Lessons are available both online and in-person at the studio, depending on student need.
Changing Lives through Violin Lessons in Northern Virginia​.
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Mentorship and Practice are the roots of mastery.
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When a personalized approach to teaching meets a proven method, delivered by an experienced and kind teacher, who is invested in success like a motivational coach, it is easy to learn violin.
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Students of Jim's feel comfortable, supported, and driven to succeed.
Parents are pleased at the depth of study, incredible progress, and satisfaction of their child.
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That is why aspiring violin masters and their families trust violin lessons in Northern Virginia and online to Jim Ling and the Virginia Academy of Violin!
Student & Parent Reviews
Happy Parents & Proud Students
'You command the respect of your students, without being harsh, disciplinary, or negative. My son felt very comfortable and relaxed in violin class, while having great respect for your knowledge and advice.'
E. Martinko
Parent of Student
Dear Jim,
As summer came to an end and my son was packing to go to college, he reflected on the fact that he would be leaving the area and would no longer be having his weekly violin lessons: "I have been taking violin lessons since I was five. I can't even imagine my life without violin lessons with Mr. Ling."
My husband and I join Reed in thanking you for the thirteen years of excellent musical training that he had with you. We appreciate the dedication, patience, and enthusiasm that you have shown throughout the years. Teaching a five-year old beginner requires a completely different set of skills than teaching an experienced 17-year old. You clearly are able to work equally well with all age and skill levels, and are able to provide your students with just the right challenges each step of the way.
The high standards that you maintain in your teaching clearly inspire your students to aim for a high standard of musical performance. You always encourage your students to find opportunities to play and listen to violin music. Reed even got a chance to play on the stage of Constitution Hall at one of the Suzuki events. As a result of his lessons, by sixth grade he received the highest award for school strings performance. Later, he was one of only a few students to be admitted as a freshman to his high school's symphonic orchestra. Whenever there were regional school strings festivals, he consistently received high ratings from the judges. He has also been able to attend an advanced university strings workshop during the past two summers, which required being adept at sight-reading complex pieces of music. Playing a solo at a relative's wedding was another highlight. None of these experiences would have been possible without the high level instruction he received from you.
It has become clear to me that the benefits of your teaching extend beyond just the enjoyment of being able to play the violin well. From the beginning, you emphasize the importance of commitment and practice, which has helped my son be disciplined in other activities, such as school work. You command the respect of your students, without being harsh, disciplinary, or negative. My son felt very comfortable and relaxed in violin class, while having great respect for your knowledge and advice. This gave him a positive attitude toward learning. The fact that his performances brought him a lot of recognition helped him feel a sense of accomplishment. Being able to start high school in the advanced orchestra gave him a lot of self-confidence, as well as a new group of friends.
Having Reed study violin with you for so many years has turned out to be one of the greatest gifts that we could have given him. His music continues to open doors for him, and will always be an important part of his life. He has a strong appreciation for classical music that began with your "special listening" assignments in the early days, and he has been able to apply his strings skills to the guitar and electric violin. We feel very lucky that he had such a great teacher to guide him through his musical training. I expect that you will be hearing from Reed, as he has already asked if he can arrange a violin lesson or two during his long winter break from college!
Very truly,
E Martinko
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Margaret Sharp
Proud Parents of 3 Violinists
Dear Mr. Ling:
It's amazing how 10 years could fly by like a flash. It was 2000 when we first took our three kids to your studio for violin lessons. At that time, they were in grade school and kindergarten.
This summer you held a studio recital. That was rather out of ordinary because the studio had already held three recitals during the school year. I did not realize until afterwards that you organized the summer recital solely for our oldest son, because he missed one of the school-year recitals, so he could have an opportunity to play a farewell recital for graduating from high school. That was his last performance in your studio recital. It was truly considerate of you.
Seeing our kids growing up with a fine musical skill is not only satisfying but also comforting. Like most parents, we cannot help but have our own expectations and wishes as parents. When our kids were little, we felt that they enjoyed music just like other kids. So we had them start violin lessons. At the beginning, we were not sure how long they would stick to their lessons. Now, since the oldest stuck with his lessons with you through high school, it appears that the other two will also do the same. During the past 10 years, you have not only nurtured their interests in violin playing but have also patiently enhanced their understanding of music and taught them many advanced techniques. We believe that they have learned a musical instrument well enough to enrich the rest of their lives. For this we thank you deeply.
Sincerely,
Proud parents of three young violinists
Theresa M
They have both spoken so highly of him, with respect and admiration. As parents, we appreciate his skill with teaching, his patience, and tailored approach to different learning styles.
Sean P.
It is amazing how time flies! I have really enjoyed the thirteen years I have gone to your studio. Thank you for pushing me to grow and helping me become the violinist I am today.
Peter A.
We greatly appreciate your violin teaching and dedication to your students. In addition to helping the students with violin lessons, you are giving them life-long valuable wisdom. They will treasure them for the rest of their lives. You’re such a wonderful teacher and role model.
Mai T.
We wanted to say thank you! M. made it to First Violin position in the higher orchestra, AYCO (American Youth Concert Orchestra.) Thank you so much for your guidance, advice, and most of all, for teaching her so well!~