Ready to love the way you sound?

Are you a beginning or intermediate player struggling to learn to play violin, fiddle, viola, or cello on your own... but it never sounds or feels right, no matter what you try?

Or maybe you’re an intermediate, advanced, or professional player struggling to learn to improvise, chop, and groove on your own... but it never sounds or feels right, no matter what you try? 

If you’ve tried learning on your own, you know that YouTube is full of conflicting information; there’s good and relevant advice, but also irrelevant or even terrible advice! And no one is there to help you sort through it all to figure out what YOU need to be working on TODAY to get to the next level.

That’s why I’m glad you’re here - I can help!

Hi! I’m Caroline McCaskey. 

I’ve been teaching adult students for over 25 years. I have the experience of helping hundreds of students get results, and I can help you too! 

Why should you learn from me?

Fiddle: I’m the 2019 U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion, and I play for Scottish, English and contra dance all over the country. Some of my students enjoy competing and have won fiddle contests, but most just play for fun - and that’s the point!

Violin: I’m fully certified in teaching violin via the Suzuki method, and I get hired to play in classical ensembles for weddings and parties. I’ve prepared students to succeed at auditions for music schools, ensembles, and scholarships. But, my favorite part is helping my students beautifully play the pieces that capture their hearts.

Viola: I have a master’s degree in viola performance, and I won awards of distinction for both my solo and chamber music playing while I was in graduate school. Violists love to play with other people, and I love working on ensemble skills with my students.

Cello: I’m Suzuki certified in Books 1 and 2 for cello (so far) and I’ve performed and recorded on the cello. Cello is my instrument of choice when accompanying my students (no matter the genre of music they’re playing!)

I’ve been playing music since I was young, but I remember what it was like to struggle to learn. I desperately wanted to play like the musicians I admired, and I craved the feeling of being able to play with freedom and joy. 

Over the years, I sought out and learned from the best teachers I could find, and copied the sounds the best players were making. Each piece of the puzzle led me closer to where I am today.

Best of all, I figured out how to do AND how to teach the stuff you want to learn, and I can’t wait to help you love the way you sound!

That's why I created AltStrings Academy. It's something brand new, made just for adult string players. I took everything my students have struggled with over the last 20+ years of teaching, and everything I have come up with to help them (as well as a LOT of ideas and resources from my teacher friends!) and collected them here. I LOVE working with adults, and I am so excited to be able to help so many more string players than I ever thought possible in a private lesson setting. 

I'm really invested in helping YOU improve in the areas where YOU want to get better. That's why, when you sign up, I make you a personal practice plan where I curate the most relevant content from around AltStrings Academy into a personal practice plan for you to work through. 

And you have TONS of support to help you!

Everyone knows you need feedback on your playing to get better. That's why I have THREE different ways for me to help you:

1. Weekly Guided Practice Class: Structured like a class where we work on Fundamentals or Intermediate technique, we work together on technical concepts as a group.

2. Office Hours: This is a chance for you to work one-on-one with me in a more informal setting. Just pop on by and get your questions answered, or play something for me and we can work on it for a couple of minutes. Sometimes people just stop by to watch me work with others, and that's a valuable learning experience too! If you're nervous about playing for other people on Zoom, you can always pop in just to watch.

3. Video Trading: You can upload a video of yourself playing and then I will watch it, make some notes about what I'd like to see you do next, and make you a video responding to you. We can trade back and forth as often as you'd like.

I've also put together valuable courses on the topics you are most interested in, with friendly bite-sized lessons you can work through at your own pace:

BUT - does it really work??

Absolutely!

Here's what our members are saying:

"What's not to love? This is wonderful Caroline, extremely valuable learning experience!" Sylvia E

So at this point, you might have some questions:

Q: Wait - you make a practice plan just for me?

A: Yep! When you sign up, you tell me about your experience, interests, and goals, and I curate the contents of the Academy into a concise, actionable to-do list designed to get you the results you want. 

Your practice plan lives on a private page on the site so it’s easy to find when you need it. 

Only you and I can see your practice plan - it’s just for you!

Here’s what yours might look like:

There’s also a private chat built right into your practice plan. I use the chat to record notes from working together with you in class or office hours. That way, you’ll remember the stuff you should be focusing on the most.

And, you can use the chat to ask me clarifying questions, or send me links to music you want to work on!

Q: What the heck are Office Hours?

A: Office Hours are times where you can work with me one on one! Just drop by on Zoom and get your questions answered, or play something for me and I’ll help you figure out how to make it better. Or, swing by just to watch me work with others. You never know what you’ll learn! Some of our members who get the best results treat Office Hours like their regular lesson time, and put it in their calendar to come every week. It’s all included, so go for it!

Q: Do I have to play for people on Zoom?

A: No! Don’t worry - while there are plenty of opportunities to perform in the Academy if you choose to, you are never required to play for other members or even for Caroline. The live stuff is all totally optional. You can even show up with your camera off, and that’s totally fine! You’ll have a chance to try stuff out and ask questions live, without doing anything you aren’t excited about. You may find that you get more comfortable with the idea over time, but if not, that’s okay too.

Q: What happens in Guided Practice classes? 

A: In our live weekly Guided Practice technique classes, we work our way through 2-3 pre-recorded technique courses as a group. Members love the opportunity for live feedback, and those who come regularly make huge strides of improvement.

In Fundamentals class, we work through Tone and Right Hand Fundamentals, Intonation and Left Hand Fundamentals, and String Changes. In Intermediate class, we work on Double Stops, Shifting, and Vibrato. Currently Guided Practice classes are only available for violin, but violists and cellists are welcome to bring these and any other topics to Office Hours for support.

Q: I’m worried that online learning isn’t for me. Isn’t it better to learn from a teacher in person?

A: In some respects, yes - there are a handful of things I can do better if I’m in the room with you. But, I’ve been teaching online since 2017 (before it was cool) and I’ve developed all sorts of techniques for helping you help yourself. 

Unfortunately, I don’t have room in my schedule to add private students. But that’s the beauty of AltStrings Academy; you can see me live more often than my weekly students do!

Besides - you’re a busy adult with stuff to do! Maybe you don’t have time to practice every day, enough to make the financial investment in weekly lessons worth it. Or you have to pay for lessons you have to miss, and it doesn’t feel like you’re able to take advantage of access to a teacher’s time and expertise.  

At ASA, I’ve got you covered. With many options for Office Hours, you can come by anytime you want, even multiple times a week! Going out of town for three weeks? No sweat - you don’t have to pay extra and you’ll never lose your place in the studio.

Unfortunately, some of the best string teachers don’t take adult students. But I strongly believe that everyone deserves access to high-quality music education. That’s why I’ve made it so wildly affordable! 

ASA membership is less than the cost of one private lesson per month, making it either a good substitute for private lessons or a good supplement to private lessons with another teacher (depending on your situation). 

Q: Why is AltStrings Academy so affordable?

A: That’s a great question! I offer so many resources and live events that one might expect the program to cost much more than it does. But I started ASA because I believe strongly that quality music education should be accessible and affordable. There was a lot I didn’t have access to and had to figure out for myself when I was coming up as a musician. I want to save you the heartache of knowing what you want and need for your musical life but not being able to have it.

I also know that achieving your musical goals does not happen overnight. In particular, if you are trying to teach yourself, it could take many years longer to reach your goals, if you even get there at all! You need help, support and guidance along the way. And as you improve, you set new goals for yourself, and those new goals need the right kind of support too. Supporting my students, individual goals is my passion!

This resource is for you. I’ve designed AltStrings Academy to be exactly what you need, for as long as you need it, at a price point you can manage.

Check out these courses - you won’t find depth and breadth of learning content like this anywhere else, and it’s growing all the time!

Live Courses

Live weekly classes are an optional opportunity to work through the valuable course content with a group:

Guided Practice and Office Hours: Fundamentals

An ongoing guided practice session for you to get the most out of your fundamentals: tone, intonation, and a relaxed approach to the instrument. Join us to shore up what you might be missing, and geek out about how to get your body and the instrument to work in harmony. In this class, we’re working through the Tone and Right Hand Fundamentals, Intonation and Left Hand Fundamentals, and String Changes courses. Come to office hours for extra help on these or any other topics!

Guided Practice and Office Hours: Intermediate Technique

A continuation of Fundamentals, Intermediate Technique is for those interested in working on more complex concepts like vibrato, shifting, position playing, and double stops. We’ll be working through those courses as they become available, as well as the articulation section of Tone and Right Hand Fundamentals.

Learning by Ear

Is learning to play by ear slow, difficult, or even impossible? Don’t worry, it’s a skill you can learn just like anything else. Come on by and we’ll hone your ability to hear AND remember the music you want to play.

We'll be working on identifying and copying melodic intervals and rhythm, improving your ear-to-finger hookup, and remembering where in the form to put what you just learned. There will occasionally even be homework. :-) Come join us live, or catch the replay in the Learning by Ear space in Musicianship.

Improvisation and Variation with Josie Quick

Learn the ins and outs of creating a fiddle break or jazz solo in this monthly class. Josie will dig deep into the chord structures and scales used to build a killer solo, whether it’s blues, bluegrass, or beyond.

CelloTunes with Valerie Thompson

In CelloTunes, we will learn cello-friendly fiddle tunes, explore strategies for learning by ear, and dig into music theory and accompaniment on the cello. We’ll address cello specific technical challenges, translation of fiddle tunes to the cello, bowing & fingerings, and stylistic/musical interpretation.  

Performance Class

Looking for practice performing solo for others? Just like everything else in music, it gets easier if you practice - so come play some music in a supportive, non-judgmental environment! You can even choose if you'd like to receive feedback or not.

Pre-Recorded Courses: Technique

Tone and Right Hand Fundamentals

Your bow is the voice of your instrument, so let’s learn how to use it effectively! In this course, we’re going all the way back to basics, to make sure you don’t skip anything. You’ll learn to develop a relaxed, natural-feeling approach to your instrument (even though it might not feel that way at first!), and how to draw a beautiful tone out of your instrument using the ingredients of the Tone Recipe.

Intonation and Left Hand Fundamentals

Set up your left hand for success! This course is about using your left hand efficiently, so you will be able to maximize your potential in terms of speed, accuracy, and ease of approach. 

String Changes

Developing clean and efficient string crossings is an important area of growth for a string player. Improve your ability to navigate between strings with this course.

Vibrato

Warm up your sound with this beautiful, expressive left hand technique. Learn the basics, and refine your motion for the sound you want.

The Chop, and Other Backup Techniques

Let’s get grooving! Learn to accompany tunes with the chop technique. Other fun techniques such as pizzicato will be added over time.

Pre-Recorded Courses: Style

Groove With Your Bow

Want to make your tunes dance? This is the place to get your groove on! Learn about bowing and accent patterns that you can mix and match in different ways to create the feel you are going for.

Traditional Music

Interviews, lessons, and workshops with some of the best teachers and players of traditional music. 

Jazz and Blues

Interviews, lessons, and workshops with some of the best teachers and players of jazz and blues. 

Cello

Hi cellists! Come find your crew here. You’ll find fun stuff for cello spread throughout the Academy (Renata Bratt’s Key of the Month materials in Keys and Scales, for example!), but you can find replays of cello-centric workshops and classes here. This is also the home of Valerie Thompson’s CelloTunes live monthly class replays.

Pre-Recorded Courses: Musicianship

Keys and Scales

Home of our Key of the Month project, here you’ll find multiple ways to map out and use the twelve keys. Featuring lessons for cello (and occasionally other instruments!) by Renata Bratt.

Arranging for Strings

Interested in playing more than the melody? Come here to learn about playing chords, writing and improvising harmony lines, and writing music for groups of stringed instruments.

Improvisation, Composition, and Fills

Got a solo, but don’t want to play the tune the same way AGAIN? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Come here for the replays of Josie Quick’s Improvisation and Variation live class.

Pre-Recorded Courses: Supplemental Topics

How to Practice (includes Playing with Speed and Efficiency)

How you practice is how you play. Make sure you are asking the right questions and focusing on the right stuff!

Playing Without Pain

While having a good setup is important at any age, it is of particular importance to adults. Make sure you enjoy a long and healthy musical journey by taking care of yourself before, during, and after you play.

Performance Psychology

Are you frustrated by how your playing deteriorates when you get in front of others? Or are you simply too scared to play in front of others at all? Playing music with and for others is a big “why” for a lot of us, but we all struggle with this. Come explore the reasons and experiment with some solutions with these resources.

Ensemble Playing

Do you have a group you like to play with, or want to start one? Come here for tips and advice, as well as sheet music of arrangements for string ensembles!

Equipment

Explore resources on how to take care of your instrument, how to choose an instrument, and much more.

Perspectives

Enjoy our expert interviews? Come here to watch them all! 

Pre-Recorded Courses: Method Series

AltStrings Fiddle Method for Violin or Orchestra

Designed to go hand in hand as a supplement to the Suzuki method, Caroline’s first big pedagogical project is available for you to use as well. Follow along with the videos, and/or purchase the books at AltStrings.com.

Suzuki Method for Violin

Book 1 will be available in 2024. *Please note: Purchase of either a physical or digital copy of Suzuki Violin School, Volume 1: Violin Part is required in order to view any lessons in this course.

I can't wait to help you meet your goals. Let's go!