Demand for Live Music is High; What It Means for You
A recent New York Times article reported a boom in attendance for big concert acts and a high current demand for live music. I've noticed high turnout and engagement at my own shows, and seen many musician friends and colleagues out on the road, working harder than ever.
What could this mean for you?
- If you're a professional performer, you could book/promote shows to new audiences.
- If you're an amateur, it could be time to organize a jam session or house concert series.
- If you teach, you might organize/promote/attend concerts with students in new ways.
- Other? Leave a comment if you have another take on this.
If I were trying to convince venues to book a show right now, or trying to get people to buy tickets, I would overtly reference the trend: "Have you heard? Demand for live music is up. Want to book a show/buy a ticket?"
If I were trying to convince venues to book a show right now, or trying to get people to buy tickets, I would overtly reference the trend: "Have you heard? Demand for live music is up. Want to book a show/buy a ticket?" Keep reading...
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V.com weekend vote: What kind of ear protection do you use (if any)?
Do you use ear protection when you play? If so, what kind, and how frequently do you use it?
This topic came up in a recent discussion thread from a member who has started practicing with earplugs, due to hearing loss.
It is a serious topic, and we play an instrument that sits right next to the ear, making a rather piercing sound. Violinists can also experience situations in performance where the surrounding decibels get to damaging levels - whether it is from sitting in proximity to a piccolo or horn or drums in a large orchestra, playing an amplified pops concert or being in a band.
Do you have a way of reducing the decibels and protecting your ears, when playing? Is it something you do frequently? Or have you never felt the need to use ear protection? Please participate in the vote and then share your experiences in the comments section.
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For the Record, Op. 246: Viano Quartet; Agata-Maria Raatz; cellist Clancy Newman
Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening!
Portraits
Viano Quartet
Lucy Wang, violin
Hao Zhou, violin
Aiden Kane, viola
Tate Zawadiuk, cello
The Viano Quartet concludes its residency at the Curtis Institute (2021-2023) with the release of its debut album on Curtis Studio – the school's new recording label. The recording captures their performances of movements from four iconic works from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries: the first and last movements from Schubert’s "Death and the Maiden"; the second movement from Florence Price’s quartet in G major; Tchaikovsky’s slow movement from his String Quartet No. 1 and the first movement from Ginastera’s Quartet No. 1. "The first movement of Schubert’s ‘Death and the Maiden’ is a profound battle between light and dark, and we aim to convey this narrative through every note," read the liner notes. "The finale is a tarantella, which is a dance of hysteria, that victims experience upon being bitten by a venomous tarantula." BELOW: Schubert's Quartet No. 14, "Death and the Maiden" in D Minor, D. 810: I. Allegro.
Keep reading...
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Charles Avsharian: 10-Minute Violin Teaching Strategies
You may know him as the co-founder of Shar Music, but Charles Avsharian is also a violin pedagogue who has taught for 60 years, having studied as a youth with the great Ivan Galamian.
Last spring at the American String Teachers Association conference in Orlando, Florida, Avsharian gave a talk describing "10-Minute Teaching Strategies" - ways to get to the heart of the issue, simplify and teach a violin student what he or she needs to know.
He talked about lesson strategies as well as specifics about the bow arm, violin hand, and how to practice. Here is some of the wisdom he shared:
General Lesson Strategies
First: invest in a mirror for your studio, so that you can teach your students to use the mirror to analyze their own playing. It helps to see what you are doing!
When teaching a private lesson, Avsharian advised that teachers "only work on one issue at a time, whether it's Twinkle or the Shostakovich concerto."
In other words, "if working on producing an ideal sound, do not also comment, 'That’s out of tune,' or 'Hold your violin up,' or 'There is a better fingering'.... deal only on the issue of sound," he said. "Conversely, if intonation is the issue, no commenting about sound, shifting, posture..."
When a student is playing, don't constantly interrupt their playing to interject instructions. "Once they start playing, let them play it straight through," he said. Changes have to come gradually. "Don't dramatically change everything the student is doing," he said.
During the lesson, "look at your student's hands and never stop looking," he said. "Galamian never took his eyes off the student." Not only does that kind of focus and attention help the teacher analyze the student's motions, but also "it's flattering to the student - the student knows that the teacher has nothing else on his mind." Keep reading...
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