As soon as I followed your instruction more of the weight of my arm went into the bow and my tone instantly improved. And at that point even though I didn't really understand it, I was hooked on the Russian bowhold, which you call the Golden Era Technique. I just wanted to let you know a little about how the course has affected my playing. I am sure that my bowing technique is not reflecting all the aspects that are covered so far, but already it has made such a difference. Just learning to let the weight of my bowarm transfer to the strings has made such a difference in my tone. I can feel the difference in the entire violin. There is a sort of resonance and ringing that I could not hear or feel before. The violin actually physically vibrates differently.

Emily is so thorough and detailed in her explanations that it helps me as I instruct my own students. I absolutely love her metaphors and visual images! You can tell that she has come up with these from a lot of teaching experience. I find the examples of her own teaching at the end of each episode to be delightful. Real students, real life! As every teacher knows, every student is different and may need some unique ideas.

Emily's dedication to her students goes far beyond the traditional role of a teacher. She is a patient mentor and a true ambassador to the world of violin playing. Her mastery of the Golden Era bow technique has transformed my children's playing. Under her direction, they have learned to produce a beautiful sound that has motivated them to push ahead and tackle more and more challenging material.

I came to the Golden Era technique after having started with Suzuki. The technique allowed me to play more relaxed, open, and much more expressive. It took some time to switch over, but it was well worth it, and Emily knew exactly what exercises to focus on to get me there, and consistently inspired me with her demonstration and mastery.

Learning the Golden Era bow technique opened up so many opportunities for me, because of the tone I was able to produce and the ease of playing.

Emily is a great teacher! Before I started taking from her I wanted to quit playing violin. I didn't like my sound quality and was frustrated with even my best efforts. Once I started taking from her my sound quality improved drastically! I went from absolutely dreading every minute of practicing I had to do, to being willing to practice and even excited with the sound I could create!

Learning Golden-Era technique with Emily was not always easy, but it ultimately transformed my playing in a profound way. I learned how to relax my bow arm to create a rich, full tone on my instrument. I learned how to use my body and my violin in a natural, ergonomic way that allows me to play beautifully and without fatigue.

I studied with Emily Ricks for several years in my youth. Under her guidance, I developed a strong and powerful tone, an expressive and diverse vibrato, and a robust left-hand technique. Her detailed approach to the instrument helped me become the type of violinist I had always dreamed of.