Praise for Anne’s Webinars

I've attended several of Anne's recorder webinars, and she does a fantastic job of communicating her teaching points to the virtual audience. Although I live two time zones away from Anne, I can participate with people from across the whole country in this online format. She has a clear manner of speaking and teaching, and manages the audience and their questions deftly. She comfortably uses spoken words, written words, pictures and demonstrations to get her points across, lets the audience give it a try, and then suggests exercises and techniques to try on our own time.  I have incorporated some of the exercises into my daily practice time, and have noticed breakthrough improvements in my own playing which has been very rewarding.

Evy D., Everett, WA

Anne’s webinars are a huge resource for recorder players.  She manages to address all the main issues that affect all of us in a clear, organized format with no time wasted!  She manages online instruction expertly, with clear explanations and demonstrations and opportunities for participants to try things out and ask questions.  All levels of players can benefit from Anne’s expertise and experience, from new beginners to advanced players.  I cannot recommend these webinars highly enough!

-Rosemary K., Charlotte, NC

I give Anne’s webinars the highest possible recommendation. She chooses good, basic topics, and then talks informally and in good detail about these topics with accompanying demonstrations and slides… she is excellent.

-Lance F., Portland, ME

Student Testimonials

"Anne is a superb player and also a fine instructor. After four years of study with her, my recorder playing is significantly improved. I had to travel two hours each way for my lessons, but the time and effort were well worth it. I learned a tremendous amount not only about recorder playing but about early music as well. I'd recommend her most highly as a teacher."

-Ruth C., Staunton, Va.

"Anne is amazing! From the first lesson, Anne was kind, approachable, and effective. Not only did my 6-year-old daughter learn to read music, Anne helped make music a part of her daily life. Anne coached my husband and I on how to encourage our daughter to practice daily -- and make practice fun. Anne's kind & supportive personality made my daughter look forward to her lessons and their bond encouraged my daughter to work hard and stick with practice."

-Megan E., Richmond, Va.

"Here is a teacher I could never outgrow -- and I have a doctorate in music. She is not only a superb musician but someone who can both describe and demonstrate what is needed in any musical context. She enjoys teaching and solving the puzzle of what it takes to have a student succeed. With an upbeat and positive personality, Anne can inspire students of all ages and levels. She has brought me a long way to understanding the Baroque style of playing the recorder and the techniques needed to do it. She is a master at her craft."

-Nancy G., Charlottesville, VA

"I had been on a plateau for a long time, but my playing improved more in the last four years of lessons with her than it had in the previous four decades!  She immediately honed in on what I needed to do in order to make technical progress; just as important, she was consistently upbeat and encouraging --her comments positive, clear, and to-the-point....Her enthusiasm is contagious and always had me hankering for more lessons despite the long drive.  I find her to be a consummate musician and teacher --energetic and inspiring, and displaying the same sensitivity and skill in her teaching that she brings to her playing and performing."

-Lesslie C., Charlottesville, VA

"Miss Anne has been a wonderful teacher to me.  She has a great sense of humor and is a good explainer.  I always loved bringing her a new piece I'd been working on and getting her comments when I tried different things: slurs, staccato, articulations, trills, etc.  Then we would play the pieces as a duet with Anne accompanying me on the alto or bass recorder.  I felt like I'd really accomplished something whenever I mastered a new piece."

-Hart I., 11 years old, Richmond, VA

"When our son Hart said he wanted to learn more than the beginning recorder instruction offered by his elementary school, we were delighted to find out that a master player of the instrument lived in our town.  The two years of instruction that Hart enjoyed with Anne Timberlake transformed him as a musician.  Anne not only ensured that he developed solid technical and sight-reading skills, she brought him to a deep understanding of communication through music...Hart is now willing to take risks in order to really connect with the audience and other players.  At the same time, he is able to explain the historical and aesthetic reasons for his choices.  Anne has made Hart into a skilled as well as thoughtful player."

-Raphael S., Richmond, VA

"Anne is a gifted teacher. She is very perceptive about where a student is, and seems to have a clear idea of the appropriate direction at any given time. When I came to her I was very discouraged and pretty much convinced I couldn't succeed at learning to play, but she patiently began with breathing exercises and a chose a lesson in my method book. Each time I had to learn something new, she made it easy for me to succeed in small ways, and was always very pleased if I could do anything even remotely like what she intended. Now after two and a half years, I am still somewhat nervous, but I look forward to new seas of dots on pages. Now when I see new things I typically don't immediately view them as scary and overwhelming, but rather as exciting and challenging."

-Jackie R., Richmond, Va.

"Whatever the age of the student, Anne is a great teacher! Having played the piano all my life, I decided to learn a wind instrument and picked up a recorder at the age of 64. Fortunately, Anne became my teacher. In three years, I have gone from being grateful I sound better to actually enjoying a completely new world (for me) of early music. She is encouraging and ever cheerful. Enjoy!"

-Ginger Y., Ashland, Va.

Online Recorder Lessons

"Whatever doubts I had about taking recorder lessons over the Internet, they were erased in my first session with Anne Timberlake.  I wanted to ratchet up my musicality and interpretation -which, unlike technique, is hard to do on your own.  Anne is terrific in analyzing my playing, making suggestions and setting out goals for the next lesson.  A bonus is the ability to ask her followup questions by email.  I've played recorder for years and have taken lessons occasionally: These are among the most productive and enjoyable ones I've had."

-Kathleen I., Phoenix, AZ

To find an instructor with this degree of knowledge and training dedicated specifically to an early music instrument like the recorder is rare. Anne has been dedicated to the recorder since the beginning of her musical training. Really, the only way to find a quality instructor such as her 'near you' is on line. The lessons are great, I never felt a need to have her actually sitting next to me. She can see, hear, and teach just the same over the internet. Thank goodness for technology!"

-Ed B., Miami, FL

"With a very topsy-turvy work schedule as an RN, but very much wanting to learn to play the recorder, Anne was truly a treasure! Working via Skype works well, her explanations clear and patient, and I feel like after the first lesson I was making progress at amazing rate! Would recommend taking Anne's lessons online if you want to learn to play, but thought it wasn't possible around work, school or geographics!"

-Susan D., Alexandria, VA

Contact

Please contact: anne@annetimberlake.com