Since 1985
In the quiet beauty of upstate NY
"intimate. collegial. challenging"

Burton Kaplan - 50 years of innovation

2014 – Report of Ariane Todes as a violin participant at a Practice Marathon Retreat at MMMF - "Miracle on the Mountain"   — Strad, September 2014
She concludes: " If I'd spent two weeks in a house full of interesting people, eating good food and practicing the violin five hours a day, it would have been enough. If I'd been shown profoundly effective practice techniques, or been offered deep musical insights, or been challenged to think in new ways, or given faith in my violin playing, or even just been introduced to Carlos Kleiber, it would have been enough. That I experienced all these things at once makes my experience at Magic Mountain Music Farm probably one of the most valuable two weeks of violin playing in my life."


2001 – Review of "The Musician's Practice Log" in Strings Magazine: "Personal Practice Planning"   — Excerpts from Strings, February-March, 2001





1993 - Feature Article in Strad magazine of a Practice Marathon Retreat participant describing her experiences at MMMF for two weeks "Go Tell it on a Magic Mountain"   — Strad, November 1993






NY Times feature article. 1988, "Easing the Pain Of Music Practice"   — The New York Times, December 4, 1988 describing innovative strategies for practicing applied in teaching a class of pianists to practice more efficiently and effectively.


1973 – 4 United States Method Patents issued revealing feedback devices to enable a student of violin and/or viola to improve their physical position while playing their instrument. One device monitored the height of the instrument, another the angle of the left wrist when playing, another helped the student reduce the tension between the base thumb joint and the base first finger joint, and yet another enable the student to maintain her bow parallel to the bridge.
"Buzzing the Screech Out of Student Violins"   — April 13, 1973


1970 – NY Times feature article describing Burton Kaplan using videotape feedback to instruct youngsters from 7 – 12.
"Young Violinists Tuning Up with TV"   — The New York Time, July 3, 1970


1969 - "Order & Disorder in the Normal Learning Process" - video documentary about violin teaching pedagogy made with a grant of equipment from the Ampex Corporation. Video clip coming...


First private music teacher in the world to employ video recording in interactive feedback during lessons:
"The Video Tape Recorder - An Invaluable String Teaching Tool"   — American String Teacher - Spring 1968