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December 3, 2005 at 8:59 AM

I've got my audition tomorrow. I've been practicing my excerpts hard, and they're no-where near ready, but we'll see how we go.

Anyway, to answer your question Dan, the break is one to relax my body. When you're playing quite a lot, tension builds up in your body, and you need a break. My teacher told me that I needed to take at least 4 weeks and at most 6 weeks to relax my body (and mind) and when I get back into playing I hopefully will have dropped any bad habits that were picked up. And it should also allow me to get back into a really good practice schedule as I'll need to pick that up again.

Don't worry, there's no way that I will be giving up the violin. I'm entering the last year of my diploma, have a recital at the end of the year, and am planning to spend the rest of my life involved with music. :>

Hi Ben,

I have decided to take some time off too, purely for resting my neck and face muscles, since they are quite tight. I thought the quickest way to recovery is to rest. I am having 3 days off to start with and then see how I feel from there.

Instead of practice I have been defining some fresh goals and working through my music in my armchair.

Ben, are you going to be learning your pieces away from the violin whilst you rest? what is your plan?

Cheers

Hi Demetrius,
I won't spend all my time learning my pieces, but I have a few things in which I shall hope to get through. I will take a couple of weeks to just relax completely, as I have been working rather hard just recently.

I plan to read "The Inner Game" again, and go through in my mind how I can implement it in my practice and performance. I'll also probably do some analysis of my pieces that I shall be preparing.

But as I said, it's not just relaxing my body, but my mind as well.

Hi,

It sounds like a good idea to read 'Inner Game of Music. I read it once from my University library, but now I'll have to buy it to read it again. Another thing to buy :)