This is mostly so I can have a permanent record of the event. No doubt the program I brought home will be lost some time soon.
This concert was on at Princess Sage's primary school. She plays percussion and tonight she was part of two different groups.
We'll start, as tradition dictates, with the the beginning.
******
The first group to perform were River Of Strings. They are Grade 3 students who are starting out in the string music program. The idea is that students who start here progress all the way through to senior strings (in Grade 7, or soon-to-be Grade 6 when Grade 7 becomes part of high school). This means they play their string instrument for four or five years as part of their primary school education. Tonight they played four pieces, as follows:
Over The Rainbow (from Wizard Of Oz) by Harold Arlan
Minuet by Bach
Swallow Suite by Peter Davey
Mama Mia by ABBA
They looked so cute when they came out, especially with the 1/4 and 2/4 sized violins. There was a remarkable range in the appearance of the violins. I will confess to a moment of yearning for Patience at this point. The children played very well (though at times I wanted the conductor to go a little faster). They have only been learning since February so I was very impressed. At home I have been trying to learn Over The Rainbow. I can get the first few lines but I don't know the song well enough to get more, and as my sister-in-law Pip reminds me, it opens with a perfect eighth interval. If these youngsters can learn Bach's Minuet, then I can too so at some point soon I will track down the music for it.
******
Next was the Concert Band. This was the first ensemble featuring my daughter. The played
Strike Force by Michael Sweeney
Beethoven's Ninth arranged by Paul Lavender
Royal March by Robert Sheldon
These guys were awesome too. I had heard my daughter playing some of this at home on the glockenspiel but it was quite something else to hear the whole performance.
In Strike Force she played glockenspiel, the bass drum in Beethoven's Ninth and snare drum in Royal March.
******
The String Orchestra was next with their three pieces
Headin' West by Stephen Chin
Wooden Shoe Dance by Stephen Chin
Kookaburra by Keith Sharp
The first piece was in two movements. Despite the announcer telling us to hold our applause until the end of the second movement... you guessed it... there was copious clapping after the first. What can yo do? It was interesting to hear Kookaburra, because I played part of it for my violin teacher Laura some months ago. In the time since then, I have learned to play it better and with more confidence. I enjoyed the way the orchestra played, and once again I really loved the double bass.
******
Following them was the Wind Ensemble. My daughter was playing with them as well.They performed
Royal Fireworks by George Frederic Handel
As Twilight Falls by Robert Sheldon
Dance Of The Tumblers by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
My daughter was very nervous about Royal Fireworks because it was her least favourite piece. I didn't hear any mistakes but she must have thought she made one judging by a grimace on her face at one point. I was very proud of her. She pushed through and kept going. The announcer told us in a competition last year this group received a Platinum medal. The school was, justifiably, very proud of them. I believe there is another competition later this year. It would be unreal for them to get another Platinum medal while my daughter was playing with them.
In Royal Fireworks she played glockenspiel, the bass drum in Twilight Falls (with a sweet bass drum roll) and timpani in Dance Of The Tumblers.
******
After this was the Senior Strings with
Scottish Dances by N. Oostenbroek
Rooster Rag by Stephen Chin
Caulderon by Keith Sharp
This group was made up of Grade 7 students. They had started in Grade 3 like River Of Strings so it was a great chance to see just how far the beginning students could go in that time. They were excellent. The pieces were contrasting so they could show off more of what they had learned. The other interesting point is that all three of the composers are from Brisbane (or are in Brisbane now as some research shows). I think my favourite piece of the night was Caulderon. I wonder if I can get the music from one of the students and eventually learn to play it. Actually, one of the cellists - Jodie Leung - is the daughter of a man I worked with two jobs ago. I caught up with him afterwards. He told me it took a little while for Jodie to get a good sound from the cello but it has been great since then.
******
The final group to perform were Symphonic Wind who played
Chant And Ceremony but Mark Williams
Misterioso by Steve Hodges
Muskoka Landing by Mark Williams
Again these were three contrasting pieces and were performed beautifully by the children.
******
After tonight I must say the school has an excellent music program. The teachers work really hard with the children and thanked the parents for their support and for getting the children to school and performances as required. There are three ladies who come to the school to help out. They are Penny Williams, Helen Lowe and Robyn Forshaw. My wife spoke to the lady who deals with percussion and she told us our daughter is doing very well. Princess Sage was nervous to start with but had the best fun performing with her friends. She is looking forward to the competition later in the year. But for now she is looking forward to seeing Marimba Galaxy with her father. This time next week I will be posting about that.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Violin Lesson #38
I wonder when I should stop counting my lessons...
There were two violin moments this week: one high, one low.
The low moment was missing out on Lindsey Stirling tickets. You don't know who she is? I'll forgive you if click the link and check her out. She is a very talented entertainer who plays the violin. With dub step. And dancing. And costumes (and she's cute). I only hope she comes back to Australia soon, with more notice, and at a bigger venue than Brisbane Powerhouse. Somewhere like QPAC would be great. When I did ring to check if her show was sold out, the lovely lady at the box office confirmed it, and implied her show was very popular and sold quickly. I was almost ready to go to the Powerhouse and play out the front with a sign that said "Will play and pay for Lndsey Stirling ticket". Next time I'll go for sure.
The high moment was playing on the primary school oval with Patience when I took my children out on Sunday afternoon. It felt different playing outside, and it certainly sounded a little different to me. But it was great fun. There were people around but none seemed to pay too much attention, which was fine. Part way through playing Ode To Joy I saw this young child had come close to me to listen. When I finished we said hello to each other. Then he said "I know that. That's ''Ode To Joy''". Then he want back to his father and brother and walked off. Firstly I thought it was cool that he took the time to stop (and was allowed to by his father). Secondly I thought it was cooler that he knew Ode To Joy, and cooler still that he called it by that name instead of "that Beethoven song" or something else. So Laura has given me the skills and the confidence to be able to learn some music and to play it well. Thank-you. Incidentally, this is the first piece of classical music I have learned to play since I started learning =)
I started practice with the G Major scale. I can play it okay, and apparently better down than up, but my fingering still needs work. Laura showed me an exercise to strengthen my second (aka middle) finger so hopefully next week it will be even better. This week I also played the arpeggios for the three scales I have learned so far. Laura mentioned again the importance of scales. They are almost necessary to make progress with violin studies. Scales (and arpeggios and other exercises) often have the stigma of being boring or dreary. I find that I enjoy them and they can be somewhat soothing or meditative. Laura says scales are great for getting into the right head-space before playing a show. And even someone like Heifetz would play scales and arpeggios every day.
I went through Shark Attack again. It went pretty well while not being sticker-worthy just yet. It's the very last part that is causing me grief. The rest of it actually sounded pretty good. I didn't get time to play Barrier Reef, which is good because I don't think I am quite ready with that yet. I don't know what it is. It feels like it is missing something and I am not sure what. I think I want it to have a light ethereal touch and it's just not happening the way I want it to. Perhaps I need to slow it down (it's already a slow song) and work through it some more.
After this came a new piece. It's a Laura Thomson song called The Fiddler Man, and it is exactly what it sounds like - fiddle playing. Apparently when playing a fiddle you can really go for it and have fun. It is a chance to channel some anger too, so look out! It sounds like a lot of fun and I look forward to learning it.
Then I only had time for Space Station. Laura was ready to give it a sticker if I could play it through okay. But just like the Wallabies in a Bledisloe Cup match I crumbled under pressure. No sticker for me today, which is a little annoying because this was sounding pretty good during the week. Alas it will have to wait until the next lesson.
For this week I have a number of pieces to play (five that are in various stages) so there won't be any lack of something to do :)
Also, Laura is playing in Marimba Galaxy on September 4th. Come along. It will be fun. I plan to take my princess and Chris (my photographer) unless his partner Kylie has their baby. "Legions Will Rise" should be awesome.
There were two violin moments this week: one high, one low.
The low moment was missing out on Lindsey Stirling tickets. You don't know who she is? I'll forgive you if click the link and check her out. She is a very talented entertainer who plays the violin. With dub step. And dancing. And costumes (and she's cute). I only hope she comes back to Australia soon, with more notice, and at a bigger venue than Brisbane Powerhouse. Somewhere like QPAC would be great. When I did ring to check if her show was sold out, the lovely lady at the box office confirmed it, and implied her show was very popular and sold quickly. I was almost ready to go to the Powerhouse and play out the front with a sign that said "Will play and pay for Lndsey Stirling ticket". Next time I'll go for sure.
The high moment was playing on the primary school oval with Patience when I took my children out on Sunday afternoon. It felt different playing outside, and it certainly sounded a little different to me. But it was great fun. There were people around but none seemed to pay too much attention, which was fine. Part way through playing Ode To Joy I saw this young child had come close to me to listen. When I finished we said hello to each other. Then he said "I know that. That's ''Ode To Joy''". Then he want back to his father and brother and walked off. Firstly I thought it was cool that he took the time to stop (and was allowed to by his father). Secondly I thought it was cooler that he knew Ode To Joy, and cooler still that he called it by that name instead of "that Beethoven song" or something else. So Laura has given me the skills and the confidence to be able to learn some music and to play it well. Thank-you. Incidentally, this is the first piece of classical music I have learned to play since I started learning =)
I started practice with the G Major scale. I can play it okay, and apparently better down than up, but my fingering still needs work. Laura showed me an exercise to strengthen my second (aka middle) finger so hopefully next week it will be even better. This week I also played the arpeggios for the three scales I have learned so far. Laura mentioned again the importance of scales. They are almost necessary to make progress with violin studies. Scales (and arpeggios and other exercises) often have the stigma of being boring or dreary. I find that I enjoy them and they can be somewhat soothing or meditative. Laura says scales are great for getting into the right head-space before playing a show. And even someone like Heifetz would play scales and arpeggios every day.
I went through Shark Attack again. It went pretty well while not being sticker-worthy just yet. It's the very last part that is causing me grief. The rest of it actually sounded pretty good. I didn't get time to play Barrier Reef, which is good because I don't think I am quite ready with that yet. I don't know what it is. It feels like it is missing something and I am not sure what. I think I want it to have a light ethereal touch and it's just not happening the way I want it to. Perhaps I need to slow it down (it's already a slow song) and work through it some more.
After this came a new piece. It's a Laura Thomson song called The Fiddler Man, and it is exactly what it sounds like - fiddle playing. Apparently when playing a fiddle you can really go for it and have fun. It is a chance to channel some anger too, so look out! It sounds like a lot of fun and I look forward to learning it.
Then I only had time for Space Station. Laura was ready to give it a sticker if I could play it through okay. But just like the Wallabies in a Bledisloe Cup match I crumbled under pressure. No sticker for me today, which is a little annoying because this was sounding pretty good during the week. Alas it will have to wait until the next lesson.
For this week I have a number of pieces to play (five that are in various stages) so there won't be any lack of something to do :)
Also, Laura is playing in Marimba Galaxy on September 4th. Come along. It will be fun. I plan to take my princess and Chris (my photographer) unless his partner Kylie has their baby. "Legions Will Rise" should be awesome.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Violin Lesson #37
This was a mixed week of practice but on the whole pretty good. One thing I found really hard to do was to play along with a CD. I did not have headphones at the time and I could not hear the CD very well over the sound of the violin.
My lesson was at 430 this week. I can be flexible with my time at work so I really don't mind what time my lesson is on. I've said it before: I would sooner give up a whole lot of other things (including coffee) rather than give up my lessons. Or as I said to my sister-in-law, I would rather lock myself in the car for the day than leave Patience in there all day.
This week's lesson started with Railway Express. After a rough start I played the song well enough to get it stamped. My tone was good. Laura mentioned it is likely a sign that I am becoming more comfortable with Patience and playing to get the best tones from her. I do love to play. As I mentioned previously, I played in a car park the other week much to the chagrin of my dear wife. Laura's opinion was that it was fine to play in a car park =) Then I wondered if I could make that my "gimmick" - I could play concerts in a car park, or launch a CD in a ca park. But I digress...
Next was the G Major scale. My fingering for this was not quite right and needs a little more practice.I need to keep the fingers down as I go up the scale, but I don't on the way down. My fingers are not used to the stretch required for this fingering pattern so I will have to be more aware of it.
After this was Operation Space Station from Super Studies. This went quite well too, but imagine how embarrassed I was to find out I was playing one of the notes incorrectly ALL WEEK. Yes, about that much. What I played was pretty good, though I need more practice with the third-finger D-string harmonic - it needs such a light touch from the the left hand, and a good amount of bow as well. Trying to get that at the same time is proving to be a little tricky for me.
Finally came Shark Attack. This is the song with the CD accompaniment. After hearing me play, Laura's suggestion was that I was playing too slow, and I was getting out of step with the CD. I remember when I was playing it quicker during practice it did sound better, but then there was a greater chance of mucking up the notes. So Laura clapped out the time as I played on my own and that sounded much better. I believe even the dynamics were good. I was trying very hard in practice to get that aspect right. No sticker this week, but a good effort.
And that's about all we had time for. I do have a new song this week, Barrier Reef, which is the next song of the Sea Suite (following Shark Attack). This song is shorter than Shark Attack and less than half the tempo! It is in the key of G so definitely I will have to watch my fingering as I learn this song (and it is so pretty).
Unfortunately I think I left the CD with Laura. Perhaps that's a good thing because it will take me a little while to get used to that song.
My lesson was at 430 this week. I can be flexible with my time at work so I really don't mind what time my lesson is on. I've said it before: I would sooner give up a whole lot of other things (including coffee) rather than give up my lessons. Or as I said to my sister-in-law, I would rather lock myself in the car for the day than leave Patience in there all day.
This week's lesson started with Railway Express. After a rough start I played the song well enough to get it stamped. My tone was good. Laura mentioned it is likely a sign that I am becoming more comfortable with Patience and playing to get the best tones from her. I do love to play. As I mentioned previously, I played in a car park the other week much to the chagrin of my dear wife. Laura's opinion was that it was fine to play in a car park =) Then I wondered if I could make that my "gimmick" - I could play concerts in a car park, or launch a CD in a ca park. But I digress...
Next was the G Major scale. My fingering for this was not quite right and needs a little more practice.I need to keep the fingers down as I go up the scale, but I don't on the way down. My fingers are not used to the stretch required for this fingering pattern so I will have to be more aware of it.
After this was Operation Space Station from Super Studies. This went quite well too, but imagine how embarrassed I was to find out I was playing one of the notes incorrectly ALL WEEK. Yes, about that much. What I played was pretty good, though I need more practice with the third-finger D-string harmonic - it needs such a light touch from the the left hand, and a good amount of bow as well. Trying to get that at the same time is proving to be a little tricky for me.
Finally came Shark Attack. This is the song with the CD accompaniment. After hearing me play, Laura's suggestion was that I was playing too slow, and I was getting out of step with the CD. I remember when I was playing it quicker during practice it did sound better, but then there was a greater chance of mucking up the notes. So Laura clapped out the time as I played on my own and that sounded much better. I believe even the dynamics were good. I was trying very hard in practice to get that aspect right. No sticker this week, but a good effort.
And that's about all we had time for. I do have a new song this week, Barrier Reef, which is the next song of the Sea Suite (following Shark Attack). This song is shorter than Shark Attack and less than half the tempo! It is in the key of G so definitely I will have to watch my fingering as I learn this song (and it is so pretty).
Unfortunately I think I left the CD with Laura. Perhaps that's a good thing because it will take me a little while to get used to that song.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Animato and David Loew
Today I had lunch with my sister-in-law Pip. She is the one who encouraged me to look for violin lessons near work, and we all know how that turned out =) Thanks Pip.
As it happens, Pip works at Higgins, which is in the same group of businesses as Animato. For those who don't know and have not clicked the link, Animato is another violin shop in Brisbane. In July I bought Patience from Simply For Strings. They told me she was a Cantabile. I knew from looking about before buying the violin that Animato sold those. So today, after I had lunch with Pip, I took Patience with me and we stopped by the shop.
I told the owner (Dietrich) that I bought this violin somewhere else (but did not say where) but I believed it was originally sold here. He looked at it and said, yes, this is a Cantabile Amore 2001.I got the feeling he was very happy with that batch of violins. He played a little before he adjusting the bridge and lubricating some of the pegs. He saw my shoulder rest and said that while it was a good one, it wasn't suitable for me. He made a few adjustments and I have to say it felt more comfortable. He also said that whoever had this violin before me played it often.
He charged me $11 for all of that - a price I was more than happy to pay. And I will certainly be going back there if Patience needs anything else.
If you get a chance, go out there and say hello. Or, if you feel inclined and are able to do so, you might like to enter the violin competition. First prize is this:
Guarneri replica violin, handcrafted by Konrad Kohlert, valued at $20,000 AUD.
Yes, I can see myself with one of those (just don't tell Patience). What's that? Coming Patience... =)
I debated for a while before deciding to post the following:
I finished work and went home to pick up my princess to take her to dance classes. We dropped her and her friend off. My wife walked them inside. Patience was still in the car (it's okay, I had her with me in the office during the day - I would sooner lock myself in the car than leave her in there all day). This was my first chance to play with her since the Animato visit. So I took it. I don't know how long I was playing for but I think it might have been about ten minutes. It was enough time to run through a few songs that I know. Then I heard mt wife calling. She was on her way back to the car so I packed up. She thinks it is odd that someone would play violin in a car park. In the time I was playing I noticed two other people in the car park. My wife and another lady were walking back to the car park after dropping kids off. Apparently this lady was staring at me, and this embarrassed my wife. I don't get so embarrassed - certainly not for something like that. If it sounded like I was torturing a cat, sure, but I think I am good enough to be able to play music someone may recognise without flinching. What I really want to know is this: what would you think of someone playing a violin in a car park? I like to play, and I like to play when I can. I saw this as an opportunity and I took it.
And it appears half an hour of practice is "enough". I guess it will have to do for now, so I will learn to make the most of that time.
******
I don't normally double blog, but I'll add this here
David Loew is playing the cello at Westfield Garden City this week-end. For me Saturday will be taken up with the 11th birthday of the princess, so I am hoping to go and see him Sunday. I've always loved the violin, but recently I have developed a liking of the cello and double bass. It will be interesting to go and see him and hear him play live.
As it happens, Pip works at Higgins, which is in the same group of businesses as Animato. For those who don't know and have not clicked the link, Animato is another violin shop in Brisbane. In July I bought Patience from Simply For Strings. They told me she was a Cantabile. I knew from looking about before buying the violin that Animato sold those. So today, after I had lunch with Pip, I took Patience with me and we stopped by the shop.
I told the owner (Dietrich) that I bought this violin somewhere else (but did not say where) but I believed it was originally sold here. He looked at it and said, yes, this is a Cantabile Amore 2001.I got the feeling he was very happy with that batch of violins. He played a little before he adjusting the bridge and lubricating some of the pegs. He saw my shoulder rest and said that while it was a good one, it wasn't suitable for me. He made a few adjustments and I have to say it felt more comfortable. He also said that whoever had this violin before me played it often.
He charged me $11 for all of that - a price I was more than happy to pay. And I will certainly be going back there if Patience needs anything else.
If you get a chance, go out there and say hello. Or, if you feel inclined and are able to do so, you might like to enter the violin competition. First prize is this:
Guarneri replica violin, handcrafted by Konrad Kohlert, valued at $20,000 AUD.
Yes, I can see myself with one of those (just don't tell Patience). What's that? Coming Patience... =)
I debated for a while before deciding to post the following:
I finished work and went home to pick up my princess to take her to dance classes. We dropped her and her friend off. My wife walked them inside. Patience was still in the car (it's okay, I had her with me in the office during the day - I would sooner lock myself in the car than leave her in there all day). This was my first chance to play with her since the Animato visit. So I took it. I don't know how long I was playing for but I think it might have been about ten minutes. It was enough time to run through a few songs that I know. Then I heard mt wife calling. She was on her way back to the car so I packed up. She thinks it is odd that someone would play violin in a car park. In the time I was playing I noticed two other people in the car park. My wife and another lady were walking back to the car park after dropping kids off. Apparently this lady was staring at me, and this embarrassed my wife. I don't get so embarrassed - certainly not for something like that. If it sounded like I was torturing a cat, sure, but I think I am good enough to be able to play music someone may recognise without flinching. What I really want to know is this: what would you think of someone playing a violin in a car park? I like to play, and I like to play when I can. I saw this as an opportunity and I took it.
And it appears half an hour of practice is "enough". I guess it will have to do for now, so I will learn to make the most of that time.
******
I don't normally double blog, but I'll add this here
David Loew is playing the cello at Westfield Garden City this week-end. For me Saturday will be taken up with the 11th birthday of the princess, so I am hoping to go and see him Sunday. I've always loved the violin, but recently I have developed a liking of the cello and double bass. It will be interesting to go and see him and hear him play live.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Violin Lesson #36
Practice this week was tough. Not because the pieces or the exercises were hard, but because of how much there was to do and the way that I like to practice. I like to practice (and I like to play, anything) and I also like to spend time with my family. So it is a balancing act how much time to devote to practicing. I have been trying to aim for half an hour. By and large this seemed to work. Some sessions were shorter and others were longer. I would rather NOT limit the time I spent practicing because I don't like to feel rushed. I enjoy it. But I also need to be practical and consider my family as well.
I turned up a little earlier than my 5pm start time. I like being at the studio early because I never know what I am going to hear. For example, last week I heard Bach Cello Suite No 1. in G (the prelude sounded familiar but I had to look up the piece). This week I heard young Nathan playing the theme to Raiders Of The Lost Ark. The music belongs to the movie but will forever remind me of The Idea Of North performing a Star Ward medley. Also, Laura was accompanying young Nathan on piano, and it sounded pretty good. Apparently I don't get to play that until later. Much later. For now I have plenty to do. The things I am learning now will help me prepare for the exam I want to take in due course. John Williams will just have to wait =)
To my lesson ... it started with sight reading, and here I only stuffed up because I count my fingers incorrectly. When I was learning the accordion, my right hand fingers were numbered from one (my thumb) to five (my pinkie). To this day, when I think of some of the songs I learned over thirty years ago, I can still remember which finger played which note - not necessarily the notes themselves. And since I have been playing some of the old accordion songs on the violin, some of that numbering has carried over. When I was asked if there were any second finger notes in the piece, I said yes. There weren't any. What I was thinking of as second-finger notes were actually first-finger notes. First finger in violin was second finger in accordion. While it may be fine to learn to play the old accordion songs this way, I am going to have be more diligent about fingers and notes as they pertain to the violin.
Then I played "Blast Off". While it is not a complicated song, there are things I was not doing correctly. I was not respecting the rests in the music. I was rushing through the song. When I slow down it sounds much better, and it gives me time to move my hand to the correct position for the fourth-finger harmonics. I need to keep my hand setup the same and just slide it along the neck of the violin to the body. What I was doing was moving my hand around the neck. I gather from what Laura was saying that this is something I will learn to do correctly later on.
For next week I will be doing the next song in the Super Studies book, called "Operation Space Station". This song also involves harmonics, and includes third-finger harmonics. This requires a feather-light touch with the left hand, and a "grip and rip" accent with the bow.
Then came Shark Attack. I didn't feel confident enough to play it with the CD accompaniment, but I did get out the metronome and play it all in time on Monday night. This week it will have to be with the CD. It generally went well, though the dynamics weren't always there. I want to make sure I can play my music with dynamics. It's great to play like a virtuoso, I'm sure, but even then music will sound pretty ordinary without light and shade in volume.
Next I went through the scales for A major and D major, one of them with whole bow and one of them with quavers. This passed so for next week I will be learning the G major scale. This involved first and second next to each other. All my work to this point has been with a gap between first and second fingers, so this will be interesting.
I didn't get a chance to play the arpeggios or the left-hand pizzicato so they will have to wait until next week.
I was quite happy with how this lesson went. I can relax a little for the holiday tomorrow. Unfortunately, there is no holiday for Laura who will be working on the Gold Coast.
I turned up a little earlier than my 5pm start time. I like being at the studio early because I never know what I am going to hear. For example, last week I heard Bach Cello Suite No 1. in G (the prelude sounded familiar but I had to look up the piece). This week I heard young Nathan playing the theme to Raiders Of The Lost Ark. The music belongs to the movie but will forever remind me of The Idea Of North performing a Star Ward medley. Also, Laura was accompanying young Nathan on piano, and it sounded pretty good. Apparently I don't get to play that until later. Much later. For now I have plenty to do. The things I am learning now will help me prepare for the exam I want to take in due course. John Williams will just have to wait =)
To my lesson ... it started with sight reading, and here I only stuffed up because I count my fingers incorrectly. When I was learning the accordion, my right hand fingers were numbered from one (my thumb) to five (my pinkie). To this day, when I think of some of the songs I learned over thirty years ago, I can still remember which finger played which note - not necessarily the notes themselves. And since I have been playing some of the old accordion songs on the violin, some of that numbering has carried over. When I was asked if there were any second finger notes in the piece, I said yes. There weren't any. What I was thinking of as second-finger notes were actually first-finger notes. First finger in violin was second finger in accordion. While it may be fine to learn to play the old accordion songs this way, I am going to have be more diligent about fingers and notes as they pertain to the violin.
Then I played "Blast Off". While it is not a complicated song, there are things I was not doing correctly. I was not respecting the rests in the music. I was rushing through the song. When I slow down it sounds much better, and it gives me time to move my hand to the correct position for the fourth-finger harmonics. I need to keep my hand setup the same and just slide it along the neck of the violin to the body. What I was doing was moving my hand around the neck. I gather from what Laura was saying that this is something I will learn to do correctly later on.
For next week I will be doing the next song in the Super Studies book, called "Operation Space Station". This song also involves harmonics, and includes third-finger harmonics. This requires a feather-light touch with the left hand, and a "grip and rip" accent with the bow.
Then came Shark Attack. I didn't feel confident enough to play it with the CD accompaniment, but I did get out the metronome and play it all in time on Monday night. This week it will have to be with the CD. It generally went well, though the dynamics weren't always there. I want to make sure I can play my music with dynamics. It's great to play like a virtuoso, I'm sure, but even then music will sound pretty ordinary without light and shade in volume.
Next I went through the scales for A major and D major, one of them with whole bow and one of them with quavers. This passed so for next week I will be learning the G major scale. This involved first and second next to each other. All my work to this point has been with a gap between first and second fingers, so this will be interesting.
I didn't get a chance to play the arpeggios or the left-hand pizzicato so they will have to wait until next week.
I was quite happy with how this lesson went. I can relax a little for the holiday tomorrow. Unfortunately, there is no holiday for Laura who will be working on the Gold Coast.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Violin Lesson #35
I felt I had a good week of practice this week. Typically I will try and play each piece through ten times then stop and think about how it went and what I can improve. There were three pieces this week so it took a little time to get through them all. Even so, I had a little time to work on repertoire :)
Before the lesson I had time, at work, to listen to some ABC podcasts. One was about Wagner's "Ring" cycle operas, specifically Siegfried. The other was the aforementioned concert with the Australian Youth Orchestra and Joshua Bell. The concert was great, but I was more interested in the interviews during the broadcast. It seems that two out of three professional musicians have come through the AYO. I am nearly 47, making me almost twice the maximum age of an AYO member. So, if I do become a professional, I will be in the minority who are NOT alumni of the AYO.
On to the lesson... which this week started with me giving Laura the copy of Women Of Pop for violin that I bought from Simply For Strings when I bought Patience. There were a few songs in a key suitable for my level, one of which was Raise Your Glass, by Pink. Laura wasn't sure if she knew the song so she did what any professional violinist would do and just started playing the score. That's the level I want to, and will, get to... one day. When Laura got to the chorus she realised she knew the song after all :)
Next was sight reading, which is something we will be doing frequently from now on. I enjoy it, and I nailed the song except for the start of the second line. What I was most proud of was that when we played it as a duet and I mucked up, I recovered enough to finish the song. Laura's advice was to "finger" the song as I am reading it before playing to help with learning it before playing.
The first song I played was "Home Sweet Home". It was close last week, and closer this week. So close it was worth a sticker. I felt good playing it too. I needed to play some of the notes a little quicker but on the whole it was good., especially when I used less pressure on the bow. Patience doesn't like too much pressure :)
Following this was Piggy's Song. I told Laura I hoped I could play it as well as I did Sunday night, because I felt I nailed it then. I was even playing the ending with variations, and toyed with the idea of playing one of those variations in class. But I didn't. What I did do was play the song well enough to pass it. It's a cute song, and one I will try to record and post later this week.
Next was Railway Express. I was a little less confident with this song because (a) it was newer, and (b) I had practiced it less than the others. Alas, this one did not pass. I felt I rushed it, so the good sound wasn't there, and I didn't know this piece as well as the others. Never mind. It will sound better next week.
After this the new work started, and it just kept on coming. There is a new song called Shark Attack. This is from Sea Suite, which itself comes from String Time Joggers. This is longer than any previous song I have played - it is 42 bars of music. There is the the first song in Super Studies For Violin. It's called Blast Off and is simple enough. Then there are scale exercises where I need to play the A major and D major scales up and down in whole bows and four quavers (aka "alligator"). And finally left-hand pizzicato. I am sure this will more than keep me occupied for the week.
I have noticed that most, if not all, of the music I have played thus far has been in D major. For those not musically inclined this is different to the C major scale on the piano - the scale that consists entirely of white keys and is usually the first scale learned in piano. In fact, I have been able to "transpose" the songs I knew from the accordion from C major to D major just by playing each note one tone higher on the violin. Ah, scales... I remember thinking when I first started that I would like to play scales. Here's my chance.
And that is that for this week. Like I said, there is plenty to do.
Before the lesson I had time, at work, to listen to some ABC podcasts. One was about Wagner's "Ring" cycle operas, specifically Siegfried. The other was the aforementioned concert with the Australian Youth Orchestra and Joshua Bell. The concert was great, but I was more interested in the interviews during the broadcast. It seems that two out of three professional musicians have come through the AYO. I am nearly 47, making me almost twice the maximum age of an AYO member. So, if I do become a professional, I will be in the minority who are NOT alumni of the AYO.
On to the lesson... which this week started with me giving Laura the copy of Women Of Pop for violin that I bought from Simply For Strings when I bought Patience. There were a few songs in a key suitable for my level, one of which was Raise Your Glass, by Pink. Laura wasn't sure if she knew the song so she did what any professional violinist would do and just started playing the score. That's the level I want to, and will, get to... one day. When Laura got to the chorus she realised she knew the song after all :)
Next was sight reading, which is something we will be doing frequently from now on. I enjoy it, and I nailed the song except for the start of the second line. What I was most proud of was that when we played it as a duet and I mucked up, I recovered enough to finish the song. Laura's advice was to "finger" the song as I am reading it before playing to help with learning it before playing.
The first song I played was "Home Sweet Home". It was close last week, and closer this week. So close it was worth a sticker. I felt good playing it too. I needed to play some of the notes a little quicker but on the whole it was good., especially when I used less pressure on the bow. Patience doesn't like too much pressure :)
Following this was Piggy's Song. I told Laura I hoped I could play it as well as I did Sunday night, because I felt I nailed it then. I was even playing the ending with variations, and toyed with the idea of playing one of those variations in class. But I didn't. What I did do was play the song well enough to pass it. It's a cute song, and one I will try to record and post later this week.
Next was Railway Express. I was a little less confident with this song because (a) it was newer, and (b) I had practiced it less than the others. Alas, this one did not pass. I felt I rushed it, so the good sound wasn't there, and I didn't know this piece as well as the others. Never mind. It will sound better next week.
After this the new work started, and it just kept on coming. There is a new song called Shark Attack. This is from Sea Suite, which itself comes from String Time Joggers. This is longer than any previous song I have played - it is 42 bars of music. There is the the first song in Super Studies For Violin. It's called Blast Off and is simple enough. Then there are scale exercises where I need to play the A major and D major scales up and down in whole bows and four quavers (aka "alligator"). And finally left-hand pizzicato. I am sure this will more than keep me occupied for the week.
I have noticed that most, if not all, of the music I have played thus far has been in D major. For those not musically inclined this is different to the C major scale on the piano - the scale that consists entirely of white keys and is usually the first scale learned in piano. In fact, I have been able to "transpose" the songs I knew from the accordion from C major to D major just by playing each note one tone higher on the violin. Ah, scales... I remember thinking when I first started that I would like to play scales. Here's my chance.
And that is that for this week. Like I said, there is plenty to do.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Joshua Bell
This is just a quick (hopefully) note to mention that Joshua Bell is in Australia briefly. By Australia I mean Sydney and Melbourne. Fortunately the Melbourne concert will be broadcast live on ABC Classic FM. He will be playing with the Australian Youth Orchestra. Together they will be touring Europe shortly.
There are a number of stories about Joshua Bell. I want to share two of them briefly.
The first concerns the violin he currently plays. It is a Stradivarius, and one with an interesting past. The story can be read here. Briefly, the violin was owned by Polish violinist Bronislaw Huberman. In 1936 the violin was stolen from him by Julian Altman. It was not until 1988 that Altman, on his death bed, revealed that he had stolen it and was playing it all that time. It then ended up in the hands of British violinist Norbert Brainin who sold it to Bell in 2001. Before Bell bought it, Brainin was going to sell it to a museum. I don't understand why museums keep Stradivarius violins. Surely they are better kept in the hands of professionals who will play the instruments and thereby keep them in better condition and allow more people to experience playing and listening to them.
The second is the story of Joshua Bell playing in the subway incognito. To quote the story briefly...
"No one knew it, but the fiddler standing against a bare wall outside the Metro in an indoor arcade at the top of the escalators was one of the finest classical musicians in the world, playing some of the most elegant music ever written on one of the most valuable violins ever made."
Well, I know where he will be this Monday night and I will be doing my best to listen. If I don't get to hear the concert that night I will be sure to find the podcast and listen to it later.
There are a number of stories about Joshua Bell. I want to share two of them briefly.
The first concerns the violin he currently plays. It is a Stradivarius, and one with an interesting past. The story can be read here. Briefly, the violin was owned by Polish violinist Bronislaw Huberman. In 1936 the violin was stolen from him by Julian Altman. It was not until 1988 that Altman, on his death bed, revealed that he had stolen it and was playing it all that time. It then ended up in the hands of British violinist Norbert Brainin who sold it to Bell in 2001. Before Bell bought it, Brainin was going to sell it to a museum. I don't understand why museums keep Stradivarius violins. Surely they are better kept in the hands of professionals who will play the instruments and thereby keep them in better condition and allow more people to experience playing and listening to them.
The second is the story of Joshua Bell playing in the subway incognito. To quote the story briefly...
"No one knew it, but the fiddler standing against a bare wall outside the Metro in an indoor arcade at the top of the escalators was one of the finest classical musicians in the world, playing some of the most elegant music ever written on one of the most valuable violins ever made."
Well, I know where he will be this Monday night and I will be doing my best to listen. If I don't get to hear the concert that night I will be sure to find the podcast and listen to it later.
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