January 6, 2008 at 7:46 PM
There should be a section on v.com strictly for students to upload videos of them playing a scale or piece of repertoire to receive advice from Mrs. Niles, Buri, Mr. Steiner, and all the amazing educators/violinists on this site. I guess like online lessons, but in reverse because the student places their video online and the teacher gives an analysis. Just an idea. Another one of those things just flashing in my mind that I had to let free...or else.I wanted to add something else that I have been adding to my practice sessions. Recently, I had a crazy dream where I woke up, and my room, all around me was pitch black. I jumped out of
my bed feeling for the light switch, but it did not turn on, so I thought maybe there wwas extreme power outage in the city. I opened up my bedroom door, trying to guide myself to my mom's bedroom. "Mom, wake up there was a power outage again."
"Jasmine, what are you talking about all the lights are on?" I heard my mom say behind me. Then, that is when I realized that in actuality I was blind. I screamed so loud, that I woke myself up. It was a very painful dream, that gave birth (I love that phrase) to an intense paranoia. I figure I had this dream because I was just talking to my mom about John Milton who had lost his eye sight and had to have his daughter scribe "Paradise Lost" for him. We also talked about numerous other people who had lost a sense or limb, but still worked through it somehow. Also, the other day, we went to go see a movie, but, oh yeah, I still do not have my glasses, because the doctor in California is not allowed to release prescription information without a real life person being in the office. So he had to send it out via mail and I still have not received it! So, the fact that I can not see anything unless it is two inches near my face contributes to the whole blindness paranoia!!!!! Also, a friend of mine recently went blind over the summer due to diabetes. I was devastated for her. But she continues through life with a smile. And naturally her other senses have become stronger. I don't know how she does it, but I know this sounds mean, but sometimes I try to sneak past her because she can talk a long, long time, and I could be a couple of feet away from her and she'll say, "Hey, Jasmine!"
"What? How? When? Where? Oh, nevermind. Hi!" I respond. She's amazing. How does she know it was me?
Well, I added to my practice ear training. I have always had a good ear, but since starting classical violin, I must say that I have become a little dependant on sheet music. But, I figured if I ever did go blind, the only way I would be able to learn new music is if I had an extremely good ear and of course good memory for the braille manuscripts that I am sure exist out there. All I do is listen to youtube videos and play back what I hear. This is going pretty good. I think in a year or so, I should be able to just hear something and play it back pretty speedily.
Anne-Sophie Mutter is my favorite violinist player, Leila Josefowicz is my favorite violinist performer.
Your friend who went blind, never avoid her. Figure out some honest way to get away from her if you have to sometimes. She's trying to maintain contact with the world.
That's because she knows better than to let you get away ;)
I'll give you one example that piss me off recently in my studio. There was a high school kid who came to me and kept "forgetting to pay me" for lessons. As soon as he got the fingerings/bowings from me for the Mozart Violin Concerto No.3, I never heard from him or even received a payment or even a courtesy to let me know he doesn't want to continue with me. I felt used and taken advantage of. Of course, i'm not suggesting that you would do such a thing but it's this type of mentality among many students that sometimes causes teacher and myself included not to be more generous with our time.
I think v.com is a great place to get ideas from each other, but I find that some students abuse the privilege and expect a FREE lesson. There is a difference between exchanging ideas and getting a FREE lesson.
With this type of mentality, your career won't go very far. You have to invest $ to try to build a career. If you're aiming for a bigger career, then you'll probably be required to invest even more $.
I know you have freedom of speech, etc but please for your sake -- think before you write! This messge is not meant to offend you. I think you need to learn better manners when dealing with professionals (it is like asking a family friend who is a physician for a free prescription -- I think that's soooo rude).
I actually used to be more like Jasmine when I was younger. But I learned an interesting example from a famous concert pianist-Jean Yves Thibaudet. He illustrated the point of keeping professional manners even among friends/colleagues through an incident that happened to him. He would always get angry when friends asked him to perform the piano at a party. He said "Am I invited to a party to relax and have fun or to entertain when I'm not getting paid? This is the same rudeness as if you asked a lawyer or physician for free legal or medical advice." Of course, professionals have the right to accept or reject help but atleast showing some courtesy is never a bad thing.
Ingnore him Jas, he's out of it some way.
You do have creative and wild ideas. :)
SDS
And thanks Mitchell and Jim for your encouragement. I like writing, so no one could stop me from doing that, but I do understand that this is a public site and I should be careful what I write. However, I am glad to know that you enjoyed my blog; it lets me know I am not terribly offending anyone too much. I coninue to learn what buttons too push and which ones I better not touch, you know like the big red button. I find it a joy to learn what makes people happy and what just plain ticks them off. In other words, I am not discouraged.
as far as providing "free" lessons to those seeking for advice/teaching, those who do offer "free" services are obviously willingly doing them on a voluntary basis. i don't see any problems with that. this internet site is about the collective wisdom of many...
as far as jasmine's writing, sure, anyone can improve but this is a blog format so read as one pleases and write as one pleases, as jasmine does:). confucius did say the more one says the more one makes mistakes. so that is all from me:):)
As far as my idea, Al Ku made a great point. I do not think it is wrong to ask accomplished players on this site for advice. We already do that when we ask questions on the discussion board. The place where beginners post videos of themselves playing would be in the same formatt as the discussion board. If an accomplished player, or amateur, or fellow student visits the video and happens to see that someone is bowing incorrectly, they can make a quick suggestion as we already do when it comes to the discussion boards.
I do not think it was out-of-line to ask such a question, since the "accomplished players" already use their time to give wonderful advice, such as Buri and Drew Lecher who posts blogs intended as "free advice" very regularly. If this was a tennis site and I happened to see a very famous violinist on the tennis site and I started asking him or her tons of violin questions on the tennis site, then I would feel I was extremely out-of-line or rude. But this is a violin site where everyone can come of free will and ask advice on violin playing, so what's wrong with suggesting "further ways" of how students, professionals, and amateurs alike can find more productive ways of learning?
(And just like the discussion boards could never take the place of real life lessons, what I suggested above also wasn't an idea to take the place of lessons. I never suggested that they be a replacement for lessons, just a place where you can receive support and advice.)
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