The Week in Hope-Inspiring Spontaneous Music Online, Op. 11
Eleven weeks into this feature, and it’s crystal clear that concert artists and orchestral musicians have stayed active during quarantine. What may not have been as evident is that composers, teachers, students, and amateurs have also been playing their part to keep music alive.
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Making Staccato Scratch-Free - Assorted Unwritten Rules for Violinists
We’ve all heard the saying "music is an international language," and that idea might be applied to our early instruction, when it comes to the bow. No matter the language, or whether it is spoken in a matter-of-fact or creative and whimsical way, the same rules apply, when it comes to the bow:
- To play louder, add more pressure and/or speed and/or play closer to the bridge.
- Play "into" the string.
- Don’t squeeze the stick.
- Move the bow parallel to the bridge.
Just to be clear, these words of wisdom made a big difference in my playing. They were a starting point, giving me a large degree of form and foundation when I was eight years old.
When it came to the short and articulated notes known as staccato, however, I needed a different set of rules than those for the smoother detaché bowing. Keep reading...
V.com weekend vote: Is it all right for teachers post videos of their young students online?
It seems innocent enough: a teacher is proud of a student, so he or she posts a video of a performance or lesson to Youtube or Facebook. Or the teacher would like some advice from other experts or colleagues: How do I help this student? How can I get this child to hold the bow properly? Have you ever seen this problem before? But how much are we considering the privacy rights of children, when posting videos of their performances or of their lessons? Quite frankly, how much are we considering their feelings? Please share your thoughts about teachers posting videos of young students (under age 12)? Under what conditions is it all right? Or is it ever all right?
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Fiddler's Favorite Recipes Episode 24: Lara St. John's Boeuf Bourguignon
This next episode is one of my all time favorite meals... a delicious Boeuf Bourguignon! We have Lara St. John to thank, not only for a great recipe but also for her fabulous cinematography. Throughout these past few months, Lara has been beyond generous with her culinary skills, cooking up big batches of Spätzle and delivering her homemade soup to help bring comfort during these difficult times. Thank you, Lara, for your generosity -- and bon appétit !
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Discover the best of Violinist.com in these collections of editor Laurie Niles' exclusive interviews.
Violinist.com Interviews Volume 1, with introduction by Hilary Hahn
Violinist.com Interviews Volume 2, with introduction by Rachel Barton Pine
