January 2011

V.com weekend vote: Was starting violin lessons your decision, or someone else's decision?

January 28, 2011 13:05

Who made the decision that you would have violin lessons? You? Your parents? Someone else?

As for me, I begged my mom, each step of the way: first to allow me to try the violin at school, then to take private lessons, then more private lessons, etc.

Thanks to Suzuki, many people are so young when they start that it's more of a parent's decision. Still, I've met a few three-year-olds who had the crazy idea all on their own and kept pestering mom and dad until it happened! How was it with your decision to play the violin?

BTW, Thanks to V.com member Jim Hastings for letting me use his discussion idea for the Weekend Vote!

32 replies | Archive link

V.com weekend vote: Is your violin from a different country than you are?

January 21, 2011 11:58

Violins are more than vehicles for music -- they are also objects with intrinsic worth as art. A handmade fiddle already went through much before it ever made a sound: from seed to tree, standing and growing through weather and seasons, then into the luthier's studio, where it was shaved, molded, varnished, etc.

Where was your fiddle born, in what country? What continent? Was it a different country than your own?

For me, the answer is "yes." I have three fiddles: one came to America from Germany, on a ship with my great-grandparents. It's a factory fiddle, a Strad copy. Another, the Gagliano I use daily, is from Italy. Yet another, my group-class teaching fiddle, is a Kono violin from Tokyo.

How about you? Please answer the poll for your primary violin, and then use the comment section to tell about all your fiddle (or fiddles) and how far they traveled to reach your hands.

54 replies | Archive link

More entries: December 2010

January 2011

V.com weekend vote: Was starting violin lessons your decision, or someone else's decision?

V.com weekend vote: Is your violin from a different country than you are?

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