Lucia's first viola lesson...

Yesterday was five year old Lucia's first ever viola lesson. I have quite a few teenage viola students, some of whom have switched from (or learn alongside) violin. Some of my smaller and still growing students have a more petite 14-15 inch model instead of the standard 15.5 plus. Starting viola with someone as young as Lucia was new to me. I've taught plenty of little ones the violin, but Lucia's heart was set on viola and I wanted to nurture that enthusiasm from the onset. This begged the question: where to find a tiny viola?! Turns out, tiny violas pretty much don't exist below 13 inches, which is way too big for a girl Lucia's age! I consulted some of my string teacher friends, who told me that my only option was to re-string the right size violin as a viola. One violin and 4 viola strings later, and Lucia was ready for her first lesson! Here she is, very keen to have a go with the bow. She is also a talented pianist, so took to the feel of things swiftly. A great experience for us both!

Ps. There is most certainly a market for tiny viola makers out there. Anyone care to fill it? ;)