The Black Violin MasterClass (BVMC) Series is an outside the box, live stream interactive workshop that allows students to look at their instruments from a different perspective. Our goal is to instill confidence in young musicians so they can find their own unique voice using whatever instrument they play.  BVMC is geared toward string musicians but can be a great resource for any music student searching for ways to be more creative with their respective instrument. This 60 minute live YouTube Masterclass Series hosted on Tuesdays at 2PM ET is focused on finding your sound and expressing yourself.

Most young music students practice their instrument because their parents force them to, or because their teacher insists that they practice everyday. We were those kids and we dreaded practice time until we found a way to make the instrument speak for us. Once we learned how to create our own music, we were hooked and the instrument was no longer our teachers or our parents; it was now ours and we were hooked. 

This workshop shows young musicians how to unlock their musical creativity by encouraging them to create their own songs using their instruments. Students are encouraged to participate in the live stream masterclass with their instruments and play along when prompted.  We will also show them how to find the key of their favorite songs so they can play along. It will reinforce the importance of scales and arpeggios while allowing them to find their own voice within their instrument. It will also broaden their understanding of music composition and serve as an introduction to how popular music is created. 

Learn what to expect in this comprehensive 6 week masterclass series focusing on the foundations of finding your sound and expressing yourself musically.

This interactive class will instruct students how to “jump” or improvise their own tune, based off of a simple exercise using scales and arpeggios. Students only need to know a one octave concert D Major and/or D Minor scale to participate.

• Improv Basics
• Demonstrate How Black Violin Uses Improv With Twinkle, Twinkle
• Finding Your Voice

• How To Develop A Concept
• What makes a good song?
• How To Know If Your Concept Is Good

Students will continue to find their own voice on their instruments by making up their own music.

• How to find the key of a song
• Chord progression study Lv1 (I-V-I)
• Major vs. Minor, Dissonance vs. Resonance
• Song Writing Lv 2—Review “what makes a good song” —Popular song formats discussion (verses, chorus/hook)

SELF STUDY: CREATE A MELODY USING THE TECHNIQUES WE DISCUSSED. RECORD THE QUICK VIDEO OF YOUR ORIGINAL MELODY AND POST IT ON INSTAGRAM OR TWITTER USING THE HASHTAG #BVMC. IF YOU DON’T HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA, THEN YOU CAN EMAIL IT TO BLACKVIOLINTV@GMAIL.COM.