Paul Rolland

Paul Rolland, né Pali Reisman (November 21, 1911, Budapest – November 9, 1978, Illinois), was a violinist and an influential American violin teacher who concentrated on the pedagogy of teaching fundamentals to beginning string students and on remedial techniques for string players of any level. He was famous for emphasizing that the physical demands of most violin techniques can be taught ("in embryonic form") in the first two years of violin education. He advocated that teachers learn and teach freedom of movement and use clear, specific and concise instructions when teaching. His approach to pedagogy was extremely analytical, and his teaching approach was highly systematic and logical. His wife, Clara Rolland, said of his work "Every possible movement in string playing was analyzed.... Different methods do indeed exist, but none more fundamental.... Paul never harmed anyone's playing. He helped a person through certain body movements and the knowledge of what those body movements meant physically, in the scientific way of playing the violin."[Cite]

Paul Rolland's early childhood was spent on a farm in Paloc, Hungary where he was fascinated with the free and natural playing of gypsy musicians who travelled through the area. He was otherwise surrounded by music; his mother, aunt, and older sister were pianists. After the death of his father in 1918, the family moved to Budapest where his mother played piano in silent films to support the family.

He came to the US in 1938 for a playing and teaching position and stayed, eventually teaching at the University of Illinois from 1945 until his death at age 67 in 1978.

Rolland made his own teachings and insights available in a set of videos and a book titled The Teaching of Action in String Playing. His ideas and methods were also documented in the University of Illinois String Research Project films. He helped to found the American String Teachers Association, and in 1950 became the first editor of its journal American String Teacher. He also published numerous articles on string pedagogy in the International Musician, The School Musician, Violins, The Instrumentalist, and the Journal of Research in Music Education.

Through the Illinois String Research Project devised by him and colleagues at the University of Illinois, a program of instruction for children based on the early establishment of good movement patterns was developed. An addition to the workshops beginning in 2019, is Certification in Paul Rolland String Pedagogy.