The First Concert: Students and Teachers and the Bonds we Share
As violin (indeed as all instrumental) teachers I think it is natural to become fond of and develop bonds with our students in a way that is maybe not the case with teachers of certain other subjects. I am sure that my own experience in this matter will resonate with many others in my position. Learning an instrument requires an intellectual, physical and emotional response from both teacher and student that becomes symbiotic.
Our job goes beyond just teaching our students the violin; it is also about helping them to appreciate and understand music in general, hopefully inspiring them to develop a genuine love of music and the instrument they have chosen. I have memories of the teachers that inspired and guided me and I want to try to be that person for the students who come to me. Keep reading...
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Violinist.com Interviews, Volume 2: Violinist.com editor Laurie Niles' second book features exclusive, one-on-one interviews conducted over the last six years with 26 of today's best-known violinists, including Midori, Gil Shaham, Hilary Hahn, James Ehnes, Rachel Barton Pine, Augustin Hadelich, Ray Chen, Daniel Heifetz, Jennifer Koh and Lindsey Stirling. Amazon.com (Ad)
V.com weekend vote: Franco-Belgian, Russian or other bow hold?
How do you hold your bow? And are you aware of the history behind that bow hold?
There are two bow holds that are the most common: the Franco-Belgian bow hold and the Russian bow hold. (Incidentally, I call it a bow "hold," not a "grip," because none of us should be "gripping" the bow, as that implies holding it very tightly!)
A quick and by no means encyclopedic explanation: The Franco-Belgian bow hold was taught be some of the 20th century's most important teachers, including Josef Gingold, Ivan Galamian and Shinichi Suzuki -- and that means that many of today's most accomplished violinists have this bow hold: Joshua Bell, Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman are just a few. The Franco-Belgian hold involves a bent/flexible thumb, a pinkie that is curved and active, two middle fingers draped around the stick, and the pointer touching the bow stick between the middle two joints.
The Russian bow hold was very famously used by Jascha Heifetz and Nathan Milstein. It involves a bow hand that is very pronated, leaning toward the pointer finger, with a straight pinkie.
Being sort of a Galamian/Gingold "grand-student," I definitely use a Franco-Belgian bow hold. There are other kinds of bow holds -- I've heard of German and French, but I have not found a definitive description of these. Please share, if you know!
What kind of bow hold do you use? Please participate in the vote, and if your bow hold is not listed, please describe for us your bow hold.
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Joshua Bell, James Ehnes and Christina Day Martinson nominated for 2019 Grammys
Congratulations to violinists Joshua Bell, James Ehnes and Christina Day Martinson, who each were nominated for awards in the 61st Annual Grammys, which will take place in February.
All nominees were announced Friday morning by the Recording Academy; click here for a complete list of Classical Grammy nominations for 2019.
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