and introduction to Linux. I am capable and have tested out the new video mode. It is possible and very convenient as I can teach anyone in the world not just those close to my location in the room! Online lessons will be shorter based on hourly rate e.g. 20-30 mins maximum as they are more intense and tiring. Student needs to be prepared before lesson with tuning violin and resining bow. For online lessons, teacher and student both have Webcams or smart phones so they can stream video to each other.

COVID Safe Plan

Queensland Health COVID-19 alerts
- Greater Brisbane lockdown 8-11/1/21
- Restrictions on Impacted Areas - Greater Brisbane 8-11/1/21
- Easing of Greater Brisbane lockdown 11/1/21-22/1/21
- Roadmap to easing restrictions 11-22/1/21
- Face masks how to use a mask
  - masks are available from pharmacies, supermarkets and online stores
  - masks are single use or reusable washable
  - masks are required in shops and on public transport or in other venues where person can't be socially distanced 1.5m
- Greater Brisbane includes Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Logan, Redlands and Ipswich councils so includes Caboolture in Moreton Bay Regional Council where I teach violin and piano

I follow social distancing and hand hygiene with music lessons in student's home. See Queensland Government COVID-19 restrictions: Going out, travel, recreation and gathering in Queensland as of 25/9/20.

As of 21/12/20, I will digitally collect student face to face music lesson tracing data for Queensland Health for COVID-19:

full name
email address (residential address if unavailable)
phone number
date of entry
time period (time in and time out)
contact details of guardian if student is a minor

As of 11 January 2021 after Greater Brisbane Lockdown of 8-11/1/21 WWWalker Web Development Pty Ltd's COVID Safe Plan follows the Queensland Department of Education guidelines below.

"Instrumental music programs, ensembles and choirs are able to rehearse and perform in the school environment provided the following safety protocols are in place:

"at least 1.5 metres between singers/players/audience members in all directions and no more than 1 person per 2m2 (excludes choirs)
"choirs or bands that usually use a stage may need to move down to the hall floor to maintain physical distancing. Podiums/platforms with risers should not be used
"where possible, choir practice and performances should be held outdoors. If it is not possible to hold these outdoors, open windows and doors or ensure air conditioning is on
"ensure students wash hands before and after the lesson, rehearsal or performance
"ensure instruments are not shared
"students should not face each other when singing or playing wind instruments
"students playing wind instruments should have their own spit rag, which is placed under the instrument while it is being played. The spit rag should not be handled by anyone else and should be kept by the student in a zip-lock bag or container
"a record of all persons-including performing students, staff and audience members-should be kept."

Source: COVID-19 operating guidelines for Queensland state schools "Instrumental music programs, ensembles and choirs (updated 24/11/2020)", Queensland Department of Education website, as of 11/1/21.

This is WWWalker Web Development Pty Ltd's COVID Safe Plan for music lessons (HD Walker, Director, 11/1/21):

social distancing of 1.5m around or during lesson in classroom
use of hand sanitizer before and after lesson
contact tracing of students, parents, guardians and teachers for lessons
spraying of instruments before and after lesson
teacher wears mask and student, parent and guardian do not wear mask during lessons

Violin Lessons and Repairs | Piano Lessons

Our director Dwight Walker teaches private child and adult violin students face to face or online via Skype, Zoom or Facebook Messenger and Webcam or smart phone.

Dwight will assist student with sourcing and fitting violins, strings, bows, shoulder rests and bridges. This also includes picking suitable sheet music for tuition.

To remain viable as a current music teacher, Dwight will keep up to date by researching and testing new instruments found via Google search or student suggestions e.g. new brand violins.

Dwight has a depth of music experience as seen in his music resume - orchestra, folk bands, church groups, solo over 40 years.

He teaches classical, folk and pop music on violin or piano.

He has had 3 adult violin students in Orange since 2009 and 1 adult violin student in Canberra briefly in 2010. There were rewarding signs of the students picking up technique and improving in their skills and expression over the 3 or months I have been teaching each of them.

Since December 2015 in Caboolture area, he has briefly had 3 child violin students. He has had 1 adult violin student for over 18 months to which music is a therapy for their mental disability.

In July 2016, with disabled student, Dwight played track from Essential Elements for Strings Violin Book 2 from publisher Website on his Android phone using Optus 3G in student's room so they could play along and improve the intonation. It is easier to view the online MIDI recordings via laptop or PC on normal internet connection.

In October-December 2017, we taught 2 violin students a child and an adult in Caboolture and Bellmere.

In July-August 2019, we taught 2 violin students a child and an adult all in Caboolture area.

Dwight has a great love for music and his enthusiasm helps him to match the difficulty of teaching the violin with good results despite students being older than school age and taking longer to pick up skills.

Contact him to arrange a face to face or online audition via Skype, Zoom or Facebook Messenger and Webcam or smart phone and for him to give advice on how best to learn the violin.

Currently he teaches children (Blue Card) and adults and where he is authorised to teach disabled people under authority of holder of Yellow Card.

Piano Lessons

Dwight is also an accomplished pianist and teaches piano to child and adult students face to face or online via Skype and Webcam. He will help pick music and instrument for student.

In December 2015 in Ningi QLD, he had 1 child piano student briefly.

In October-December 2017 in Bellmere QLD, we had 1 teenager piano student who finished Progressive Piano book.

In March 2018 in Caboolture, we had a child piano student start on Alfreds piano book.

In July-August 2019, we had a child piano student in Caboolture start on Alfreds piano book.

In March 2020, we had 2 child piano students in Caboolture start on John Thompson piano book as it was easier than Alfreds piano book.

In November 2020, we had 1 child piano student in Caboolture start on Alfreds piano book with COVID Safe Plan.

Private Teacher vs School Teacher

As a private teacher we give more care and individual attention than a school teacher who has many students to teach. This leads to a much better outcome re training. We are worth choosing over just using local schools to teach the child music. We can link to a school teacher's curriculum to enable the student to be accredited through their local school.

Background

Dwight is a simple but effective violin and piano teacher.

Dwight Walker has done Grade 5 Violin, Grade 6 (HSC) Piano, Theory and Harmony and won the Eileen Stainkamph Award for Grade 5 Piano and Theory in 1976 in Bendigo Victoria. He has played for over 20 years in orchestras, bush bands, chamber groups and church groups giving him a wide diversity of talent and good listening skills and team effort in ensemble work.

In 1993, he did Basic Methods of Instruction at TAFE NSW as a part-time teacher, so he knows how to hold a class and assess progress of a student.

Educational Standards

Dwight Walker's school is OK without his NSW teaching qualifications being given Queensland College of Teachers approval as the school (his home) is exempt as it is too small. NSW teachers must be reassessed in Queensland. Private teachers can get their curriculum checked with Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority so their students are qualified to government curriculum standards. Dwight's Victorian HSC music teacher was a private teacher and his music marks were submitted to HSC examiners and were added to his HSC score which got him into medicine (MB, BS) at Melbourne Medical School.

Media

Dwight Walker:

"On 6/10/16, Caboolture Herald rang me up re my tweet saying I had written to Morayfield and Pumicestone MPs asking to halve number of poker machines and citing music as a remedy for vacuum in mental health in area with my disabled violin student as prime example of how music is good medicine for the mind as her house was tidy, clothes were tidy and beautiful not shabby, garden was looked after, neighbours stopped having domestic violence, people ate healthy food and rubbish was picked up.

"God used me to minister to mental patient by giving her violin lessons and the violin music permeating through walls changed 50 other people's lives living nearby in a run down government housing estate.

"People need more than food and housing. They need something to feed their mind and soul such as music and love and care. I don't have much money but I can teach violin and care for someone's mind which has remarkable effects on the neighbourhood.

"This is one good thing to come out of Caboolture apart from crime, violence, theft, poker machines, gambling, drugs and other soul destroying rubbish. God can change even bad old Caboolture believe it or not."

Terms and Conditions

Student or guardian must commit 1 week ahead to attend and pay upfront in full on day in cash.
Guardian must authorize classes, payment and arrange to have teacher visit student's house for classes if under 18 yrs old.
If student or guardian ceases to communicate, classes are cancelled immediately or not even started.
Student or guardian must provide mobile number, phone number, email address or address before classes can commence.
A parent must be contactable either via email, SMS or phone before student can be auditioned and taught.
A student or their guardian must give 1 day's notice of cancellation of class or the student will be dropped.
Student must have their own working instrument. We do not loan instruments. There is no lesson without an instrument.
Student must be available for a weekly lesson in general but one off lessons are available. A student that keeps dropping out will have classes terminated.
Classes are conducted in a room with no distractions in student's house.
Classes start and stop punctually using alarm to end.
Only the instrument selected will be taught and no other instruments will be taught.
No music arrangements will be done for events or extra curricular activity.
Instrument with basic theory will be taught for reading music.
$20/30 mins, $40/1 hr or $60/1.5 hr lesson (inc GST).
There is no splitting lessons into 2 different classes i.e. 30 minute lessons cannot be packed with 2 * 15 minute lessons
$40 = 2 * $20 = 2 * 30 minutes whether student uses whole lesson or only 15 minutes. This is to stop people trying to get 3 lessons out of 1 hour and increase value for themselves.
New basic violin from $300 inc GST.
New basic upright piano from $500 inc GST.
New basic 61 key non-touch-sensitive keyboard from $150 inc GST.
Piano or keyboard must have at least 61 keys.
Well selected secondhand instrument is usually less than this.
Student must be between 7 years and 75 years old.
Student must not be tone deaf.
Violin tuner is only to be used for tuning instrument not to replace using ear to find pitch.
Classical, folk and pop styles are taught on piano or violin.
If student can't pay on day at least a portion of the lesson fee, they must notify our business a minimum of 2 hours via SMS or call or email so we can arrange another time for lesson or confirm when full payment will be made. There is no credit.
If student is dual citizen or on a visa, they or their guardian must notify our business in advance if they are going to leave for overseas for long periods of time. There is no guarantee we will be able to teach them when they come back.
A student may be required to take a 10 minute audition by teacher at student's house before deciding to take the initial music lesson.
A recommended violin or keyboard will be given by teacher and reasonable efforts will be made by teacher to test any instrument student prefers.
Teacher will have a copy of all music books in case student does not have one in time to stop class being cancelled.
There will be up to a month delay for starting violin or piano students under 18 years if teacher has to renew or obtain a Blue Card.
Person requiring lessons needs to declare the student has a disability so we can arrange our program accordingly.
Classes may be cancelled due to circumstances beyond control of teacher, e.g. traffic accident writing off car, flu, Coronavirus.
Coronavirus: COVID-19: As of 24 March 2020, violin and piano lessons will be done either face to face or online via Skype, Zoom or Facebook Messenger and Webcam or smart phone and payment done online via PayPal or direct deposit or cash on day if face to face. Face to face lessons in student's home are again possible with adequate restrictions as people reached out.
Lessons are same time each week to keep things simple for teacher and student.
Student has lesson for one instrument per day not 2 instruments back to back on same day to stop overexertion.
Music lessons are kept separate from church services.
If another violin teacher withholds bow, we cannot teach violin.
We will not tolerate abusive behaviour of student, parent or guardian. Classes will be terminated.

Music Performance

Music Gigs

Our business director Dwight Walker is a skilled violinist and performs in Orange, Dubbo, Moree, Cootamundra, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Castlemaine in churches, shopping centres and community group social functions.

Flying Pieman fiddle tune by Dwight Walker, 2018 - people say I am good

Violin Sizes

Violin and Viola Sizing & Instrument Sizes Charts!

The following violin sizes based on measuring student and instrument are used to make sure violin and person size match. There is no point getting a 3/4 violin for an adult only a 10 year old child. A teenager or adult gets a 4/4 violin. A child will outgrow a 3/4 violin and will need to get a 4/4 violin when they become a teenager or adult. There are smaller violins (1/4 and 2/4) for younger children. The size has nothing to do with the price; it is not a fraction of the price.

Shoulder rest size must match size of violin or it won't fit.

If adult student or parent or guardian is buying the right violin on their own, below are correct measurements. We will check they get the right one. Sometimes people get the wrong one for their age or arm length (shoulder to wrist) and they have to be changed for the right one. Some people are smaller than normal so they need to use their arm length not their age to pick the right instrument size.

4/4 Violin:
- 14" or 35.5cm body (from tail to where neck joins body)
- 23"-23.5" or 60cm from scroll to tail
- 29.5" or 75cm bow
- arm length >= 23" or 58cm (shoulder to wrist)
- age >= 11 years to adult
3/4 Violin:
- 13" or 33cm body (from tail to where neck joins body)
- 21" or 53.3cm from scroll to tail
- 27" or 68.6cm bow
- arm length = 21.5"-22" or 54.6-56cm (shoulder to wrist)
- age 9-12 years
2/4 Violin:
- 12.5" or 31.75cm body (from tail to where neck joins body)
- 20.5" or 52cm from scroll to tail
- 24.5" or 62.2cm bow
- arm length = 20" or 50.8cm (shoulder to wrist)
- age 7-9 years

Instrument Stores and Support

strings
- Pitch Perfect Strings, Minyama via Kawana Shoppingworld QLD
- Animato Strings, Eagle Farm QLD
- Simply for Strings, Red Hill QLD
- Ilja Grawert Violin Maker, Woolloongabba QLD
- A R Irwin Violins, Sydney
- The Sydney String Centre
keyboards, strings, winds and brass
- Tempest Music, Como WA - sheet music
- Better Music, Canberra
- Landers Music, Orange NSW
- Guitar Exchange, Morayfield QLD
- Whitehorse Music, Melbourne VIC - top end violins and keyboards etc
- Go Music, North Lakes QLD
secondhand instruments
- Facebook Marketplace
- Gumtree
- eBay
- tips
  - anything under $100 is dubious quality
  - check brands and quality with teacher before purchasing
  - purchase may require repairs before instrument is playable
  - teacher performs repairs e.g. replace strings, bridge, tuning

Music Links

online streaming tools and apps
instruments
- violin
  - The Violin Channel
  - The Strad Magazine
  - Strings Magazine
  - Clavicle - shoulder rest adjustment
- piano and keyboard
  - Yamaha Keyboard Buyer's Guide
    - List of Yamaha products - piano, strings, winds, percussion
  - CASIO Electronic Musical Instruments
    - CASIO Portable Keyboards - MIDI, USB, SD card, software, firmware, data samples (audio), score PDFs, Windows, MacOSX, device drivers
    - Manuals
    - Manuals
    - CASIO Sound Technology - list of keyboards, features and manuals
  - Roland
  - KORG (Australia)
  - repairs
    - Watson Electronics, Brisbane QLD electronic keyboard repairs
    - G&H Electronic Services, Maroochydore QLD keyboard and amp repairs
tutoring software
- Simply Piano iOS and Android app for iPad or tablet
pedagogy
- Teaching styles by Walter Bleakley - levels of teaching from didactic to self-taught
medicine
- Overexertion - caused by student having 2 lessons back to back for different instruments on same day
- Delving into memory to understand schizophrenia Uni of Melbourne 8/19 podcast - psychiatry - affects teaching violin due to short-term memory loss of student
- Tone Deaf Test - very important to pass or I cannot teach you - do not use tuner to avoid using ear to test pitch
music scores and recordings
- music score editing and MIDI playback software (Digital Audio Workstation - DAW)
  - NoteWorthy Composer Windows
  - Steinberg Cubase
- sheet music all instruments
- recordings and sheet music
  - Accompaniments - violin, piano, orchestra and ensemble MP3 recordings of classical music accompaniments for sale for rehearsal
  - IMSLP public domain classical music MP3 recordings and sheet music database
performances
- ClassikON classical music concerts in Australia via 4MBS
- Dwight Walker
  - Tilt Busking Festival, Canberra
  - Street musician in a musical town, Orange Photo News, 3 Feb 2011 p.15 - Dwight Walker as busker in Orange
customers
- Top 10 ways to fire client from hell