June 13, 2005 at 6:06 AM

I had my lesson today. Jacek talked to me shortly about my e-mail to him about my plans. He still has a lot to talk about and we shall discuss it in more detail after the break. We spent the lesson on technical work, preparing myself for my exam, a week from today. I'm spending this entire week on technical work, and then after the exam, swapping over to one scale a week, all scales, practiced every day.

Jacek explained to me how careful practice of technical work will improve my intonation, and also being "co-operative" with him - ie telling him everything that I am doing in uni, which includes chamber music etc. He didn't quite understand everything, but that shall be explained fully in our conversation after the break.

I've just finished "An Equal Music" by Vikram Seth. A great book, it describes perfectly the relationship between a player and his instrument so wonderfully. I connected with Michael so well as I too have been blessed by the loan of a great instrument that I know will one day have to be given back, but am not certain of when.

I will now be focussing on a couple of books I have gotten out of the library for "Holiday reading" - at the moment, Auer's "Violin Playing as I teach it." I also have "6 Lessons with Yehudi Menhuin", and two Geminiani books - "A tretise on Good taste in the art of Musick[sic]" and "TheArt of Playing on the Violin"

I also plan to do an analysis of the Mozart Concerto in D Major (No. 4) in the hope that I will understand it better and will hopefully aid in performance.

From Bridget Hall
Posted on June 18, 2005 at 4:13 AM

I found the ending to that book satisfying but those last few chapters... so much anxiety! I almost couldn't read them.

Michael makes me glad that I own all of my own instruments.

By the way Ben, are you doing a BMus in Perth? What's the conservatorium there like? Newcastle is not bad but currently suffering from severe budget cuts, and I'm thinking of going elsewhere before they decide to make a car park out of the building to pay for the uni's debts, so Perth might be an interesting option.

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June 13, 2005 at 6:06 AM

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