Jason McCoy

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Bio

Mr. McCoy is a multi-instrumentalist with a diverse musical background. He has studied, and performed, a wide range of styles from Classical, Blues, Rock, and Jazz, to Traditional American folk music, and North Indian classical music.

Jason’s first experience with music was at a very young age learning folk songs from his grandmother, and guitar from his father. Later, at the age of 11 he began playing viola. Jason earned a BA in music performance from Florida International University. While in University at the age of 18, he became a full-time violist for the Miami Symphony, and frequently played with other groups around South Florida. In addition to orchestral work, his real passion is chamber music. He had the privilege of studying with Shmuel Ashkenasi of the Vermeer quartet, and Michael Klotz of the Amernet string quartet. Jason is a founding member of the Sweetwater Quartet (Miami) which gave performances throughout the Southern United States.

Jason has been teaching music since 2005. He worked as a strings clinician at various middle schools in Miami Dade county, and conducted intermediate ensembles for the Greater Miami Youth Symphony. Recently, he spent three years in Japan teaching English, and violin classes. Jason moved to Asheville in October of 2017 where he plays regularly with the Asheville Symphony.

Lessons with Jason

At the start, I like to get an idea of how you see yourself as a future musician, so we can create a plan that suits your individual preferences, and style. I don’t expect all of my students to play the same music, in the same way. However, it is important for every student to gather some essential tools in order to become a well-rounded musician. All of my students will learn how to fluently read music, as well as learn pieces by ear. Every student will also learn improvisation as it fosters creativity, and strengthens the connection between what we hear in our mind, and how to successfully produce it on an instrument. In addition, we will spend time learning general principles of musicianship, ear training, and music theory, not only instrument specific study.

Note to students

Learning an instrument is a process of familiarization that occurs slowly over time. Of course it is important to set goals, but as a student of music, it is equally important to delight in this process of learning, and practice. I hope for each of my students, practice will become a sanctuary, and a laboratory of self-discovery. Playing for others offers us an opportunity to share this discovery. Music, at its heart, is a performance art, and strictly speaking there are no finished products. Every performance is a reflection of our own inner development. Even the greatest performers never play the same piece of music exactly the same way every time.