Rhiannon Schmitt on Violinist.com

Busking Explored with CBC Radio3 Documentary Featuring Interview with Violinist.com member Rhiannon Schmitt

Mon, 17 May 2010 19:34:51 GMT

Hey, cool news: & nbsp; CBC Radio 3 Interviewed me for my input as a busker. & nbsp; They had read my article about it here: http://www.fiddleheads.ca/writings/busk_or_bust.html

http://www.cbc.ca/radio3/podcasts/extendedplay/CBCR3EP_2010-05-11.mp3 & nbsp; (my part comes in around 14:45, near halfway-- and some of the music they use is me playing)

Note the interviewer made an error in my introduction: she said I was a singer and said I live in Nelson, whereas I & nbsp;live in Salmon Arm/ Canoe. & nbsp; Oh well, you can quote me as saying I was misquoted. & nbsp;

In any case, t's an interesting documentary/show and I am glad they took the stance of supporting busking. & nbsp; Enjoy!

& nbsp;

Talking Tone is Harder than it Sounds

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:01:50 GMT

Discussing words which describe the tonal qualities of violins and other instruments

by Rhiannon Schmitt of www.Fiddleheads.ca

Attempting to describe tone with mere words is tricky for even the best musicians. Even more difficult with non-players who don't know the instrument or the lingo.

Case in point: My filmscoring teacher in music school was writing a score for a tv program for CBC years back. The show's producer had been asking for small corrections to the score, finally requesting the music be more "snakey."

"What the hell is snakey," my teacher asked.

"You know," said the producer slowly, "sna-a-a-a-key," as if this would help.

This list won't eliminate stupid situations from your musical life, but I hope it will help you better describe the tone you produce, seek or wish to avoid in an instrument when discussing it with me!

Dark (or Bright)
Rich
Brassy
Even (or Uneven)
Fat (or Thin)
Sparkling
Ringing/Bell-like
Crystalline
Bell-like
Warm
Pure
Rounded
Clear
Harsh
Throaty
Smooth
Breathy
Nasal
Reedy
Resonant
Mellow
Piercing
Focussed (or Unfocussed)
Heavy (or Light)
Grating or Gritty
Flat (or sharp, not to be confused with pitch)
Deep
Velvety
Dry (or Splashy)
Strident
Full (or Hollow)
Sonorous
Boomy
Haunting
Ethereal
Soft (or Hard)

And now, Snakey...

Please note this list is not complete and I welcome your additions: email me

With this handy list at your disposal you will be able to order a viola faster than a coffee at your neighbourhood Starbucks. "I'll have a Grande 15" viola with pure tone, some dark on the low end and a sprinkle of sparkle on the side. No whipped cream, thanks, I don't want a fat bottom end."

Oh, and I think I understand what the producer was looking for with "snakey." I think he was looking for a middle eastern, harmonic or hungarian minor feel worthy of a scene featuring snake charming or flying carpets. You know, Alladin meets Riverdance!�

20 years playing the violin and I know what snakey means. That was gobs of money and years of practicing well spent...

Hou Does She Do It? Interview with Canadian violin star Yi-Jia Susanne Hou

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:04:01 GMT

Susanne passionately shares everything in her music world from the nearly $3-million violin she plays to her love of Elvis

I had the immense pleasure of experiencing Yi-Jia Susanne Hou in conversation and as a colleague in my work with a local violin society.

Most recently I saw the virtuoso violinist in performance of the Mendelssohn Concerto with BC's Okanagan Symphony in April 2009.

Watching Susanne play was like watching a vibrant painting being born; she was colour and light and a range of emotions and each moment was a new inspiration; a new feeling. Her skill was dazzling and true perfection, yet it did not detract from the captivating spirit of her song as can occur with more mechanical players.

But who is Susanne Hou? Classical buffs surely know her name and probably have signed copies of all of her three recordings. For the rest of us who are not familiar with Susanne, here's a quick summary:

Susanne has won many violin competitions. She took three Gold Medals with unanimous decisions at competitions in France, Italy and Spain. She took first place awards at home in Canadian Music Competitions for three consecutive years as well as the Juilliard Dvorak Concerto Competition, the Juilliard-Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra Competition, and the F. Nakamichi Sibelius Violin Competition.

She also records, teaches and spends much of her time touring, but what piques many people's interest is how Susanne was awarded the loan of the 1729 & quot;ex-Heath & quot; Guarneri del Gesu violin by the Canada Council for the Arts Instrument Bank Competition - TWICE. Oh, and by the way, the instrument is valued at $2.75 million US Dollars. Now you see why people are so interested.

So this is where we started our conversation; discussing the Guarneri she was loaned for two terms.

Rhiannon Schmitt: Susanne, thank you for taking the time to speak with me. I'd like to start with the violin you are playing on loan. Do you have any personal feelings to share about this instrument as you have played it?

Susanne Hou: This 1729 Guarneri Del Gesu Violin is so true to my soul. It sings, breathes, paints, and lives my expression. I believe violins are very much alive.

RS: Do you know any interesting history on this & quot;ex-Heath & quot; violin?

SH: My violin was not played for many years before it was loaned to the Canada Council Instrument Bank; I like to imagine it was just sleeping for 30 years...awaiting an artists hands to bring it to life...

RS: So, what other violins have you played in your career?

SH: I've been incredibly fortunate in my life to play on extraordinary violins such as the 1692 Avery Fisher Stradivari, which I played 6 years during my Juilliard studies. Also a 1729 Pixis Guarneri Del Gesu, Cathedral Stradivari, Duke of Alba Stradivari, Lady Tennant Stradivari, Ruby Stradivari.

And of course all the beautiful violins in the Canada Council Instrument Bank including the Taft Stradivari, Baumgartner Stradivari...really amazing violins.

But violins are very personal, and when you find the right violin, it's like falling in love...and I knew from the moment I picked up my Del Gesu that we were right for each other. It perfectly captures my voice and responds with warmth, mystery, and power.

RS: Do you remember your very first violin and would you describe it to me?

SH: My very first violin was made for me by my father! We could not find a violin small enough for my hands, so he carved one out of a firelog he saw at my uncle's home which happened to be Canadian maple.(She smiles).

It still sits in our family room on display.

RS: I must add how incredible it is that you play your father's bow with that incredible Guarneri. So, viola players around the globe want to know: do you or have you ever played viola?

SH: I've tried a viola or two before but I've never learned to play one really. If you know that my hands are too small even for violin...imagine what viola would be like!! (Smiles)

RS: You have earned many prestigious awards and turned heads with your successes there. But I wonder, could you share your thoughts on competition in music. How it has driven you to excel?

SH: I do not believe in competitions in any form of art. However, competitions offer a platform for you to perform, to be heard, to gain experience, to push yourself to be the best you can be, to find yourself.

I've learned a lot about music and myself through competitions, not because of the competitive nature or the fact that I won the competitions (lucky me!) but because they gave me the opportunity to have a stage and learn from those experiences. I have also never gone to a competition to win. Perhaps that's why I won them all. (She laughs).

Murphy's Law?! (More laughter).

RS: When you were young, was there something you dreaded to do in practice? Like scales or exercizes?

SH: There are always etudes and studies in our musical career which seem boring or uninteresting musically which are difficult to practice, but I always keep in mind what my goal is.

RS: What goal keeps you motivated?

SH: My goal has always been to have technical proficiency and security in order to express everything and anything I want to through my music. Without technique, you have no way of accurately expressing yourself.

Thus when I think of that, I know it is the foundation on which I build my world.

RS: It's funny to share this with you, but upon the start of the second movement of the concerto, you know, that sustained note played by oboe, I noticed the 9-yearold young violin student beside me stir in his seat, looking bored and waiting for the & quot;fast stuff & quot; again. Did you enjoy concerts as a child? Were you the kind of child who preferred the & quot;fast stuff? & quot;

SH: I believe there is a time in our life for action, and a time for reflection. Active 'fast' passages are stirring, exciting, adventurous. And the 'slow' melodic moments are time to breathe, to reflect, and allow your imagination to grow.

I've done a lot of outreach with young children and students and whenever I play a melodic song or movement I've asked them to close their eyes, turn of the lights, and allow their imagination to come alive. Then I've asked them for what they dreamed up, and discovered they have the most wonderful ideas!

RS: Did you ever have to re-learn technique when changing from one teacher to another?

SH: I was incredibly fortunate to have my father as my first teacher. He practiced with me every day and did not let me veer from the right path - ever! Thus I never had technical obstacles in my career.

However when I played the Avery Fisher Stradivari at Juilliard, that was the most challenging period for me. Strads react very differently, and they require a certain coaxing playing style. It took me quite a while to find the colours and expressions I wanted through that Strad. Three years in fact!

RS: You play many of the time-honoured classics in the repertoire, such as the Mendelssohn and the Paganini Caprices, all the big works. I wonder, do you ever change your bowings, fingerings, tempo or general interpretation/feel of a piece by your mood or any outside influences?

SH: I change some bowings and fingerings now and then, and my interpretation is certainly different depending on my life and experiences surrounding the performance.

Every time I perform a piece, no matter how many times I've performed it, I am convinced that THAT interpretation is the only version possible. Then it changes the next day. (She smiles and laughs).

RS: I assume you lead workshops, but do you ever teach privately?

SH: I love teaching. I had a small studio in NY but I could not keep it due to my touring schedule. Students need regular care and I could not do that for them.

RS: What do you think of teaching violin?

SH: I find it one of the most rewarding experiences. Sometimes I teach (students) things I forget myself.

RS: Any exciting projects coming up? I assume you intend to compete for the del Gesu again this year.

SH: I am extremely depressed to say that I am unable to compete for the Del Gesu this year. There is a maximum number of 2 terms you can have on each instrument and my 2 terms are up. I am recording a final solo album this summer at Glenn Gould Studio to say 'farewell.' Until then, I will enjoy every moment I have...

& quot;Adoration, & quot; the Atom Egoyan film I performed all the violin solos on is out in theatres today! And the reviews from Hollywood Reporter & amp; NY Times are fantastic. (She says happily). I'm so pleased!

RS: What's on your iPod right now?

SH: I have perhaps the most eclectic music collection on my iPhone right now. I have everything from my favourite recordings from Kreisler, Heifetz, Rostropovich, Oistrakh... a lot of oldies... to Elvis and the Gypsy Kings!
I find there is so much inspiration in the world... I love being emmersed in culture.

RS: I have to ask this because I write for a magazine that covers all genres. Oh, who am I kidding. Honestly I'm torn between a love for Beethoven and Led Zeppelin: Do you have any musical or artist influences outside of the classical music genre?

SH: I seriously love Elvis. Not like most girls love Elvis. I just find him to be incredibly inspired, original...he had a luscious voice, and he was highly emotional and spontaneous.
I am not certain what part of that influences my music but I certainly intend to transcribe some of his songs for fun!!

RS: Would you share where you think classical music in Canada is headed in the 21st Century? How about worldwide? Is the future bright or is major change needed to keep classical alive and in the concert halls?

SH: I believe classical music (and music in general) is headed back to its organic roots. It has become too elitist and removed from the audience. When all this music was written, musicians would perform in family rooms, saloons, churches...immersed in the community and people. Now it's on top of a stage and the musicians are anonymous.

I'm doing everything I can to reconnect with my audiences and I've heard from so many of them that they truly appreciate it. I am sharing my innermost feelings and thoughts with them through my music...so they should know who I am!

RS: Where would life have taken you had you not played violin?

SH: I cannot imagine my life without music and art. If there wasn't a violin in my life, there would be another form of artistic expression I'd pour my soul into. However, I have always been fascinated by physics, and I love mathematics! Perhaps I would have ventured into those areas because scientists also marry creative and analytical thinking.
And I believe both art and science seek the truth.

RS: Any closing thoughts or feelings you can impart?

SH: I believe music and art has the power to bring people and cultures together and give us a deeper understanding of each other and humanity.

I am tremendously honoured and humbled to be an artist who is dedicated to delivering this bond.

Rhiannon Schmitt operates an eco-friendly and award winning violin shop and serves customers around the world. Visit www.fiddleheads.ca for more articles. Susanne Hou photos by Joanne Anstey.

Baby Schmitt Has a Name!

Sun, 04 May 2008 16:07:17 GMT

It took us a week, but our little one has a name: Elijah "Eli" Zachary Mason Schmitt.

Zachary was the name our son Ryan (age 7 1/2) gave him and Mason is their father's name. It's a big name but we expect Eli will do big things in his life.

No violin in his tiny hands yet, but I play the Beethoven Symphonies for him on a daily basis (and some other stuff for fun- right now it's Aerosmith's Greatest Hits... maybe he'll be a rock fiddler!)

Picture above was taken 4 days after the birth. Other details at http://www.fiddleheads.ca/baby

Thanks to the kind words of congratulations from Violinist.com users on my last posting. We are all so happy to have Eli in the family!

It's a Boy!

Thu, 01 May 2008 20:44:05 GMT

A healthy, beautiful baby boy came into our lives Friday, April 25 at 16:32 PST. More details at http://fiddleheads.ca/baby.html

*Photo shows our little angel at less than 24 hours old.

Baby on the Way and other crazy ventures

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:07:23 GMT

Here's one of a few maternity shots, for those of you keeping track of the bun in the oven. Will send baby pics when baby is more visible... Other pics at www.freestonespirit.ca

My due date is the week after music festival (which I will not be able to attend) and in which 18 students of mine are entered. The kids are on their own this year as I am pretty much on bed rest most days.

A couple weeks after my duedate we start building our new house! Oh, and I just subdivided some land and am selling it and my existing house. See http://www.CanoeHome.com for a peek at our gorgeous house.

If you visit the Living Room page you can drool with me over my new Yamaha C2 baby grand. It cost more than my violin (youch!) but is SO worth it. This piano bench is the only hard surface my pregnant bum is willing to suffer on for hours a day. That's saying something.

My gosh, what a time...

Cheap Violins, Sadly, an Easy Sell for Some

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 04:20:20 GMT

An "interesting" email came in to my violin shop's email today. Person writes, "you really need to look into some cheaper violins for the people who can't spend a whole lot. I'm going to ebay they are waaaay cheaper!"

Wow, this was certainly a first for me. I was shocked by what I took to be an accusation and even more surprised this person took the time to share it with me.

Sadly, I have seen for myself these $20 Ebay deals and have had students skunked by these violins. Usually the shipping (and duty into Canada) is killer and by the time they replace bad parts and get luthier work done they would have been better off with something for more money that sounded better.

Yet it's hard to share that with a player who sees more importance on "cheap" than on quality, and especially considering they will think I'm just biased. Hence I wrote this reply with hopes to explain why I don't sell cheap violins while also letting this person know he or she is most welcome to shop elsewhere:

"Thank you for your feedback.

"I provide the service of providing high quality instruments which meet my high standards as a player. I have made a very conscious effort not to sell lower quality, thus also lower priced, instruments since they can be found easily in so many other places. My business, being more a specialty boutique, also offers exceptional service and support and has many pleased customers who find great value in the service they receive.

"I understand your request but I will not be carrying cheaper violins as I cannot, as a professional teacher, recommend them as suitable or qualified instruments to new players who trust my opinion.

"However, individuals who wish to spend less on a lower priced instrument are most welcome to shop elsewhere as there are many options online. I hope you do locate something to suit your budget and wish you all the best in your music."

Have any other players/teachers experienced the cheap violins as seen on Ebay or Target? Have you had a difficult time explaining to your students or other players why a good violin costs more and why a deal that is "too good to be true" most certainly is?

Finally, should I have just ignored the email? I felt pressured to write something defending my decision not to sell cheap violins, but maybe it's just that I am 8 months pregnant and feeling particularly vulnerable to criticism...

Will be out of the loop article-wise for a while, but wanted to share this among players who hopefully understand my mixed feelings with this email tonight.
-rhi

Intonation: Pitch�s Evil Vendetta with Violinists and String Players

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:24:34 GMT

What is Intonation, What is Good Intonation and Where Can I Get Some?
by Rhiannon Schmitt of Award-Winning Fiddleheads Violin Shop

�Intonation is an evasive quality.�

These are the actual words of a violin customer of mine from Connecticut. The adult player was expressing his love for the instrument he had purchased from me [insert shameless plug for my violin shop] but complaining bitterly that his playing did not do the beautiful violin true justice.

The problem: intonation.

Part I. Intonation Explained

Intonation, in the music world, is a player's realization of pitch accuracy. Simply put, it�s the art of playing �in tune.�

�In tune� is not to be confused with �tone,� which is the overall quality of sound from an instrument ranging from screechy and harsh to sublime and smooth. Intonation is about making each note sound �not too sharp� and �not too flat� but right in that happy middle spot we consider �in tune.�

Still not sure what intonation is? The best way to understand good intonation is to first hear intonation gone wrong. Pop into a family restaurant and observe the entire serving staff presenting a free dessert to some poor schmo accompanied by a rousing but dissonant rendition of �Happy Birthday.�

Hear that nasty top note, the one that precedes the embarassee�s name? That sour note may send chills down your spine since it�s�well, just not in tune. That�s a perfect example of what we musicians call �poor intonation.�

You don�t have to pay for lunch to hear poor intonation. Click through your 500 cable channels to hear any national anthem sung by the crowd at the start of a hockey game or any competitive singing reality show (American Idol, anyone?) to embrace some real bone chilling, �someone needs to shoot that sorry bastard� bad intonation.

A scientific approach to understanding poor intonation would be to type �bad singer� into youtube.com and let the rancid notes sweep you away into intonation oblivion. But I don�t recommend this as it may rub off on you and before you know it you�ll be humiliated in an audition for �America�s Worst Singer� and bludgeoned by various rotten vegetables before the big hook yanks you off the stage.

Now that we have determined what constitutes poor intonation we can get into the meat of the matter. Why is intonation �an evasive quality?�

Well, the average guy bellowing away at a hockey game or in the Idol trials is simply not trained in vocal technique and it can be assumed he or she is unaware of their lack of intonation prowess. Tone-Deaf.

�Tone-Deaf� is a not-very subtle way of saying the guy isn�t just a sucky singer, but he�s also blissfully unaware how bad he is. Tone-deaf singers are like bad drivers; they think they are �excellent,� but do not notice those around them desperately clambering and swerving to get out of their way.

It�s not just the amateurs who are tone deaf. Take the Beach Boys, for example. They had pretty sour intonation and yet no one had the heart to let them know they couldn�t sing in tune. And still they sold over 100 million records, many of which went to oblivious tone-deaf fans. (ouch, that was taking things too far)

Part II. Violinists and Intonation

So if the untrained, tone-deaf singer commits the crime or poor intonation, what is the highly skilled violinist�s excuse for hitting a sour note on occasion?

See, the violin is unfretted. That means, unlike guitarists who can simply place their fingers between two small metal bars embedded under the string and play in perfect tune, the violinist must place her fingers in exactly the right place for it to sound in tune.

If a violinist�s fingertip placement is too high or too low by even a fraction of a centimeter the note will be out of tune. Thus getting it right each and every time is nearly impossible for a new violinist, who struggles for that consistency which is imperative to play in tune.
�Why are a violinists fingers like lightening?�
�They never strike the same spot twice.�

Badda bum!

The secret to good intonation, from beginners to virtuosos, is to be consistent in finger placement. This precision comes from doing it correctly many, many times and letting muscle memory take over.

Many players have been told good intonation means having a good ear. Yes, it is true that a player has to hear when the note has been played out of tune, but if you *hear* the flat or sharp note you have already made the mistake! It then has to be corrected and that�s just not good enough for picky violinists!

Heifetz (my idol) never hit the bad notes because he knew where to put his fingers. He didn't wait until the mistake had happened and heard it to correct it; he played with his fingers precisely where they needed to be.

Thus, Heifetz and other master players who never, or very seldom, ever play a note out of tune are not relying on their ears. If they did the note would be sour and they would then have to correct it. It would be too late. The note was out there, bouncing from the ears of stunned concertgoers to grinning colleagues who want the solo next concert season.

So instead of merely listening master players place their fingers in the right spot and feel for the note. Think of it as feeling around in the dark for the light switch of a new house. It�s difficult at first, but after years of living in the same space a person becomes very adept at knowing exactly where the switch is.

If, in an unusual circumstance, a player doesn�t hit the note dead-on, he can then correct it. But guaranteed we would hear about it the next day in a scathing newspaper review of the performance. The criticism at the top level is that harsh that a missed note can be a detrimental mistake.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, student violinists sometimes rely on markers on their fingerboards as indications where to place their fingers. Teachers use these stickers and tapelines as effective teaching tools, but often a player gets hung up in looking at the fingerboard for visual proof the note is in tune. This is just as useless as waiting for the note to go wrong before fixing it.

I apply small sticker dots to my students� violins only with players who first need to train their ear. After all, we do not spring from the womb ready to discern a perfect B-flat on demand. An ear must be trained and know when a note is too sharp or too flat.

Once a player uses the dots to hear good pitch and feel the proper hand position it is time to remove the dots and play without. These dots can be overused by some players and need to be removed so the student can learn to be confident without the visual aid. Keeping dots beyond the beginner phase in violin playing would be like competing in the Tour de France with training wheels.

Before a player starts gumming up her fingerboard with stickers the first start is to have a very consistent and proper violin hold. A very supportive shoulder rest helps immensely with this. If your violin is held in the same place, allowing your left hand to be in the same, and correct, position each time you play it's only a matter of placing your fingers down enough times to memorize the feeling of intonation.

As for exercizes to improve intonation, a scale is the best bet. It�s simple and the bow arm is left to the simple task of playing up and down; nothing fancy. Listen closely and correct any rogue notes. But how you correct them is the key.

While you play the note, listen carefully or use a chromatic tuner to tell you if the note is in tune. Most tuners have a needle or green light to indicate the note was in tune. If the pitch is in tune feel free to move on to the next step in the scale. [I recommend and sell the Intelli Metronome/Chomatic Tuner]

However, if a note is not in tune, don�t just slide around until it�s good. When you do this you are telling your hand or finger it is okay to be out of position and you will just fix it on the fly. Teach your hand to be consistent and to get the note right the first time.

So don�t fix the note by sliding the finger around searching for the right pitch. Instead remove your left hand from the violin. Shake it out. Place it again in what feels like the right position and try the note again.

Continue this pattern until your note is on key. Train your whole hand to be in the right place and to nail the notes without fumbling around searching. It works wonders.

With a little aptitude and a LOT of practice any musician can learn to create music in tune. It does come quicker to some players than others, but we�re not playing violin so we can be on TV making record deals and breaking champagne glasses, are we? Take your time and develop your music into something worthy of a polished violinist.

Or don�t. There�s some good money in not-quite hitting the high notes!

Rhiannon Schmitt operates award-winning and eco-friendly Fiddleheads Violins in BC, Canada and at http://www.fiddleheads.ca. Her online shop offers the finest violins, bows, support and purchasing advice for string players in the interior of BC and is the choice of players around North America and the world.

Carol or Song? The Modern Christmas Music Catalog Has Many Options to Enjoy

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 09:47:04 GMT

by Rhiannon Schmitt of Award-Winning Fiddleheads Violin Shop

I returned home from a long, windy drive on wet fall roads to visit relatives to a purring cat and warm home; both happy to greet me at the door. Moments later the power flickered off; the cat ran outside in a panic and the heat from my furnace skulked away without a sound.

Pitch-blackness was broken slightly by the countless strands of Christmas lights jeering at me from neighbours� rooftops.

�We still have power!�

The electrons did not flow into a few homes on my block for several hours. The entire time I fumbled my way around in near darkness while others in my immediate community showed off their electrical prowess via seasonal decorations placed up nearly two months early.

What nerve, I thought verbally to my husband, of these people to have their lights up so darn early. We still have Halloween decorations in the yard and these people think it�s Christmas. He not so delicately pointed out to me that I shouldn�t talk; that I had been teaching my violin students Christmas music for a week.

Touch�.

In my and all other music teachers� defense, it is necessary to start learning Christmas music early in order to have the music well rehearsed in time for performances around the 25th of December. Because, really, who wants to hear an hour of ill-practiced and nastily out-of-tune Christmas carols. Or is it Christmas Songs?

Christmas music lives a double life in our society. There are two definite categories: songs and carols. Usually songs that are traditional and carry a religious, sacred theme relevant to the holiday are considered carols.

Some examples of carols are the time-honoured favourites from England and Europe brought to North America ages ago such as �Silent Night� and �O Christmas Tree� (Germany), "Angels We Have Heard on High" and �Angels from the Realms of Glory� (France), and �Joy to the World� and �God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen� (England).

Many carols originated as Hymns sung in church services, such as �O come, O come, Emmanuel,� which is actually an advent hymn. Flip through the Christmas section of a standard church hymnal and you may find not only Christmas Hymns, but also many classic carols.

Christmas carolers who venture out into the cold night air to spend a little Christmas cheer tend to sing the carols. The common repertoire features, in addition to the tunes already mentioned above, �Away in a Manger,� �Good King Wenceslas,� �Bring a Torch,� �Coventry Carol,� �Huron Carol,� �The First Noel� and countless others.

More recently and mostly introduced in popular media such as film and album releases are Christmas songs which refer directly to the holiday, but are not of a religious nature and cannot be considered carols due to their "secular," or non-religious, nature. This is the defining characteristic of a Christmas �song� rather than a carol: secular, non-sacred.

Many Christmas-related songs found an eager audience with the advent of radio and television in the 1940�s-1960�s with jazzy pop tunes like �Rockin� Around the Christmas Tree,� �It�s Beginning to Look Like Christmas� and �Jingle Bell Rock.� The tradition continues even today as recording artists vie for the top spot for most popular new Christmas song of the year.

A frequent topic in many new Christmas songs is the theme of Santa Claus, the modern day Saint Nicholas meets corny Coca-Cola mascot. Here�s how we came to know the snappy tunes of �Here Comes Santa Claus,� �Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer,� �Santa Claus is Coming to Town� and, shudder, �Santa Baby.�

Now we get into a subset of the Christmas songs catalog: songs which we associate with Christmas, but which never mention the event itself. What? A Christmas song without mentioning Christmas? Take a listen to �Jingle Bells,� �Winter Wonderland,� �Sleigh Ride� and �Let it Snow� and you will realize these tunes never once mention the sacred holiday. These are really just �winter songs,� yet we still consider them of the Christmas genre.

Then we have the cheesiest and silliest of Christmas music: the novelty song. Titles such as �The Chipmunk Song,� �All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth� and any number of goofy parodies of �The Twelve Days of Christmas.� Classy gems which will stand the tests of time, I am sure.

There is a split in our culture between what constitutes the best music for the season. Ask a 5-year-old to sing a Christmas song and they will chirp out a popular tune, like �Jingle Bells,� over sacred carol. Then much of the older generation and religious population prefer carols as they are not only sacred in meaning but do not �cheapen� the holiday with silly irrelevance to the true meaning of Christmas.

I see the point. �Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer� holds very little spiritual meaning and provides absolutely no respects to the birth of Christ, but it gets a lot of airplay and makes a lot of money.

That�s what it�s about. Making money. $$$ Halloween has hardly faded and already we find ourselves wandering aimlessly through the local shopping center with Christmas music wafting into our unsuspecting ears or hearing distant sleigh bells on a television commercial for clumping kitty litter. Big business want us to get into the �spirit of spending� and the music is a proven trigger for our gullible minds.

This isn�t to say I don�t love Christmas music. I enjoy the carols and songs as much as anyone, if not more since I have the pleasure of playing them as a musician. But I enjoy Christmas music in moderation.

We are inundated with Christmas music for two full months in our cars, homes, workplaces and even while on hold on the phone. There are even Christmas ringtones and greeting cards that carol to us when we open them. I�m holding out for a toothbrush that sings carols, as performed by some former American Idol, in our inner ears as we clean our chompers.

The media knows the Christmas music works in brining in the cash, but they also understand the need to keep everyone happy. Hence many radio stations, television networks and other media carefully craft their programming to feature music from the two main genres of sacred and secular.

Many more clever programmers also save some of the non-Christmas �winter� songs for the week after December 25 to keep the spending spirit alive and well. This also wards off the complaints of playing Christmas music past season.Sometimes music which is associated New Year's Day and Hanukkah will also be in the airwaves to keep things fresh.

As my violin students rehearse music for the pending season I feel cheery and thankful. Cheery for the jolly melodies swimming in my ears and thankful that there is so much to choose from to keep from going crazy on �Jingle Bells� alone.
Also thankful that the power has stayed on so I could finish my monthly music column!

(Thank you BC Hydro Crews! You are heroes of the modern age!)

SHAMELESS PLUG: Rhiannon Schmitt operates eco-friendly and award-winning Fiddleheads Violin Shop in Canoe, BC, and online at http://www.fiddleheads.cawww.Fiddleheads.ca. Here's the shameless Christmas Plug: Violins, bows, Christmas music books and much more can be delivered before December 25 by shopping online or contacting Fiddleheads.

Once Upon A Time There Was a Young Violinist and a Wonderful Piece of Symphonic Music�

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 06:14:29 GMT

A Violin Teacher Witnesses Her Former Young Student Tackling Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade" and Provides Interesting History on the Piece

I began teaching Rory Cleveland violin when I first moved to my small town in 1999. Rory was my first student here and an enthusiastic and tomboyish 6-year-old who loved to play the fast notes and fiddle tunes. She grew over the next several years in lessons into a dedicated �practicer,� a seasoned performer and confident musician.

Rory is now in her second year as Concertmaster of the local community/school district orchestra and is working at attaining her classical conservatory levels with a new teacher. At only fourteen years of age this former fiddler�s been handed a substantial challenge: to play violin with the Okanagan Symphony in an upcoming concert featuring, among other works, �Scheherazade� by Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov.

But before we get into the piece, you need to know a little background on the story it was inspired by. The story of �A Thousand and One Arabian Nights,� as told by me, goes something like this:

Once upon a time there was a Shahryar, or Sultan, who was horribly betrayed by his wife. This hurt and angered him so much that every day after that he married a virgin and sent yesterday's wife to be done-in. Okay, not a great start to a story, but it does get better.

The Sultan had done this for some time to countless women when he learned his vizier, a sort-of Arabian personal assistant, had a daughter of marrying age: the beautiful Scheherazade. (pronounced �shuh-hair-uh-zod�)

Though her father, naturally, protested her casually agreeing to spend the evening with the Sultan, Schherazade was no dummy. She had studied the books and legends of preceding Kings and their history. She knew poetry and song and could recite anything by heart. And she was incredibly cunning, yet so refined and well-mannered few knew of her cunning, especially the brutish Sultan.

On what would have been her final night alive Scheherazade begged permission to bid farewell to her little sister, who had secretly been prepared to ask Scheherazade to tell a story during the long night.

The Sultan listened with childlike awe to Scheherazade's story and asked for another, but Scheherazade yawned at the rising sun and said there was no time. Which was too bad, because the next story was even better!

This trick continued another one thousand and one nights and three sons later! (They must have done more than tell stories in those hot, Arabian nights). In those years the Sultan had been more than merely entertained by tales of heroism and passion: He was educated in morality, kindness and love. He then took Scheherazade to be his queen and they lived happily ever after!

You can see that writing music to convey this passionate and colourful story of enourmous scope would be no small task. But Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov�s work lives up to the legend and has become a legend in itself.

Scheherazade, Op. 35, is a symphonic suite composed by Rimsky-Korsakov in 1888. Based on �The Book of One Thousand and One Nights,� the work is scored for full symphony orchestra including strings, winds, percussion and harp. This is no small request of your typical orchestra. The piece, therefore, is not performed as often as we would like due to the demands it places on staffing an orchestra.

Plus, the piece is no Mozart serenade. With a whopping performance length of around 45 minutes the work is a formidable challenge to the musicians who must battle with frequent time and key changes as well as Rimsky-Korsakov�s nutty-fast rhythms and articulations.

The suite consists of four equally stunning and difficult movements with the titles �I. The Sea and Sinbad's Ship,� �II. The Kalendar Prince,� �III. The Young Prince and The Young Princess� and �IV. Festival At Baghdad. The Sea. The Ship Breaks against a Cliff Surmounted by a Bronze Horseman.�

Okay, so it sounds intimidating. You can�t expect a formidable Russian compostion to have movement titles like, �Allegretto Minuetto.� But the music itself is not intimidating but is rather welcoming and, I am fighting my instinct to avoid the word, �magical.� It is magical.

The piece tells a story with musical notes rather than spoken or written word. But this is because Scheherazade was composed as programme music, or musical story-telling. Unlike opera or oratorio, where lyrics and, in the case of opera, props and costumes are used to tell the story, programme music relies completely on the melody and harmony to convey story and symbolism.

Some famous programme music pieces include Vivaldi�s �Four Seasons� which take the listener on a seasonal tour of rustic Italy and Saint Saen�s �Carnival of the Animals,� a whimsical jaunt composed for his young music students.

Still don�t understand programme music? Just think of a loud cymbal crash preceded by a lightening fast minor scale played by agitated strings to denote a musical storm and you get the idea.

The musical theme opening the first movement represents the domineering Sultan played by loud, booming brass in unision. But soon we hear a striking and poignant theme played by violin and harp that reappears in each movement: the theme of the storyteller herself, Scheherazade.

What makes Scheherazade brilliant is that the piece is a story telling a story. In this musical story we hear the storyteller, Scheherazade, �speaking� then her story continues as the piece moves on. In the swirls of notes we hear what could have been a thousand different stories of conflict, passion, love and heroism.

The work is particularly meaningful to me as the first time I remember having heard any of it was the night my grandmother passed away. It was days after my twelfth birthday and a close friend wanted to console me with a student recital where she was playing flute. I sat and listened in awe to a student clarinet duo play a simplified version of the theme to �The Young Prince and the Young Princess.�

My eyes welled up with tears, not for the loss of my grandma, but for the absolute stunning beauty in the graceful melody: it touched my heart. The music seemed to heal my pain and made what would have been a tragic night a peaceful one. I saved up babysitting money and bought a cassette tape recording of the piece and was hooked for life. A few months later I started playing violin and consider Scheherazade to be one of my inspirations for playing this lovely instrument.

I always loved and listened to Scheherazade and during my teen years I vowed I would listen to the entire work on my wedding night. Grudgingly my husband went along with my girlie request and has since taken to whistling bits of it from time to time. It�s catchy stuff!

So it is with great anticipation that I talk to my former student about her experiences learning the piece for performance. Rory, like most others, had also heard Scheherazade in segments before but never knew the title. She does recall that when she heard it she knew it was something she hoped she would perform someday and that time has come.

Rory is looking forward to playing this piece and especially playing with a symphony orchestra. She is anticipates hearing �the full sound of a real well put-together orchestra with the leadership of professional violinists.�

She went on to say, �I like all the movements because, though they are all different, they all have different variations of the theme in them. I think my favorite movement is the fourth one because I feel that it�s the most exciting and that it�s moving forward.�

When asked if other children would enjoy the piece she quipped, �It depends on the kid but if children are gonna be able to sit through any music with out falling asleep it would be the Scheherazade because it is interesting and there is always a melody �talking.��

Too true. The piece is on the long side, even for an adult listener, but knowing the storyline makes every moment of music a story to imagine. Parents of young listeners can whisper a narrative to make the piece more enjoyable and to stimulate imaginations.

Rory agrees that children, particularly musicians, will find it inspiring to witness other young people performing this piece.

�To see kids play such an amzing full difficult piece is inspiring �cause it kinda shows that they can reach any level (of musicianship) if they practice,� she said.

Which leads to the dedication Rory has had to show to keep up with the rest of the orchcestra, let alone the piece!

�It is a responsibility to say that you are going to play it cause you have to commit to it 100%,� she said. �You cant just say �I will practice once a week.� I have to practise everyday. It has to look perfect and sound perfect when you perform it or else you embarrass yourself and let down the whole orchestra. You can tell when someone isn�t doing their part!�

Rory enjoys rehearsals as she always feels like she has �accomplished something at the end,� but it is also a tough proposition to make the many rehearsals. �I�m very tired �cause it is a 2 hour drive (each way) for us. I have to eat in the car and do my homework in the car until I get carsick. I get home at 11:00 pm.�

Rory finished with music to my violin teacher ears: �Practice-wise all I have to say is two words: metronome and recording. I think i finally realized the importance of using a metronome. You also need to listen to recording of thesong �cause you get a sense of the song and what is going on in the orchestra the whole time so you understand your part better.�

So, Rory, my dear, we look forward to enjoying your and the orchestra�s efforts in the upcoming concerts! Thanks for your dedication to the music and for recreating a piece which means so much to your first teacher and fellow violinist!

FAIRY TALES & FABLES with the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra (British Columbia, Canada)

"Come along for the ride as we �Chase the Sun� in some cool road music for orchestra by T.Patrick Carrabre. Delight in Prokofiev�s beloved classic �Peter and the Wolf� narrated by Global TV�s Tony Parsons. We close with Rimsky Korsakov�s orchestral blockbuster �Scheherazade."" www.okanagansymphony.com

November 17th, 8:00 pm: Kelowna Community Theatre. Tickets 250.860.147

November 18th, 7:00 pm: Vernon Performing Arts. Tickets 250.549.7469.