October 2013

No Longer A Member of the SR Club

Everyone, I have an announcement to make. After two years playing the viola with a shoulder, I have now joined the club of non-shoulder rest people.

It all came about during a dress rehearsal for Don Quixote. I went backstage to go get my mute, and when I came back, the viola sitting on my chair was not mine: half of the viola section had decided to trade violas. The viola sitting on my chair had no shoulder rest, and was 15.5 inches (smaller than mine). I played the whole dress rehearsal with no shoulder rest and did not die. After the show I texted my teacher, who also plays with no shoulder rest, and told her I wanted to go without the SR. She didn't want me to do this officially until she cleared me for it in my lesson.

My lesson was yesterday. She checked me for all signs for being able to do it and I passed :D. She gave me a resistant material to put on the viola, and now it's official, I am shoulder restless and I like it!

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