Comments

You have an advantage over Bell in that the Belmont Farmers' Market is likely not to be full of people trying to go somewhere quickly. I am sure you will be able to get a better reception there with your solo Bach even though he may be a better musician. Have fun and good luck! BTW, I used to live in Belmont; where is the Farmers' Market located? When I started violin (at age 4) I was taught to put my thumb on the pearlized part of the frog (forget what that's called) instead of in that "niche", and I understand that's pretty common...maybe it creates more rotational stability or something. The important thing is to BEND the thumb, wherever you put it. In my experience, those who oppose teaching that way do so because it encourages playing with a straight thumb, which is bad. I don't oppose teaching that way, but her hands are pretty big now and I'm just wondering when she can move up to the other hold. She will be starting the school program in the fall and I can discuss it with her teacher then, I guess. Since I'd never seen it anywhere else, I had been concerned that her teacher might have started talking about "bad habits." So it's good to know that it's relatively common. I think I moved to the normal bow hold when I was around eight. It was sort of a big deal, getting to hold the bow like a "big person". It's still not clear to me why little kids can't start with the normal hold, though. Maybe some teachers here can explain. Tom, The Farmers Market has a nice website: Belmont Farmers Market. It's located in Belmont Center in the big parking lot behind the main shopping area where Macy's (formerly Filene's) is. I'm still not on the calendar but the coordinator is out of town currently and hasn't updated the site :( Karen - thanks for the website. I know just where the market is. We used to live two blocks away on Claflin St.