Colin said
@Pete_Violin,

Not currently taking lessons, but pressing forward on my own. Probably at some point I will seek out a teacher. But, I like to think of music teachers as mentors or guides. Every single instrument I've approached with a weekly lesson or 'method' format, I've quit after about a month. I'm about 7 months into violin at this point and still practicing two hours a day so that's great! That being said, it'd have to be the right teacher. I'm interested more in folk and Celtic styles which has been my primary vehicle for learning my way around the instrument at this point. However, orchestral music is on my radar as well. I've always had a deposition toward film scores actually. To be honest, playing in an orchestra would be a dream come true, but I'm quite a bit intimidated by the prospect. Any advice on approaching this idea?... (I can hear you thinking "get a teacher!" from here...)lol.

Thanks for the questions!  

Hey @Colin

I have a couple thoughts.  First, about lessons... you may want to consider that music teachers, especially private teachers, offer more than simply mentors or guides.  They are that... partially.  But more than that, they can watch you and listen to your playing.  They can see form and posture that you do not see and can point out any problems that can hinder your playing.  They can hear intonation issues and correct these as you play, quickly changing it before it becomes a habit,  which can be much more difficult to change later.

It's great that you are practicing so much   I practice about an hour a day.  I would like to increase that.

So orchestra is a great goal.  One thing to keep in mind is the kind of music played in an orchestra tends to be more complicated.  It is mostly classical with many parts playing as one piece of music.  It is much more than simply learning the music.  So, yes, I do recommend taking lessons to get ready for orchestra.

One thing I have done is I let my teacher know I want to join an orchestra so she is aware of my goals and what to focus on in my lesson.  I have told her what specific techniques I want to learn specifically to prepare me for orchestra.  A few of these are proper vibrato, shifting to other positions, and learning a few classical pieces and getting exposure to some of the classic composers like Bach, Mozart, Tchaikovsky.  

I have been playing for over a year and I have not even begun playing orchestral level music.  I hope to begin playing some soon, but I have been learning some of the skills like positions that those pieces require.  

This is is not to say you could not join an orchestra any time.  Just be aware of what that kind of music demands.  

I love all kinds of violin music. I think Celtic has a rich tradition and style.  I also think folk music is enjoyable and people love hearing it played on violin.  These styles of playing are often played by yourself or with small groups of musicians, which is quite different than orchestra.  So I guess it depends on your preference and what you enjoy.  

In any case, I do think anyone can benefit from private lessons.  So I advise you to try to take lessons at some point.  I have personally found  them invaluable.