Malibu String Academy is run by Maia and Steve Zander. They are both very talented musicians, but unfortunately our experience with Maia as a teacher was not as positive as I had hoped. My sons (7 and 9) both had been playing violin since they were very young (4 and 5) and we had the benefit of an extraordinary teacher in the Bay area before moving to Malibu. Because Maia was the only Suzuki teacher in the area (and I had a newborn), we proceeded with lessons for almost 2 years, when I finally decided that we needed to find someone else. Their current teacher, Diana Ray Goodman (Thousand Oaks), has been a wonderful fit (and is also teaching another former student from Malibu String Academy). Maia is vivacious with a cheerful personality and has a great rapport with the kids -- she does make things fun, with a lot of emphasis on games and social interaction (perhaps too much so, given the cost of the lessons/per hour). Unfortunately, Maia's lack of organization with the boys and method of teaching eventually made me realize that even though my boys were slowly advancing in the books and eventually playing more pieces, their technique was going downhill. Maia would often rely on a little notebook or piece of paper to recall some of the points she had covered with the boys previously (and often would not recall what she had covered in their previous lessons). She did not have any real system of accountability for what they were supposed to practice (other than a practice star chart on her wall -- and she often did not ask the boys if they had practiced) -- unlike their previous and current teachers, who were both very organized, with binders and weekly assignment sheets for the boys to help them practice (and me to help guide them). I felt strongly that the boys should have group practice, but it consisted of themselves (even though they were at different levels) and one other student, once a month, which took the place of their weekly lessons; unlike stronger programs, which will have weekly group in addition to their lessons (this is a function of the size of the program as well as parents' commitment, which Maia admitted was not supportive of frequent groups). For the high cost of tuition (MUCH higher than I paid for the other teachers, who had more experience), I just feel that the teaching/program should be stronger for this age group. Perhaps students who are older and already reading music benefit more from Maia's style of teaching. Our experience was that the boys progressed very slowly in reading with Maia (which by design is usually taught later in Suzuki programs), but with our current Suzuki teacher, they have advanced much more quickly and my older son is now able to play in small ensemble groups in concert. Regarding recitals, our previous and current teachers planned far in advance, regarding which pieces would be played with many weeks of emphasis on polishing and rehearsing; Maia typically did not really focus on recital pieces until that month or 2-4 weeks beforehand, which, in my opinion, reduced the quality of the playing we heard. In fairness, Maia had a lot going on, with her own performances and also teaching at the local middle/high school, so perhaps things have improved since we left. I hope so, because Maia are Steve are both very kind and I think that Maia cares greatly about her students; she just needs to find ways to be a more effective teacher. read more
