String Gym 4.0
A transformative online course for violists
September 16, 2024 - June 1, 2025
Perhaps you started playing the viola early in life, took a hiatus for work or family, and now find yourself with time to focus on it. You’re excited to get back into playing, but don’t know where to start.
Or maybe you went to music school, but still feel like there are significant gaps in your playing. Now that you’re on your own, and without a teacher for weekly lessons, you frequently run into roadblocks in your practice but are unsure how to get past them.
Or maybe you have a project, like an audition, a big performance or a recording you’ve always wanted to get off the ground, but you need guidance getting started and someone to help hold you accountable.
Enter String Gym. String Gym is the first online program tailored to violists that provides high level training on all the musical, technical and mental tools needed to transform you into a performer capable of tackling any challenge you encounter on the instrument.
I’ve worked with players in all the situations above. I’ve worked with students who are newer to the instrument to establish a healthy foundation, professionals who needed help to get to the next level in their playing and just about every level in between.
In String Gym you’ll work through my comprehensive musical and technical curriculum that will give you a set of tools including:
How to play with a beautiful sound using minimum physical effort
A template for taking a piece of music from the practice room to the stage
Strategies to develop your sense of intonation and rhythm
Research-backed practice strategies to achieve your practice goals as quickly and effectively as possible
What’s more, when you join String Gym you enter a community of like-minded violists venturing together on a journey of improvement on the instrument. You won’t be traveling alone, but with a community of growth-minded violists who support and encourage each other throughout the journey.
For information on registration, please email travis@travis-maril.com
About Travis
In my day job as a professor at San Diego State University, I teach viola at the collegiate and pre-college levels. Over my more than 15 years of work as a teacher, I’ve accumulated a wealth of resources to help tackle just about any challenge on the instrument. But I’m still constantly on the lookout for the latest research, tools and techniques for improving on the instrument.
During the early days of COVID I took a number of online courses. I loved connecting with players from all over the world, but also realized there were many adult violists without access to quality instruction.
I launched String Gym 1.0 in the Fall of 2021. Since then, through my online programs I’ve worked with hundreds of violists from all across the US and countries including Canada, Mexico, Norway, Denmark, Germany, England, Colombia, Taiwan and Australia.
What Participants of My Online Programs Say:
“String Gym was the best 8 months of my playing life. Travis’ love of pedagogy and learning is obvious, and he is an extremely effective, engaging, and positive teacher with a great sense of humor. He plays beautifully and is such a good model in lessons...I play with more confidence and enjoyment, and look forward to the next String Gym.”
“The course was enormously comprehensive, both deep and wide. Travis has thought of and addressed everything from how to hold a viola to setting daily and long term goals to developing practice schedules for long and short term, to every technical issue such as vibrato, bow strokes...to infinity and beyond.
His attention to detail while maintaining an eagle’s panoramic view of all things of music and the music at hand is a rare and valuable gift...”
“I took so many great tips and ideas from Travis’s program. Even as an experienced player, his methods – and the ways he explains and demonstrates them – really revitalized my practicing and my love of the viola. I can’t recommend working with Travis enough; he’s a spectacularly gifted and skilled teacher. ”
“Travis’s courses are incredibly organized and full of useful information. He has many wonderful pedagogical ideas and is also incredibly knowledgeable about many other teaching methods which he incorporates with ease. The course material is presented with seriousness, humor, warmth and positivity. He breaks down all of the basic skills a violist needs into small detailed fragments that add up to a greater understanding of how to approach practicing with the end goal of playing more musically. My mind is boggled, in a great way, from all I learned from Travis! I will be incorporating these skills not just to better my own playing but also for the benefit of my own students. I’m also grateful for the wonderful viola community he fostered...I anxiously await other opportunities to work with Travis! ”
Course Format and Features
Individual Sessions
Each participant receives two private lessons a month with me, for a total of 16, 1-hour sessions over the course of the program. In our sessions we will discuss your goals with the viola, and how to get you closer to achieving them. I'll work with you to develop a personalized program adapted to your individual strengths and weaknesses.
Guest Masterclasses
Not just great performers, all masterclass presenters are brilliant teachers and thought leaders on the instrument in fields including chamber music, orchestral playing, contemporary music and various schools of pedagogy. Past masterclass presenters have included Carol Rodland (Juilliard), James Dunham (Rice, Cleveland 4tet)), Nathan Cole (LA Phil, Boston Symph), Philip Ying (Eastman, Ying 4tet), Mark Holloway (Indiana Univ., Pacifica 4tet), Ralph Fielding (LA Phil, Lynn Univ.) and more.
Weekly Group Class
Each week we will have a live 1.5 hour group class. These classes are a mixture of group work on specific musical or technical topics AND a chance for students to play works in progress for the group. This is a chance for you to practice your performing skills in a supportive environment.
Special Topics Classes
At least once a semester we’ll have a guest present on important topics in the broader scope of what it means to be a musician. Past presenters have included specialists in Baroque Performance, Body Mapping and Performance Anxiety Management.
All sessions held over Zoom are recorded and shared on a private website within 24-48 hours after posting.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the course cost?
The cost for the entire 8 month course is $3010. Participants can pay in full or in monthly payments of $376.25. There is also a one-time registration fee of $35.
When does registration close?
Registration closes end of day Sunday, September 8th.
How long does the course run?
The course runs from September 16, 2024 through June 1, 2025. There will be integration weeks spread out through the course. During these weeks there are no group activities. These are times to catch up on material you’ve missed or just to relax!
I’m busy and my schedule changes frequently, what if I can’t attend some of the live weekly meetings?
Not to worry! Recordings are made of all classes and are available within 24-48 hours of the class for you to review at a more convenient time.
I am a beginner, is this course for me?
Violists at just about any level can benefit from this course! Schedule a call with me to determine if the course is the right fit for you.
What do I need for the course?
You need a reliable internet connection and a device that can run Zoom. A quality microphone and hi-speed internet connection are recommended, but not required.
What is your refund policy?
Participants may receive a full refund within 14 days of the start of the course. After that point, students are committed to paying for the entire course.
When are group sessions?
Group sessions will be held early in the week, typically on a Monday or Tuesday morning. Guest masterclasses and special topics classes will be scheduled approximately once a month at irregular times.
Regular class times/days may be rescheduled occasionally when I have performance conflicts. All events are shared on Google calendar that is regularly updated.
Administration
String Gym is administered by the SDSU Community Music School. Students will receive invoices from the School and will pay them directly.
For info on registration, please email travis@travis-maril.com