Testimonials – Ivanna Kochubey-Maiboroda

Dr. Yakov Voldman is a knowledgeable and well seasoned violinist that has an extensive amount of experience behind him. There are a couple of things I appreciate about him and they are all things which can be relatively rare to find in the “standard American pool” of music teachers. First, he really emphasizes to use the mind when approaching the instrument; he emphasizes that this is the true way to really play and practice. He has enforced this adaptation in his lessons with me, although given that this is a core value of his overall approach to the instrument, I have reason to believe he enforces this with all of his students. Many times today you will find music teachers pushing a kind of “rote” methodology, to have the students painfully get through the endeavor by mindless and robotic repetition until finally they have some sort of relatively acceptable result. I feel that this is not teaching the violin but it’s teaching pain. The violin requires to really use the mind and that’s why I appreciate that Yakov is a teacher that not only recognizes that but also supports it. Second, Yakov is sensible about poor performance; he has shared that he will be honest about a student’s efforts instead of giving undeserved praise for all mishaps on the instrument. Today, many music teachers approach music in a kind of “hand-waving” fashion and will give undue praise for any sort of poor performance, but a student can’t grow if they’re kept in a constant state of undue reassurance. Yakov has let me know when I do bad and when I do good, I appreciate his efforts in that. Overall, he is a very approachable man and my lessons with him have been pleasant; he teaches a good attitude when approaching the lessons and practice; this has been insightful and applicable to other areas of my life, I appreciate his efforts in that as well. 

-Ivanna Kochubey-Maiboroda