This week was busy again at work since two thirds of my team was away. It's times like that where I appreciate (a) my lessons and (b) playing in the park. I can't get away as often as I would like to go to the park but I always try and find the time.
My lesson was at 330 this week. We started off with scales. My G-Major scale is getting better as is the arpeggio. I wonder how many scales there are exactly. The short answer is many scales. Many many scales (according to Google). I'm happy just to take one or two at a time and see how I go. Scales are good because you can practice so much without having to worry "what note comes next". You know the next note so you can focus on many other aspects of playing. I also happened across an article that suggested playing the scales from top-to-bottom-to-top, which is the opposite way they are typically taught. And I found out why I was taught the D-Major and A-Major (and G-Major) scales, which have two, three and one sharp respectively, before the C-Major scale, which has no sharps. Laura is good like that. I can ask those types of questions and Laura will always take the time to answer instead of fobbing me off or telling me not to worry about it.
I did ask during the week about fiddling, to which Laura replied "as long as it doesn't affect your setup". Today I asked what that meant, and Laura explained that many fiddlers have little or no formal training in how to hold or play their instrument. Laura takes great care to make sure I play Patience to the best of my abilities and that I learn how to get better and better. So it's fine to fiddle as long as I remember what I have been taught and don't sacrifice any of that for the sake of learning a cool song. I will be able to play that music just as well, or better, than someone with no formal training at all.
I need to practice the finger push-up exercise a little more too. It will help to develop finger strength and dexterity and if I aim to play some of the pieces on my wish list, I am going to need plenty of both.
I was allowed to pick and choose my pieces today. I earned stamps for "Space Station" and "Shark Attack" this week. My "Shark Attack" was a little sloppy and my dynamics were not spot on but I have passed those pieces. Playing them in the park paid off =)
After all that I barely had time to run through "The Old Fiddler Man". I do believe that I was concentrating so much on playing it right that I was forgetting to play it with fun. Oh dear. I have said at least a few times before that I don't want to play something technically perfect if at the expense of having fun with it, Playing the correct notes is important, but it is just as important to play with fun and spirit. Getting this piece to 150 on the metronome is going to be challenge, yes, but I'll do my best to make it fun as well.
Just as I finished, Laura presented me with four pieces to "bulk out my repertoire". There was Old McDonald and Baa Baa Black Sheep as well as a very pretty French tune and a lively little German tune. I have been working on playing other songs. Some of them are by ear and are tunes that have been rattling around in my head since I learned the accordion. I also have access to some piano books that belong to my daughter or to my wife's sister. And there is a big collection of music from Tina - the lady who owns the violin I was using before Patience. She learned all the way through high school so some of those pieces are too much for me at the moment.
And that was it as far as the lesson went.
In the evening we visited some friends of ours (a couple with three children). Apparently all of the kids had learned cello at some stage, and at least one of them played the violin. They don't play at the moment so I scored some more music books. One of them is the book that has the Sea Suite in it ("Shark Attack" and "Barrier Reef"). The husband is trying to teach himself bouzouki, so hopefully there will be a time where we can play some Greek music together.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Violin Lesson #41
This week has been very busy. With two of my three team members away and lots of important things happening, work has been flat out. I think I have practiced more in Musgrave Park than at home this week.
I have come to the conclusion that practice is only practice when you don't enjoy it. What is it when you do enjoy it? It's fun =) I don't time my sessions. I like to play my scales and exercises first then play through each piece at least five times. Other people at home time my sessions (or what they think are my sessions). And I get comments like "hurry up so you can finish your practice and get it over with". You see, that just does not make sense to me.
My lesson today was at 5pm because Laura had a cancellation and I am usually the first student of the day. While I was waiting Sarisha turned up and we talked about which songs we were playing and our violins. When Laura came to call me for my lesson, she suggested Sarisha and I sit in on each others lesson. Sarisha has sat in on my lesson before but this would be the first time for me.
Laura had a new home-made contraption. It was a loop of velcro (that first around the violin). Attached to the velcro is a thin plastic tube. The tube is perpendicular to the neck of the violin. Then Laura gave me a length of dowel that was just wide enough to fit through the plastic tube and as long as a bow. I can hold the dowel with a bow grip and slide the dowel through the tube. The idea of this setup is to show me how it feels to play a straight bow. It was really interesting I was getting stuck quite frequently. I think I am more likely to play with a straight bow when I don't think about it.
Next was my G Major scale. Laura reinforced how important scales are. Progress is almost impossible without them. As I was playing my scale I felt something was not quite right. I couldn't get my bow grip right. Something felt out of place. Not only that, the sound was different too. Eventually Laura told me I was using her bow! I told her I though something was wrong. No, not wrong. Different =) Laura's bow cost about ten times as much as my violin. What I learned just then was that I have been playing long enough to know the sound of my violin. With my bow in hand, I kept going. I need to remember to keep the beat even when I am playing scales. And I am playing my arpeggio too quickly. I need to slow down to get my fingers in position for the next note.
I earned the only sticker of the lesson for my noisy minah song. It is a string-crossing exercise. Laura was most impressed with my timing. It sounded like I had been practicing with a metronome but I had not. I did enjoy practicing this exercise.
The rest of the lesson was taken up with The Old Fiddler Man. I don't think I have played more than the first part of the song for Laura. What I need to do is use more bow, especially on the E and A strings. I am sure I have heard this before. Obviously I need to focus more on using the bow for this song. I would love it next week if I could play the whole song through and get a sticker.
I still have a few more pieces waiting to be played: Rockets To The Rescue and Space Walk (a new song from last week which I had barely played) as well as Shark Attack and Barrier Reef. As a reward for my sticker I get to teach myself the push up exercises: high and low placement of second and third fingers. We'll see what next week brings.
After a quick SMS home and a short prayer that someone would still be at work when I returned, it was Sarisha's turn to play and mine to watch. Sarisha had a turn with the dowel. She did better than I did. And to show that it could be done flawlessly, Laura gave us a demonstration..
Sarisha plays very well. She was playing this absolutely gorgeous tune with Laura accompanying her on the piano. The middle third of the song requires Sarisha to bounce the bow to play the notes, and in a rhythm different to what Laura was playing. I don't know if I will get to play that same piece but I hope to get to play one like it. And Sarisha played some of her scales as well as the noisy minah exercise.
Laura said Sarisha and I were both about the same level and that each of us had different strengths and weaknesses. For Laura as a teacher this is great because she gets to teach us differently. During this combined class Laura told us she wanted us to be her two best fiddlers. Now I quote from Laura's entry for the Browning Street Studio -- "Some of her former students have gone on to become professional musicians themselves". So for me to be one of her two best fiddlers I have my work cut out for me =)
I was wondering later, if Sarisha and I have different strengths, does that mean we would be more compatible or less compatible in a group? Off the top of my head I don't know if it is that common to see two violins together, or certainly, not as common as a string quartet.
And as we were leaving Laura was relating how hard it can sometimes be to travel on an aircraft with a violin. I am pretty sure the violin case is bigger than what is usually allowed for carry-on luggage, though I am sure it is possible to carry the violin with you. In the case where the airline won't allow you to carry it on, Laura suggests packing socks and undergarments inside the violin case for extra padding and protection. One thing I will miss when I go to Sydney will be playing my violin.
During Sarisha's piece Laura wanted to start from bar 11 but Sarisha asked if they could start from bar 12. Laura quipped "Sure, I take requests". In that case, I request the following when I am good enough:
Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody.
To sum up, I enjoyed my lesson (or lessons) today, as I have done every time. I have learned a little and laughed a little.What more can I want from my violin lesson?
I have come to the conclusion that practice is only practice when you don't enjoy it. What is it when you do enjoy it? It's fun =) I don't time my sessions. I like to play my scales and exercises first then play through each piece at least five times. Other people at home time my sessions (or what they think are my sessions). And I get comments like "hurry up so you can finish your practice and get it over with". You see, that just does not make sense to me.
My lesson today was at 5pm because Laura had a cancellation and I am usually the first student of the day. While I was waiting Sarisha turned up and we talked about which songs we were playing and our violins. When Laura came to call me for my lesson, she suggested Sarisha and I sit in on each others lesson. Sarisha has sat in on my lesson before but this would be the first time for me.
Laura had a new home-made contraption. It was a loop of velcro (that first around the violin). Attached to the velcro is a thin plastic tube. The tube is perpendicular to the neck of the violin. Then Laura gave me a length of dowel that was just wide enough to fit through the plastic tube and as long as a bow. I can hold the dowel with a bow grip and slide the dowel through the tube. The idea of this setup is to show me how it feels to play a straight bow. It was really interesting I was getting stuck quite frequently. I think I am more likely to play with a straight bow when I don't think about it.
Next was my G Major scale. Laura reinforced how important scales are. Progress is almost impossible without them. As I was playing my scale I felt something was not quite right. I couldn't get my bow grip right. Something felt out of place. Not only that, the sound was different too. Eventually Laura told me I was using her bow! I told her I though something was wrong. No, not wrong. Different =) Laura's bow cost about ten times as much as my violin. What I learned just then was that I have been playing long enough to know the sound of my violin. With my bow in hand, I kept going. I need to remember to keep the beat even when I am playing scales. And I am playing my arpeggio too quickly. I need to slow down to get my fingers in position for the next note.
I earned the only sticker of the lesson for my noisy minah song. It is a string-crossing exercise. Laura was most impressed with my timing. It sounded like I had been practicing with a metronome but I had not. I did enjoy practicing this exercise.
The rest of the lesson was taken up with The Old Fiddler Man. I don't think I have played more than the first part of the song for Laura. What I need to do is use more bow, especially on the E and A strings. I am sure I have heard this before. Obviously I need to focus more on using the bow for this song. I would love it next week if I could play the whole song through and get a sticker.
I still have a few more pieces waiting to be played: Rockets To The Rescue and Space Walk (a new song from last week which I had barely played) as well as Shark Attack and Barrier Reef. As a reward for my sticker I get to teach myself the push up exercises: high and low placement of second and third fingers. We'll see what next week brings.
After a quick SMS home and a short prayer that someone would still be at work when I returned, it was Sarisha's turn to play and mine to watch. Sarisha had a turn with the dowel. She did better than I did. And to show that it could be done flawlessly, Laura gave us a demonstration..
Sarisha plays very well. She was playing this absolutely gorgeous tune with Laura accompanying her on the piano. The middle third of the song requires Sarisha to bounce the bow to play the notes, and in a rhythm different to what Laura was playing. I don't know if I will get to play that same piece but I hope to get to play one like it. And Sarisha played some of her scales as well as the noisy minah exercise.
Laura said Sarisha and I were both about the same level and that each of us had different strengths and weaknesses. For Laura as a teacher this is great because she gets to teach us differently. During this combined class Laura told us she wanted us to be her two best fiddlers. Now I quote from Laura's entry for the Browning Street Studio -- "Some of her former students have gone on to become professional musicians themselves". So for me to be one of her two best fiddlers I have my work cut out for me =)
I was wondering later, if Sarisha and I have different strengths, does that mean we would be more compatible or less compatible in a group? Off the top of my head I don't know if it is that common to see two violins together, or certainly, not as common as a string quartet.
And as we were leaving Laura was relating how hard it can sometimes be to travel on an aircraft with a violin. I am pretty sure the violin case is bigger than what is usually allowed for carry-on luggage, though I am sure it is possible to carry the violin with you. In the case where the airline won't allow you to carry it on, Laura suggests packing socks and undergarments inside the violin case for extra padding and protection. One thing I will miss when I go to Sydney will be playing my violin.
During Sarisha's piece Laura wanted to start from bar 11 but Sarisha asked if they could start from bar 12. Laura quipped "Sure, I take requests". In that case, I request the following when I am good enough:
Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody.
To sum up, I enjoyed my lesson (or lessons) today, as I have done every time. I have learned a little and laughed a little.What more can I want from my violin lesson?
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Violin Lesson #40
OMG... The big four-oh! I can't believe it has come around to the 40th lesson already. But we all know time flies when you're having fun, and I certainly am having that.
This week I had a different kind of lesson when I saw Laura playing two pieces in Marimba Galaxy. That was fantastic. I won't go on about it again =) I will just wait patiently until another performance happens.
The lesson started off with the G Major scale. Laura pointed out the all scales, arpeggios and other exercises should be played musically. It does make a difference to dry boring repetition. If you are going to play these every day - and I think you must to improve - then you may as well make the most of it. After all, you never know where a scale is going to end up. I don't remember where I saw it now, but on a YouTube video I was watching of Heifetz, the piece he was playing ended with an ascending scale. One of the posters made a point of that saying something like "even a simple scale can be made to sound awesome". I will try and remember to find it the next time I get a chance. The arpeggio is going good but I need to take it slower which will allow more time for my fingers to get into position.
I scored two stickers today. Yay! The first was for Operation Space Station. I was finally able to get all of the bits and pieces sounding good at the same time, and in front of the teacher too =) This is the second piece from Super Studies For Violin.
The next sticker was for an exercise I had been practicing at home but had not yet played in class. Today was the day. This involved playing harmonics. I think I have described these before. It is a way of playing an octave higher by lightly touching the string closer to the bridge than your hand usually is. I really like the sounds of the harmonics. Oh, and I was awarded a tick for the left arm swing exercise. It involves moving the left arm (the one that holds the violin) so I can pluck the strings with my left fingers, specifically the fourth aka the pinky.
I played The Old Fiddler Man. It is getting there too. I think perhaps this needs to be taken a little slower to make sure I am doing everything correctly. I can always speed it up a little later.
And that's about all we had time for. I still have the two sea suite pieces (Shark Attack and Barrier Reef) to practice as well as The Old Fiddler Man as well as the Noisy Minah string crossing exercise. I knew time was up because Ava knocked on the door. She is a young girl, about four or five, and at the moment she is playing Home Sweet Home. I finished that song a little while ago. She is so cute. And almost as cute was her 1/16 size violin and bow. Together they are adorable. And she is so shy that she did not want to play in front of me (the big bald head is so intimidating don't you know =)).
There were two more violin-related issues I'll touch on quickly before I go.
The first is the Brisbane Celtic Fiddle Club. I sent an email to Emma Nixon who said I, and my teacher if she wants to, are welcome to turn up at one of their functions. They meet twice a month at Simply For Strings and learn songs by ear. They would be old Irish, Scottish and English songs and folk tunes. They then get to perform at places like the State Library, the Children's Hospital and the Neurum Creek Music Festival. That all sounds great.
What also sounds great to me, though I am sure is not everyone's cup of tea is Korpiklaani, They are described as Finland’s alcohol fueled folk metal sextet. One of the things I have been searching for lately is the use of violin in heavy metal (I went through a heavy metal phase in my younger years and come back to it now and then). What I found was folk metal and symphonic metal. These guys belong to the former genre. Not only do they feature violin, but they have accordion as well. I learned the accordion when I was much younger - it sowed the seed of my interest in music. Oh, and I mention them specifically because they are playing in Brisbane. And since this is close to my birthday I just may treat myself =)
What I think would be sweet would be to perform a program of Bach and Mozart with an orchestra in the afternoon, then play some folk metal in the evening. Is there a good reason I can't do both?
This week I had a different kind of lesson when I saw Laura playing two pieces in Marimba Galaxy. That was fantastic. I won't go on about it again =) I will just wait patiently until another performance happens.
The lesson started off with the G Major scale. Laura pointed out the all scales, arpeggios and other exercises should be played musically. It does make a difference to dry boring repetition. If you are going to play these every day - and I think you must to improve - then you may as well make the most of it. After all, you never know where a scale is going to end up. I don't remember where I saw it now, but on a YouTube video I was watching of Heifetz, the piece he was playing ended with an ascending scale. One of the posters made a point of that saying something like "even a simple scale can be made to sound awesome". I will try and remember to find it the next time I get a chance. The arpeggio is going good but I need to take it slower which will allow more time for my fingers to get into position.
I scored two stickers today. Yay! The first was for Operation Space Station. I was finally able to get all of the bits and pieces sounding good at the same time, and in front of the teacher too =) This is the second piece from Super Studies For Violin.
The next sticker was for an exercise I had been practicing at home but had not yet played in class. Today was the day. This involved playing harmonics. I think I have described these before. It is a way of playing an octave higher by lightly touching the string closer to the bridge than your hand usually is. I really like the sounds of the harmonics. Oh, and I was awarded a tick for the left arm swing exercise. It involves moving the left arm (the one that holds the violin) so I can pluck the strings with my left fingers, specifically the fourth aka the pinky.
I played The Old Fiddler Man. It is getting there too. I think perhaps this needs to be taken a little slower to make sure I am doing everything correctly. I can always speed it up a little later.
And that's about all we had time for. I still have the two sea suite pieces (Shark Attack and Barrier Reef) to practice as well as The Old Fiddler Man as well as the Noisy Minah string crossing exercise. I knew time was up because Ava knocked on the door. She is a young girl, about four or five, and at the moment she is playing Home Sweet Home. I finished that song a little while ago. She is so cute. And almost as cute was her 1/16 size violin and bow. Together they are adorable. And she is so shy that she did not want to play in front of me (the big bald head is so intimidating don't you know =)).
There were two more violin-related issues I'll touch on quickly before I go.
The first is the Brisbane Celtic Fiddle Club. I sent an email to Emma Nixon who said I, and my teacher if she wants to, are welcome to turn up at one of their functions. They meet twice a month at Simply For Strings and learn songs by ear. They would be old Irish, Scottish and English songs and folk tunes. They then get to perform at places like the State Library, the Children's Hospital and the Neurum Creek Music Festival. That all sounds great.
What also sounds great to me, though I am sure is not everyone's cup of tea is Korpiklaani, They are described as Finland’s alcohol fueled folk metal sextet. One of the things I have been searching for lately is the use of violin in heavy metal (I went through a heavy metal phase in my younger years and come back to it now and then). What I found was folk metal and symphonic metal. These guys belong to the former genre. Not only do they feature violin, but they have accordion as well. I learned the accordion when I was much younger - it sowed the seed of my interest in music. Oh, and I mention them specifically because they are playing in Brisbane. And since this is close to my birthday I just may treat myself =)
What I think would be sweet would be to perform a program of Bach and Mozart with an orchestra in the afternoon, then play some folk metal in the evening. Is there a good reason I can't do both?
Saturday, September 7, 2013
2013 Beaudesert Show
It was a long day but it was certainly worth it...
Our son entered four of our seven chickens into different categories for the Beaudesert Show. So at ten to seven this morning we packed up the chickens and the family and drove the three quarters of an hour to the show.
When we arrived we were lucky enough to be allowed to drive the car into the grounds to drop off the chickens. We were showing the following:
Jellybean the black Australorp for prettiest female
Squeebles the black Silkie for friendliest female
Lucky Muffin the Rhode Island Red for best dressed (in chook clothes) female
Sookie the Light Sussex for fattest female
Squeebles won second place, Lucky Muffin (dressed as a cheerleader) won first place and Sookie won second place. All in all we won $8 which covered the entrance fee. We were looking forward to the experience because we had never done anything like this before. In the car my wife and I could not imagine our parents doing this for us when we were thirteen - well, maybe my mother might have taken me.
There was plenty happening so we walked around a lot. I looked at all the places that were selling coffee before deciding on the one I thought most likely to sell good coffee (or least likely to sell bad coffee). There was a mostly purple sign declaring this coffee had won some kind of award or other in 2011. Can you tell how much I liked it by how many details I remember? :) Google is helping but is slow at the moment. I looked at the menu and noticed he had a picture of owls each of which depicted the level of caffeine. They ranged from decaf to double espresso (with the cutest big eyes). No, I didn't take a picture - sorry. I asked the guy for a double espresso and he raised his eyebrows. Then he asked if I wanted to try his signature dink. It is called Aloysius - triple shot with Irish Creme flavour. I only hesitated briefly before saying yes. And it was really good (especially since it was only $4.50). The coffee itself (I believe it may have been Silipos but I am not 100% sure) was very smooth and the Irish Creme flavour took the edge off. I loved it.
We also bought home two types of honey: one macadamia and one tea tree. I didn't sample either but my wife like the macadamia honey and I took a punt on the tea tree. In the same pavilion was Springdell Fruit Wines. We have bought from them before. When my uncle got married we ordered a personalised bottle of fortified wine. We tasted their fortified win again and we almost bought a bottle of jabuticaba wine. Fortunately they sell online so we might still be able to buy some later.
I took the princess to see Robinson Family Circus. I was in two minds about it since they featured Darth Vader - a miniature horse - and as a general rules we don't like animals in circuses. They did have one gentleman with a great sense of balance and a lady who performed a curtain climbing act.
While we were walking about my daughter met one of her school friends who was showing her miniature horse called Chief. While we watched she won a first place ribbon for one hurdle course, then the poor girl stumbled on a hurdle in the second course.
Lunch I remember a little better. It was yakisoba with cheese ($9) from Teppanyaki Noodles. The lady serving me asked if I wanted "no meat" and I confirmed that was right. Did they not sell many of that item? Did I look like I wanted or needed meat? It took a little while to cook but it was well worth waiting for.
We stopped at the wood chopping before heading back to the chickens for the announcements in the afternoon. One poor man struck a knot in his piece of wood and had to stop since it jarred his wrist. They had a staggered start but it didn't seem to matter since the man who won started over thirty seconds after the first gentleman. As it happens his wrist recovered enough for him to participate in the two-person sawing contest later.
Obligatory violin observation: every now and then I heard a tune and thought to myself "that would sound cool on a violin". One such song was Love Story (Where Do I Begin) and another was Cotton Eye Joe. I think working a show like that as a roving entertainer would be good fun. At the very least, I would be enjoying myself.
The coffee I had in the morning was so good that I went back for another in the afternoon. I don't need any more coffee today. The lady who made the coffee remembered me. I guess they don't sell many of those signature drinks :)
It was a very long day but lots of fun and lots of new experiences.
Our son entered four of our seven chickens into different categories for the Beaudesert Show. So at ten to seven this morning we packed up the chickens and the family and drove the three quarters of an hour to the show.
When we arrived we were lucky enough to be allowed to drive the car into the grounds to drop off the chickens. We were showing the following:
Jellybean the black Australorp for prettiest female
Squeebles the black Silkie for friendliest female
Lucky Muffin the Rhode Island Red for best dressed (in chook clothes) female
Sookie the Light Sussex for fattest female
Squeebles won second place, Lucky Muffin (dressed as a cheerleader) won first place and Sookie won second place. All in all we won $8 which covered the entrance fee. We were looking forward to the experience because we had never done anything like this before. In the car my wife and I could not imagine our parents doing this for us when we were thirteen - well, maybe my mother might have taken me.
There was plenty happening so we walked around a lot. I looked at all the places that were selling coffee before deciding on the one I thought most likely to sell good coffee (or least likely to sell bad coffee). There was a mostly purple sign declaring this coffee had won some kind of award or other in 2011. Can you tell how much I liked it by how many details I remember? :) Google is helping but is slow at the moment. I looked at the menu and noticed he had a picture of owls each of which depicted the level of caffeine. They ranged from decaf to double espresso (with the cutest big eyes). No, I didn't take a picture - sorry. I asked the guy for a double espresso and he raised his eyebrows. Then he asked if I wanted to try his signature dink. It is called Aloysius - triple shot with Irish Creme flavour. I only hesitated briefly before saying yes. And it was really good (especially since it was only $4.50). The coffee itself (I believe it may have been Silipos but I am not 100% sure) was very smooth and the Irish Creme flavour took the edge off. I loved it.
We also bought home two types of honey: one macadamia and one tea tree. I didn't sample either but my wife like the macadamia honey and I took a punt on the tea tree. In the same pavilion was Springdell Fruit Wines. We have bought from them before. When my uncle got married we ordered a personalised bottle of fortified wine. We tasted their fortified win again and we almost bought a bottle of jabuticaba wine. Fortunately they sell online so we might still be able to buy some later.
I took the princess to see Robinson Family Circus. I was in two minds about it since they featured Darth Vader - a miniature horse - and as a general rules we don't like animals in circuses. They did have one gentleman with a great sense of balance and a lady who performed a curtain climbing act.
While we were walking about my daughter met one of her school friends who was showing her miniature horse called Chief. While we watched she won a first place ribbon for one hurdle course, then the poor girl stumbled on a hurdle in the second course.
Lunch I remember a little better. It was yakisoba with cheese ($9) from Teppanyaki Noodles. The lady serving me asked if I wanted "no meat" and I confirmed that was right. Did they not sell many of that item? Did I look like I wanted or needed meat? It took a little while to cook but it was well worth waiting for.
We stopped at the wood chopping before heading back to the chickens for the announcements in the afternoon. One poor man struck a knot in his piece of wood and had to stop since it jarred his wrist. They had a staggered start but it didn't seem to matter since the man who won started over thirty seconds after the first gentleman. As it happens his wrist recovered enough for him to participate in the two-person sawing contest later.
Obligatory violin observation: every now and then I heard a tune and thought to myself "that would sound cool on a violin". One such song was Love Story (Where Do I Begin) and another was Cotton Eye Joe. I think working a show like that as a roving entertainer would be good fun. At the very least, I would be enjoying myself.
The coffee I had in the morning was so good that I went back for another in the afternoon. I don't need any more coffee today. The lady who made the coffee remembered me. I guess they don't sell many of those signature drinks :)
It was a very long day but lots of fun and lots of new experiences.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Marimba Galaxy
This concert was on Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at 7pm in the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University Ian Hanger Recital Hall.
This is a marimba showcase of different colours mixing with violin, cello, flute and clarinet. The title came from the image of having a marimba in the center as the sun surrounded by other instruments in the universe.
The astronomer in me thinks this is more a solar system and less a galaxy but I understand the metaphor. In any case, it was a wonderful presentation.
My daughter and I arrived early. We were waiting outside the hall when we were joined by Sarisha and a friend of hers (whose name escapes me but she wants to learn guitar). Sarisha is another student of Laura's. I believe Laura told all her students about this recital but Sarisha is the only other student I recognized. It may be no surprise since many of Laura's students are young children.
The performers were Nozomi Omote on the marimba, Laura Thomson on violin, Nick Hamsen on clarinet, Dan Curro on cello and Hayley Radke on flute.
Nozomi appeared to be either very nervous or very shy but she was so endearing. She even went to the trouble to find galaxy pants for the occasion :) She also asked each of the performers to do some of the presentation of each work.
First up Nozomi was accompanied by Laura for "Legal Highs" (in three parts) by David P Jones. The three sections were Mr. Coffee, Menthology and Sweet Thing. Being a violin student I really wanted to focus on Laura (who is also my teacher). It's the first time I have seen Laura perform live. She was great. I saw some techniques I knew already and quite a few I am yet to learn. That was exciting to me because I have lots to learn and I am going to enjoy every minute of it. I said I wanted to focus on Laura but it was hard not to watch Nozomi (until I remembered Nozomi would be playing the whole time). This is a modern piece, so as far as the violin is concerned, there are more techniques and sounds used than you might normally see in a classical piece. In fact, all of the music tonight was from 1987 and afterwards.
Next was Dan and together he and Nozomi played "Mariel" by Osvaldo Golijov. Dan seems to be a bit of a clown judging by how he introduced this piece. Apparently the composer wrote notes such as "play like an asteroid gliding through space". According to the composer the piece is meant to capture the short instant before grief when you learn of the sudden death of a dear friend. Looking back I can see where that came into the music, but at the time the asteroid metaphor seemed very appropriate. I think I am developing a crush on the cello and double bass. Not the cellist (who I will say had a magnificent bald head but I digress). I love the tones those instruments can produce, such as in this clip. One thing I remember is that when they finished I was holding my breath. It was amazing.
Hayley "sucked it up" and introduced "Kembang Suling" by Gareth Farr. This Asian-influenced piece was very pretty too. I will admit the flute is not my favourite instrument so for this performance I was really able to focus on Nozomi and how she played. Even when she was playing calmer slower music, she looked like she was ready to leap from one end of the marimba to the other. It is quite a large instrument too and she moved about it very gracefully.
Laura was back with the final piece for the evening with Nick. This was "And Legions Will Rise" by Kevin Puts. As the composer puts it, this music was a showpiece for a remarkable marimbist and eventually became equally virtuosic for all three parts. The inspiration for the work is the indomitable power of the human spirit to transcend in times of crisis. It started off slowly but definitely finished with a rush. By this time I was looking equally at the violin and the marimba. It was as fascinating to watch as it was to hear. The rest of the audience loved it as much as I did and the three of them came back twice for bows.
All of the performers came back for a final bow and Nozomi made a little thank-you speech. My daughter and I really enjoyed the show. Everyone played splendidly and the music selection was great too. My daughter plays percussion at school and she was paying close attention to Nozomi. I was so happy I was able to bring her along with me.
As we were leaving Sarisha said "maybe we can play like that one day". That's certainly my plan at this point. I've said before I don't want to be "like" anyone. I just want to be the best violinist that I can be.Tonight showed me how much more the violin can give than what I know so far. Finding out just how I can do that is going to be very exciting for me.
This is a marimba showcase of different colours mixing with violin, cello, flute and clarinet. The title came from the image of having a marimba in the center as the sun surrounded by other instruments in the universe.
The astronomer in me thinks this is more a solar system and less a galaxy but I understand the metaphor. In any case, it was a wonderful presentation.
My daughter and I arrived early. We were waiting outside the hall when we were joined by Sarisha and a friend of hers (whose name escapes me but she wants to learn guitar). Sarisha is another student of Laura's. I believe Laura told all her students about this recital but Sarisha is the only other student I recognized. It may be no surprise since many of Laura's students are young children.
The performers were Nozomi Omote on the marimba, Laura Thomson on violin, Nick Hamsen on clarinet, Dan Curro on cello and Hayley Radke on flute.
Nozomi appeared to be either very nervous or very shy but she was so endearing. She even went to the trouble to find galaxy pants for the occasion :) She also asked each of the performers to do some of the presentation of each work.
First up Nozomi was accompanied by Laura for "Legal Highs" (in three parts) by David P Jones. The three sections were Mr. Coffee, Menthology and Sweet Thing. Being a violin student I really wanted to focus on Laura (who is also my teacher). It's the first time I have seen Laura perform live. She was great. I saw some techniques I knew already and quite a few I am yet to learn. That was exciting to me because I have lots to learn and I am going to enjoy every minute of it. I said I wanted to focus on Laura but it was hard not to watch Nozomi (until I remembered Nozomi would be playing the whole time). This is a modern piece, so as far as the violin is concerned, there are more techniques and sounds used than you might normally see in a classical piece. In fact, all of the music tonight was from 1987 and afterwards.
Next was Dan and together he and Nozomi played "Mariel" by Osvaldo Golijov. Dan seems to be a bit of a clown judging by how he introduced this piece. Apparently the composer wrote notes such as "play like an asteroid gliding through space". According to the composer the piece is meant to capture the short instant before grief when you learn of the sudden death of a dear friend. Looking back I can see where that came into the music, but at the time the asteroid metaphor seemed very appropriate. I think I am developing a crush on the cello and double bass. Not the cellist (who I will say had a magnificent bald head but I digress). I love the tones those instruments can produce, such as in this clip. One thing I remember is that when they finished I was holding my breath. It was amazing.
Hayley "sucked it up" and introduced "Kembang Suling" by Gareth Farr. This Asian-influenced piece was very pretty too. I will admit the flute is not my favourite instrument so for this performance I was really able to focus on Nozomi and how she played. Even when she was playing calmer slower music, she looked like she was ready to leap from one end of the marimba to the other. It is quite a large instrument too and she moved about it very gracefully.
Laura was back with the final piece for the evening with Nick. This was "And Legions Will Rise" by Kevin Puts. As the composer puts it, this music was a showpiece for a remarkable marimbist and eventually became equally virtuosic for all three parts. The inspiration for the work is the indomitable power of the human spirit to transcend in times of crisis. It started off slowly but definitely finished with a rush. By this time I was looking equally at the violin and the marimba. It was as fascinating to watch as it was to hear. The rest of the audience loved it as much as I did and the three of them came back twice for bows.
All of the performers came back for a final bow and Nozomi made a little thank-you speech. My daughter and I really enjoyed the show. Everyone played splendidly and the music selection was great too. My daughter plays percussion at school and she was paying close attention to Nozomi. I was so happy I was able to bring her along with me.
As we were leaving Sarisha said "maybe we can play like that one day". That's certainly my plan at this point. I've said before I don't want to be "like" anyone. I just want to be the best violinist that I can be.Tonight showed me how much more the violin can give than what I know so far. Finding out just how I can do that is going to be very exciting for me.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Violin Lesson #39
It was a good week this week. It started with the instrumental evening at my daughter's primary school. They all rocked it and it was heartening to see so many children learning music. It restores a little of my faith in the future after hearing about the story of a dwarf set on fire as a prank.
Friday was good too as I took the time to bring Patience to work and actually took her to Musgrave Park (not far from work) and played out in the open. It's not the first time I've done this and I really enjoy it. I hope to be able to make it a regular event but that depends on whether I can accrue enough time at work to be able to get away from my desk.
Then there was Fathers Day. One of my gifts was a music stand. I appreciate my family supporting me learning the violin. I previously stood my music up on a shelf. This music stand is very handy, as it actually folds up into a carry case. I also found out that the primary school is apparently short on music stands. If this is the case then we will buy some for the students. It is a small way of helping them out in something I think is very important.
My lesson this week was at 3pm and I almost missed out. Chris (the photographer) was called away by his heavily pregnant partner and he had to hand over some work before he left. This was at 245, so I was rushing to get to my lesson. I don't like to rush, but I made it on time. Laura tuned my violin (I usually do it before the lesson but I rushed today) and played a sweet little tune. It's great because I know the violin is capable of more beautiful music than I can play so far, and it is up to me to discover how to do it - I look forward to that.
The lesson started with Operation Space Station. It's still close but not worthy of a sticker. I need to work on moving my hand back to first position, after playing harmonics, and especially getting the thumb right. When the thumb is right the other fingers will be ready to play. And I need to use more bow for the louder dynamics. One of the differences between my violin and Laura's is that mine can will less pressure on the higher string than Laura's so I need to use more bow to compensate. And when I do, it sounds fantastic.
Laura was going to start me on Rockets To The Rescue. The thing was that I have been learning the piece this week :) It was better than Operation Space Station. My issue with this music is tempo. I started off with one speed then accelerated during my crescendo. I need to pick one tempo and stick to it. Part of my preparation should be to count myself in to help me keep to the one tempo.
After this was the G Major scale again. This is where I got a "professional tip". I should not play a few test notes before I start. I should instead tap the strings where my fingers will go to make sure they are in the right place. Doing this allows me to launch into the piece straight away. Handy. Also, I need to practice moving my second finger, so it can easily move from next-to-first to next-to-third. Yes, this will come easier to younger students but it is certainly not impossible for me.
We finished up with The Old Fiddler Man. This wasn't too bad considering I have only been playing this for a week. I was playing some of the song the way I played Rocking It Bunny Style. Now that I have that out of my system I will be much better next week. This is another song where I need more bow. Eventually it will sink in that more bow is almost always a good thing.
Thus endeth the lesson, which leads me to change the way I practice. I think I will do the songs I was playing for this lesson plus one more (as well as scales and arpeggios). That way if I have a blinder like Fui Fui Moi Moi did last night when Parramatta beat St George I will have something else prepared to play. It was a little like that with Rockets To The Rescue, and I already have Shark Attack (again almost complete) and Barrier Reef to prepare.
That also leads on to the quality of practice. Part of me wants to practice what I have been taught, and I do, while another part of me wants to learn new songs. One evening I had great fun with my daughter going through a Disney song book and picking songs to play. My sight reading and transposing skills must be okay since I don't find it too hard to read a song in C Major and play it in D Major (yay for having learned the accordion as a child). I figure I should not feel guilty playing around as long as (a) it is not at the expense of my practice and (b) I play correctly with the good habits I have been taught.
Friday was good too as I took the time to bring Patience to work and actually took her to Musgrave Park (not far from work) and played out in the open. It's not the first time I've done this and I really enjoy it. I hope to be able to make it a regular event but that depends on whether I can accrue enough time at work to be able to get away from my desk.
Then there was Fathers Day. One of my gifts was a music stand. I appreciate my family supporting me learning the violin. I previously stood my music up on a shelf. This music stand is very handy, as it actually folds up into a carry case. I also found out that the primary school is apparently short on music stands. If this is the case then we will buy some for the students. It is a small way of helping them out in something I think is very important.
My lesson this week was at 3pm and I almost missed out. Chris (the photographer) was called away by his heavily pregnant partner and he had to hand over some work before he left. This was at 245, so I was rushing to get to my lesson. I don't like to rush, but I made it on time. Laura tuned my violin (I usually do it before the lesson but I rushed today) and played a sweet little tune. It's great because I know the violin is capable of more beautiful music than I can play so far, and it is up to me to discover how to do it - I look forward to that.
The lesson started with Operation Space Station. It's still close but not worthy of a sticker. I need to work on moving my hand back to first position, after playing harmonics, and especially getting the thumb right. When the thumb is right the other fingers will be ready to play. And I need to use more bow for the louder dynamics. One of the differences between my violin and Laura's is that mine can will less pressure on the higher string than Laura's so I need to use more bow to compensate. And when I do, it sounds fantastic.
Laura was going to start me on Rockets To The Rescue. The thing was that I have been learning the piece this week :) It was better than Operation Space Station. My issue with this music is tempo. I started off with one speed then accelerated during my crescendo. I need to pick one tempo and stick to it. Part of my preparation should be to count myself in to help me keep to the one tempo.
After this was the G Major scale again. This is where I got a "professional tip". I should not play a few test notes before I start. I should instead tap the strings where my fingers will go to make sure they are in the right place. Doing this allows me to launch into the piece straight away. Handy. Also, I need to practice moving my second finger, so it can easily move from next-to-first to next-to-third. Yes, this will come easier to younger students but it is certainly not impossible for me.
We finished up with The Old Fiddler Man. This wasn't too bad considering I have only been playing this for a week. I was playing some of the song the way I played Rocking It Bunny Style. Now that I have that out of my system I will be much better next week. This is another song where I need more bow. Eventually it will sink in that more bow is almost always a good thing.
Thus endeth the lesson, which leads me to change the way I practice. I think I will do the songs I was playing for this lesson plus one more (as well as scales and arpeggios). That way if I have a blinder like Fui Fui Moi Moi did last night when Parramatta beat St George I will have something else prepared to play. It was a little like that with Rockets To The Rescue, and I already have Shark Attack (again almost complete) and Barrier Reef to prepare.
That also leads on to the quality of practice. Part of me wants to practice what I have been taught, and I do, while another part of me wants to learn new songs. One evening I had great fun with my daughter going through a Disney song book and picking songs to play. My sight reading and transposing skills must be okay since I don't find it too hard to read a song in C Major and play it in D Major (yay for having learned the accordion as a child). I figure I should not feel guilty playing around as long as (a) it is not at the expense of my practice and (b) I play correctly with the good habits I have been taught.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)