The world isn’t built for adults to learn music,
but AltStrings Academy is.
You’re an adult learning music. That’s hard enough - don’t make things more difficult for yourself!
If you’ve tried learning on your own, you know that the internet 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.
But it doesn’t have to be this way! That’s where we come in.
Meet your goals, without the guesswork.
Everything you need to
meet your musical goals
All for just $48/month
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Custom Practice Plan Unique to YOU
Your custom practice plan is made JUST FOR YOU by Caroline, based on what you want and need. With a combination of practice units, individual feedback, and even new video lessons recorded just for you, you never have to wonder what to practice next to meet your goals.
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5-10 Live Events per Week
Technique and special interest group classes, office hours, performance opportunities, and dozens of workshops per year by Caroline and the best teachers around. You can’t help but learn something new!
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Library of 400+ Video Lessons (and Growing!)
Follow your practice plan through the lessons, or if the mood strikes, try something new! Everything’s included, and there’s nothing to unlock or wait for. Learn whatever you’d like, at your own pace, on your own terms.
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Accountability and Support
From our incredible teachers to our awesome members, everyone’s rooting for you! We cheer your accomplishments and support you through your struggles. We’re all in the same boat here, and we are rowing together!
FULL-ACCESS MEMBERSHIP
ONLY $48/MONTH
NO crazy contracts and NO risk.
Easily cancel your membership at any time.
“AltStrings is a gem. I have learned more in two months than two years of lessons.”
Sherrill Beck, member
Music is about people.
We play music because we want expressive connection with others.
The skills you learn in AltStrings Academy will allow you to step into jam sessions, rehearsals, and performances with confidence and ease.
Connecting with instructors and like-minded community members will help you stay motivated, and give you the clarity to tackle what’s next.
Real support. Real results.
AltStrings Academy Personal Practice Plan
When you join AltStrings Academy, you tell us about your experience, interests, and goals.
Caroline takes your answers and curates the contents of the Academy into a Practice Plan with one goal in mind: to turn you into the musician you’ve always wanted to be.
As you work through your practice plan and engage more with the Academy, Caroline will alter your practice plan to meet your changing needs and growing skills.
Want to work on something that’s not in the Academy yet? No problem! Just let Caroline know, and she’ll make you a custom lesson for it.
Get feedback on your work in Office Hours (the best deal in the whole Academy!) and get your questions answered. Is something getting in your way? Are you struggling with a particular part no matter what you try? No question is too big or small for this individual forum.
Finally, show off your learned music in monthly Performance Class opportunities (optional, of course, but highly recommended!)
We are here to support you! You’ve got this, and we’ve got you.
Not just another online music course you won’t use.
FULL-ACCESS MEMBERSHIP
ONLY $48/MONTH
NO crazy contracts and NO risk.
Easily cancel your membership at any time.
Live Group Technique Classes and Office Hours
Get the feedback you need for a fraction of the cost of private lessons.
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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!
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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.
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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. Because this is cello, we're also going to be doing a lot of shifting and position playing, too. Come to office hours for extra help on these or any other topics!
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Office Hours are times where you can work with Caroline 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!
Ready to love the way you sound?
Live Monthly Class Series with Master Guest Instructors
Josie Quick
Improvisation and Variation
Valerie Thompson CelloTunes
Lessons and Interviews with World-Leading Experts
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Basil Vendryes
PRINCIPAL VIOLA, COLORADO SYMPHONY
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Rodney Miller
NEW ENGLAND CONTRA FIDDLE
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Amy Likar
ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE, BODY MAPPING
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Renata Bratt
Multi-Style Cello
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David Greenberg
CAPE BRETON FIDDLE
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Katharine Knight
CELLO, DAVINCI QUARTET
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Jeri Jorgensen
VIOLIN, DAVINCI QUARTET
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Richard Slavich
PERFORMANCE PSYCHOLOGY, CELLO
Live Workshops with World-Renowned Guest Artists
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Liz Knowles
IRISH FIDDLE ARTICULATION AND STYLE
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Joseph Kaminsky
VIBRATO FROM THE GROUND UP
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TIm Kliphuis
JAZZ VIOLIN
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Mireia Clua
LOOPING AND ARRANGING
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George Jackson
OLD-TIME FIDDLE BOWING
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Dr. Lynn Kuo
MUSCLE TENSION AND TECHNIQUE
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Melinda Crawford Perttu
SCOTTISH FIDDLE ORNAMENTATION AND STYLE
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Jason Anick
JAZZ VIOLIN FINGERBOARD MAPPING
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Raphael Gold (Ifshin Violins)
INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT
Almost no time to practice?
Play along with one of our hundreds of bite size on-demand lessons to use those minutes wisely
Technique
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Warm up your sound with this beautiful, expressive left hand technique. Learn the basics, and refine your motion for the sound you want.
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Let’s get grooving! Learn to accompany tunes with the chop technique. Other fun techniques such as pizzicato will be added over time.
Style
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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.
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Interviews, lessons, and workshops with some of the best teachers and players of traditional music.
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Interviews, lessons, and workshops with some of the best teachers and players of jazz and blues.
Theory and Musicianship
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YLet's practice ear training! 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. We will also be learning to hear and play grooving accents and slurring patterns - ear training is not just for your left hand! There will occasionally even be homework. 😇 Come join us live, or catch the replay in the Learning by Ear space in Musicianship.
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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.
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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.
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Got a solo, but don’t want to play the tune the same way AGAIN? Or maybe you have a brand new tune inside you waiting to come out? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Supplemental Topics
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How you practice is how you play. Make sure you are asking the right questions and focusing on the right stuff!
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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.
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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.
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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!
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Explore resources on how to take care of your instrument, how to choose an instrument, and much more.
Our members love AltStrings Academy
And we think you will, too
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“AltStrings is a gem. I have learned more in two months than two years of lessons (essentially learn a tune). Fundamentals, learning by ear and breaking through the fear have progressed my playing more than I could have imagined. Caroline provides individual attention keeping an eye on my individual goals. I am a fan and you should be too.”
Sherrill Beck, member
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"I’m getting so much out of AltStrings Academy. I’ve tried other violin subscription programs before. AltStrings is by far the best, and the best value. [. . .] I love her guided real-time zoom lessons. She has a marvelous way of explaining things, and pays attention to all attendees. [. . .] I love the way she goes back to the basics, such as bow hold. She is teaching at both a micro and macro level. I believe this approach is unique to Caroline. While it’s challenging to change old habits, they’re already paying off tenfold. [. . .] I love her bite sized video lessons. I might be tired at the end of the day, but I can manage a five minute lesson. [. . .] The ear learning tutorials are the best! I’m learning to trust my ears and fingers to pick up and play in a way I never could before. I could go on but try it…you will not be disappointed!”
Rebecca Golling, member
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“The referrals are purely out of self interest! 😁 The more of my fiddle friends that are on it, the easier it is for me to keep at it. BUT it is also because I think your ASA is awesome and you are the very best and kindest and most supportive teacher there is. So thank you, Caroline!”
Hege Bakken, member
FULL-ACCESS MEMBERSHIP
ONLY $48/MONTH
NO crazy contracts and NO risk.
Easily cancel your membership at any time.
Adults don’t learn the way kids do.
I created AltStrings Academy to fill the huge gap in support for adults learning to play stringed instruments.
In my 25 years of experience teaching adults, I’ve learned what gets results for busy people who don’t have time to waste figuring things out on their own.
I grew up playing classical music, traditional fiddle styles, and jazz. I have degrees and certifications in playing, teaching and writing music. Along the way I have won competitions on local, national and international stages.
I’ve also coached students through auditions, competitions, and performance situations of all kinds. I have figured out what is useful for you to know, and what isn’t. In short, I went to music school so you don’t have to!
When you join AltStrings Academy, you get my personalized recommendations and feedback every step of the way, so you can feel confident you’re on the right path.
✅ All-Course Access (Value $6,000+)
Get access to our entire ever-growing library of tutorials and live event replays on technique, style, and musicianship, and support topics such as ergonomics, performance psychology and how to practice
✅ Live 1-on-1 Office Hours with Caroline (Value $8,160/year)
Like having the opportunity for multiple small private lessons per week. Most other platforms charge extra for this, but here it’s all included!
✅ Live Group Technique and Musicianship Classes and Guided Practice Sessions ($5,760/year)
Small-group classes that move the progress needle on your skills
✅ Live Guest Artist Workshops and Classes (Value $2,400/year)
Work live with world-renowned teachers and performers in a small, intimate setting - and catch the replays for anything you missed!
✅ Become part of a supportive community of adults, and stay connected to people with the same goals, struggles, and dreams as you (Priceless!)
TOTAL VALUE: $22,320+
FULL-ACCESS MEMBERSHIP
Only $48/month
This is your call to take action
How do you want to play in a year from now? How about in three years, or five years from now?
If you’re ready to put in the work in a program that works for you, the time to get started is NOW.
You can do this; we’ll make sure of that together. See you on the inside!
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Hi! 👋
Go for it - I love questions! 😁
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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!
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!
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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!
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No! (But you totally should 😁) 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.
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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).
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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.
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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?
AltStrings Academy is the place for adult string players of all levels to come together and inspire, support, and motivate one another. We'd love to have you join us!
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We'd like to think so! Congrats on finding the right teacher for you - that's awesome! 🥳 Good teachers are the best. ❤️
Any good teacher will tell you that they can't help you with everything. Maybe your teacher doesn't know how to chop, or they haven't been able to figure out what exactly is holding back your intonation development. Or maybe they just don't know enough fiddle tunes!
Multiple perspectives are crucial, and with the helps of a fresh set of eyes your next area of growth may be just around the corner.
If you're curious about what you might be missing, give it a try! Membership is less than the cost of one private lesson per month, and cancellation is super easy.
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Probably not! While we always plan to keep the cost as accessible as possible, the cost of everything goes up eventually and we'll have to raise the price now and then to keep our teachers happy.
However, by joining now you'll be able to lock in this super low price for the lifetime of your membership! (Yes, that's right - as long as you remain a member, we will never raise your rate.)
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Dunno - probably by turning on the car and pressing the gas pedal and stuff?
Dammit Jim, I'm a violin teacher, not a driving instructor!