Comments

Congratulations on a job well done. Also, which Handel Sonata? Handel sonata in F-major. The two best auditions I ever had were using the second movement from that sonata or the Bach E-major Preludio.

As a student, I used the Preludio more than the Handel as an audition piece, because it was NYSSMA grade 6 and the Handel was only grade 5. It's harder. But at least I can still do the bariolage (sp?) parts pretty well and at tempo. That was fun and sounded nice.

I think I could bring at least those two back to performance level in a month.

And, I could be fooling myself, but I think my violin sounds much better after it's been played regularly for a while. By the time I performed Fantasia on Greensleeves on violin at Christmas its sound wasn't bugging me anymore. Occasionally I play something with my daughter, but the 2nd violin part to "Allegro" isn't exactly a G-string workout.

Very good! You will continue to mull the issue of closure until the day you join the Great Orchestra in the Sky. I always think that if you feel closure, there is probably something awry. You should feel satisfaction when you really do something well, but there should also be a feeling that there is a next level. Isn't it funny how sometimes a piece will feel "done" and other times like you could work in it forever? I don't think there is any one factor for deciding when to move on, but the way I see it, each piece is just one step in the bigger picture of improving my overall playing. The blessing and the curse of music, as you put it :) is that there is always something that can still be improved, deepened or refined in every single piece you play. I usually learn something until I feel I can play it as well as I can for my current level, then put it aside for the next stepping stone, knowing that I'll always come back to old repertoire.

P.S. I'm glad you liked my Preludio notes - Brian Lewis is a great teacher. :)

I am eternally grateful that Ruth said:

"Isn't it funny how sometimes a piece will feel "done" and other times like you could work in it forever? I don't think there is any one factor for deciding when to move on, but the way I see it, each piece is just one step in the bigger picture of improving my overall playing."

I was just playing around with earlier songs last night, and now, they are jammin--but then--> )0: !!!

And then, I don't thing they--maybe once or twice, ever felt closure.

And Karen, I can understand your Feelings about Celtic Woman. I see the entire thing compositely though; and, her moving is actually helping me loosen up if that makes sense.

Then when I listen to Rock'n Double Bach shared by Caeli, I ask: And the rules are? Of course I know them--I'm old school, but.... I 'love' the rock'n Double Bach'n....

Suzuki's attitude towards the pieces in his books is similar to my attitude towards a lot of music. When I feel some sort of closure with a piece, I put it away -- but not forever. Returning to it later can be like returning to an old love with some new perspective along with the pleasure.

I have a student who was trained as a classical violist, and she plays classical music beautifully. She came to me to learn how to play and improvise folk "fiddle." The stylistics are different. She is having a lot of fun playing harmony on her viola, improvising as she goes along.