Violinist and educator Amos Fayette enjoys a diverse career, seamlessly moving from the classroom to the concert stage in a variety of settings. He has performed as soloist with the Orquesta Filarmonica de Medellin, New World Symphony Orchestra, Mid-Atlantic Symphony, Peabody Camerata, and the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra, of which he is also a co-founder. His performance of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Orquesta Filarmonica de Medellin was nationally televised to great acclaim.
An equally in demand orchestral performer, Mr. Fayette has performed as guest concertmaster with several orchestras, including Orchestra Iowa, The Tucson , Annapolis, and Illinois Symphonies, and most recently with the Cleveland Philharmonic and Cleveland Opera Theater. During a three-year fellowship with the New World Symphony, he was a frequent fixture in the concertmaster seat where he collaborated with Michael Tilson Thomas, Alasdaire Neal, James Conlon, and Michael Francis, among others. His performances have drawn comparisons to the concertmasters and soloists of yesteryear, most notably earning a reference to the late Joseph Silverstein while performing as concertmaster with the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra.
Mr. Fayette performs on a violin crafted by master luthier Edward Maday. In his spare time, he can be found exploring the vast culinary landscape of Cleveland, OH with his family.
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As a teacher, I am very focused on skill acquisition, but I don't limit my definition of the term to just physical skills. I also emphasize problem-solving skills, such as the ability to reduce technical problems to their simplest parts or isolating issues in problematic areas. The most powerful tool we have as music professionals is our brain, yet full usage of our mental faculties is often overlooked. I often guide my students by encouraging them to think through problems before trying to approach them physically, reducing the number of repetitions necessary by relying on their intelligence and mental acuity, rather than other practices that can lead to intense frustration.
I also encourage my students to always maintain sight of the big picture, and to learn new skills in such a way that they are incorporated fully into a larger scheme. Whether it's teaching a music appreciation class, giving a private lesson, or helping a colleague troubleshoot an administrative issue, no problem or solution should ever be so big that it detracts from the big picture.
Finally, I believe in simplified solutions whenever possible, and in situations where more complex solutions are needed, in breaking that solution into what I refer to as micro-solutions. This approach has served me as a professional and those that I advise well. It allows for sustainable change and for solutions to be more easily devised.
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I have done 1:1 instruction, coaching, and mentoring throughout my career and in a variety of settings. I started by teaching private lessons as many musicians do, but I quickly branched out due to my diverse skill set into other things. I've consulted on non-profit development, mentored younger teachers from a position of school leadership, provided support on practice skills as a performance coach for professionals and students, and also counseled parents on a variety of subjects, including career development and college selection for students.
Most recently, I've marketed myself to a few select groups as a practice coach, sharing expertise on a seldom-shared subject: how to practice. The sessions are part performance coach, part private lesson, part mentorship, and have helped many musicians to be more efficient and effective in the practice room.
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