‘Your ideas are never as far apart as they seem’ - Ronald Copes’s life lessons

Right from the beginning I was introduced to the skill of problem-solving. My first tutor Wilda Tinsley helped me understand how to teach myself, figure out what my problems were and use my own mind to fix them. It’s something that has seeped into my own teaching, and I think about it when reflecting on my own playing. When I was 15 I attended the Meadowmount School of Music for the first time. It was my first exposure to that level of playing among young people, and I quickly realised that hard work really does pay off. I also learnt from Ivan Galamian there. The way he was able to codify the production of a good, solid sound was nothing short of genius. When I went to the Oberlin Conservatory of Music I studied with David Cerone, which was a whole other experience. He was always so open to trying new things pedagogically and not committed to one idea. It was a very fresh approach. Even though these, and a few others, were my ‘official’ teachers, as a quartet player I always have three teachers in the room with me…