April 2006

Austin Symphony / Hillary Hahn report & Picture

April 15, 2006 08:17

So we made it to the symphony. I picked up the girls in Houston from the airport and drove to Brian Duckworth's violin shop in New Braunfels, TX to pick up a repaired violin.

The girls were very excited and told me about their first violin lessons. (3 hours in the car), Macalah (7) has learned the G, D, A, & E possitions and the rythyms, "Fiddle", "Macalah", "Peperoni" & "Peperoni Pizza". Sascha (11) has learned "Fiddle", "Violin", "Peperoni" & "Peperoni Pizza" and has started on Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. During the drive we alternated listening to the first 2 Suzuki CD's a Bow Fire CD and XM 115 "Radio Disney".

Mr. Duckworth as always was very hospitable and played a bit for the girls which they loved. Worked on their bow grips and let them play a mandolyn and a base.

As we left he gave them two copies Teen Strings free of charge (very kind).

Then it was off to Austin to pick up shoes and go home. I won't bore you with the details, but suffice to say, Dad's shouldn't take daughters shopping for shows for formal events. :) They did get some nice summer sandals, but it took an hour and 1/2.

On the car ride home, Sascha, while reading the Teen Strings Magazine got very excited by an article on Busking and an article written by Hillary Hahn on selecting and working with teachers. Sascha then determined that she would get Hillary to sign it.

We got home at 4:00 PM (I started at 5:30 AM). Relaxed for an hour and went off the dinner at Caprice Cafe on 10th & Lamar. We had 6:00 PM reservations and got there right on time. Dinner was incredible and I highly recommend the restuarant. Entree's run $15.00 to $30.00 and the food is incredible.

We got to the Bass Concert Hall at 7:30 and settled into the performance after buying a CD.

The performance was great. The first piece was Cantius Arcticus (reading from the program as I'm relatively new to classical music). The Symphony had an add on electic audio of live birds, which I'm not sure yet sat well with me. Then Violin COncert in A minor, Op. 82.

Hillary then did and incredible solo, that I"m told is rarely performed, I don't recall the name of piece but it was breath taking.

Sascha was totally enamored. Macalah liked the symphony, but after 14 hours of flying and driving she was truly spent.

We decided to leave after intermission and let Sascha get her magazine and CD signed. Hillary was very nice to her, spoke with her for a few minutes and was surpised to the see the article (she hadn't seen it yet). She agreed to take a picture with Sascha after she was done singing things for people.

After the signing she stayed behind as the orchestra went to play, and talked with Sascha for 15 minutes or so, encouraged her to practice and also reviewed the article (She hadn't seen it). She told Sascha about how surprised she was they hadn't changed anything in the article and chatted a bit. Then we took the picture and left.

Great night all in all!

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Going to the Symphony....

April 12, 2006 15:16

My two daughters who live in Raceland, Louisiana with their mother are coming to visit me for Easter. They just started Violin last week. Sascha is 11 and Macalah is 7.

They are very excited to show me their stuff.

So I got us tickets to go see Hillary Hahn and the Austin Symphony on Friday Night. Should be great fun.

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April 12, 2006 07:24

Showed my CEO a violin the other day and he showed me how he improvizes to MP3's/Midi files. It was amazing to watch him harmonize with the music.

He has an incredible ability to play by ear and express himself.

I aspire to obtain that ability.

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April 9, 2006 20:06

Here are some pictures of my new violin (with the knilling perfection pegs). Any comments or thoughts would be welcome.

I'm enjoying playing it a great deal, but am trying to learn a bit about visually identifying violins such as the scroll look etc...

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April 9, 2006 17:56

Got more Pizzacato into today watching Memoirs of a Geisha. Will proabably do a bit during the Sopranos.

I really feel like I've Etude down from a gross movement perspective, now I need to work on Speed, precision and tone. The scales are a bit rough.

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The joy of Pizzacato!

April 9, 2006 00:13

Today I embraced Pizzacato. I've not used it much before other than to sample doing it once or twice, but I was working with a friend doing all day today and it basically require only my verbal input.

I pizzacatoed all day working on Etude and Ashokan farwell, I bet I got 5 hours of practice in off and on.

It was fun and I've really got the tunes in my mind now.

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April 7, 2006 16:32

So, now I'm fully back in the saddle. I'm playing about 2-3 hours a day. I find it very relaxing about 30 to 45 minutes in the morning and about 2 hours at night. I play for about 20 minute spurts, then take an e-mail brake for 5 to 10 minutes and back to it, so I'm probably playing about 2 hours a day in truth.

I've got to where I can get thru Etude (Suzuki I, excercise 12) slowly and steadily, I have a little discomfort getting my L2 position to play C Natural.

I've memorized Ashokan Farewell, I'm 90% Memorized for Etude. I will work on Rising Sun Blues for my next fun Piece and hope to have a good foundation for Etude.

Major epiphany in learning to work on using the inside corner with my left fingers to press the strings (edge of the finger nearest the thumb) and to keep a gentle curve in each finger. Seems to be a little more efficient, I'm working on it.

Played my Czech beater Violin in the office today (I leave it there). I have definately become a violin snob. The Max Shaeffer, Shop made violin blows it away hands down!

It's a great violin in itself though. It's taken some beatings and seems to have some history.

I'm going to take it home and put some better fine tuners on it and maybe swap out the chin rest and tail piece.

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Got the Violin Back...

April 6, 2006 18:46

So I got the violin back with the pegs installed. What the Luthier meant was he applies a spiral bushing apparently putting some shavings into the original peg whole cause the knilling pegs where a little smaller on the exit holes, so he didn't cut new holes! Whew!

Now I'm dealing with new strings. I put on some Infield Reds, played for about an hour, they were stretching and out of tune, I guess it takes a bit to for them to settle in.

I wonder how long?

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Bushing the Horror!

April 4, 2006 13:25

Dropped my new violin off to get Knilling Pegs installed at Violins etc... Called Kyle the Luthier/Repair person to see if it was done. He informed it would not be done today, he had to bush the peg holes. The holes where bigger than the Knilling Pegs.

I told him they had bigger peg sizes, he told me he didn't have those in stock so decided to bush them.

Is this typical? Is bushing a brand new violin a sound thing to do? Do people do that sort of surgery on an advanced violin with out asking first?

It seems to me like a mechanic re-building a carbeurator, when you took your car in for a tune up with out asking?

I think I'll post this for discussion too.
Is it usually expensive? I was a little horrified on the call and didn't think to ask about it. I wanted to calm down first.

Jason

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Violins on E-bay... (Sigh)

April 3, 2006 16:56

I have to say, I've been burned twice know. The Russian violin came with several open seams, and cracks, even though it was supposed to have none. The pictures that show on e-bay are of the sides not cracked :(.

I'm working know with the seller to make an insurance claim as it was "possibly" damaged in shipping.

C'est La Vie.

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Good Bye Morgan Monroe

April 3, 2006 12:51

Just put my Morgan Monroe Bean Blossom up on E-bay it closes in a few hours. I'm amazed at my lack of remorse at seeing it go as I replace it with the Russian Style Violin.

I really did not care for it as it was Korean, factory made and glaze coating on the neck.

I wonder if I'm becoming a Violin Snob :)

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Getting Knilling Perfection Pegs!

April 3, 2006 12:49

So I just dropped off my new violin at Violins etc... to get Knilling Pefection Pegs installed. I really love those things. No fine tuners, now slipping pegs.

Additionally, as a Novice player, I find it impossible to tune with out fine tuners, just Pegs really takes the life out of me. Moving back and forth etc... Especially since I'm somewhat neurotic and need to have it exactly in the right spot on the Tuner to be satisfied.

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More entries: August 2006 • March 2006