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January 14, 2009 at 5:10 PM

Ok, so my last blog stirred up quite the discussion. It was not meant to be about overall improvement on the violin. I consciously know that I improve everytime I pick up the violin. It was more about how much I love the violin and how I want to play it well, though it often feels as if it alludes me. Of course, I want to go to grad school and work with a teacher there but the pieces I've been working on since June are not ready, though I could concievably have another 2 months before I have to audition. A major part of the reason why I'm having so much trouble is for reasons I cannot mention here because it is such a public forum of discourse which ANYONE could read. Over the summer, I became positive that I could accomplish what I wanted in the next 5 months. My summer teacher was wonderful, pull of positive teaching and positive energy. I felt as if I could accomplish anything with him. The teacher is completely essential to the students positive thinking. Read into that how you will.

Taking a year off from rep (or at least the advanced rep) is what I see as needed. The teacher I had a lesson with said that a strong technique is the secret and the short-cut to playing the advanced violin literature. Working on nothing but etudes and scales for the next 8 months would drastically improve my technique and allow me to be ready grad schools next year. Also, I would like to apply to the most prestigious programs I can and only one of the schools I've applied to really fits that bill (Bowling Green). I have about a 50/50 shot of getting in there as I play right now. Though, I must say that UNI seems to be a very much underatted school as the violin teacher there is really quite good and the level of the program is high. It doesn't carry with it name recognition most likely because it is not a major university. As much as I hate it, the name of where you went to school often carries more weight than how you play or teach for that matter.

i would love to go to Bowling Green or UNI because I think I would recieve outstanding violin teaching at either school (same with USD). Both of the teachers there seem highly qualified and competent. However, at both schools, the teachers seem concerned with that fact that I'm still working on the basics of rhythmic control and pitch accuracy. I will be the first to admit that some of this is my fault but it has greatly improved since even six months ago. My rhythm problem really centers on the fact that I have a difficult time keeping a constant inner pulse that is same throughout. It's not always that my rhythm is wrong, its that I actually change tempos. When it comes to intonation, I can play in tune slowly through medium fast tempos, but after that it becomes somewhat shaky. My tone production is good, but my bow planning and distribution needs work.

From Karen Allendoerfer
Posted on January 14, 2009 at 8:26 PM

Andrew, one remark in the comments to your previous blog really stood out to me: where you said your technique was inconsistent. One day right on, the next day not.

I don't know you, and I may be reading too much into your blog, but some of my experience in neuroscience and in reading the literature on ADHD suggested to me that you might benefit from working on general attention and cognitive issues. One book you might find to be a useful read is _Delivered from Distraction_ by Hallowell and Ratey. They devote at least an entire chapter of that book to the phenomenon of "consistently inconsistent" students in a variety of areas of endeavor (i.e. sports). Maybe one of your music professors or your university mental health center could refer you to a clinician, someone like a sports or performance psychologist, with whom you could have a discussion and/or evaluation. You could also look into "mindfulness" training and meditation, ways to improve your concentration and mental endurance.

I'm not saying that working on etudes and technique right now isn't also a good idea--it probably is. But approaching that course of study with the specific aim of improving your overall consistency seems like it could only help.

From Stephen Brivati
Posted on January 14, 2009 at 10:04 PM

Greetings,

I`m not sure if it was your idea about only etudesand scales for the next 8 months but I respectfuly suggets thta is not a good idea. This kind of blow out on tehcnique alone leads to lack of development in themusical area and as marina pointed out on anothe rhtread, the two go hand in hand. Very depressing. One rarely sees this kind of crash course done for morethan a month or two before the player gets back on with music with a sigh of relief.

Bets of luck,

Buri

From al ku
Posted on January 15, 2009 at 3:21 PM

however you go about it is eventually up to you. to make a decision to seriously, if not completely, redo or reexamine your everything about violin is not an easy decision to make and i applaud you for your encourage and honesty to consider embarking on a differernt path, ridding the temptation to take the easier way out.

on the other hand, it serves as yet another alarming lesson to beginners, pretty much in any discipline: pay now or pay later.

good luck andrew. catch your second wind!

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