February 2008

Correction about the belt buckel.

February 19, 2008 16:47

I screwed up about the belt buckle... I didn't have "Joshua's" I had one just like it...Sorry about that! Around that time there were brass belt buckles of guitars, violins, etc.

And I hope that what I've gone through help those who went through the same as I went through and to continue fighting a fine fight!

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Royce's Violin Journal in the Key of 'R'; Opus 2

February 18, 2008 17:50

So much has happened in such a short while! I have learned more about the violin in four lessons than I ever have in the past! Never have I had a teacher as Javier and Naomi! Javier was in a Master Class being tought by Isaac Stern and he asked Maestro Stern about "..what is 'it' that makes someone a 'great' violinist? What do they do that they develop into one?" Simply in a nut shell Isaac Stern said, "They learn HOW the violin works, what makes it tick! They learn the physics behind what Makes It Do What It Does!" So I was told by Dr. Pinell that when I aproach the violin, aproach it like an engineer...what must I do to get it to do what it is I want it too do. He told me a story. When he was a little boy "...he began learning the violin at the age of 7. His teacher was like others, 'Hold your elbow like this, put your fingers like that.' One day his father, who loved classical music and the violin, was playing a record of Hiefetz. Little Javier picked up the album cover and when he saw Hiefetz's elbow up high and his bow hold he said, "Daddy, this man is holding his bow all wrong!"" There are Bow Holds, methods for whatever which are a good rule of thumb but do what you must do to get the violin to do what it 'must do'!

He teaches using Metaphores, Similies, Repetition for emphasis, along with either a question that opens my mind to 'receive' the answer or questions that assist me to draw the conclussion myself. He showed me that between the bridge and the fingerboard are '5' Contact Points". Those closer to the finger board Light finger presure with fast bowing and those at the bridge are played with Heavier preasure from the bow and the bow drawn slowly! And a Figure-8 bowing used when playing Largo or Legatto and to view DVDs of the old masters and see how they use this.
I also learned to get the most out of a violin to find where the strings have maximum vibration, should be vibrating side-side with the sound it's clearest, richest, and most toneful. I called it, "The Sweet Spot" and he liked that!!! He told me today that he has been using that euphamism! And I'm learning different "Bow Holds"...Galamian, Russian School, Franco Belgian but to use the Galamian. His method of teaching, if I remember correctly of what he said, goes back over 150 years! And secrets written in older books and his teachers, to Leopold Mozart.
I told him, on our third lesson, that I learned something on my own. Using what he's taught me that if I work 'with' my violin that it rewards me...disciplines me. But if I'm fighting against it...It PUNISHES Me!" He liked that one also! Boy am I proud of myself!

Today we went over my practicing, "The School of Violin-Technics. Exercises on One String" I've heard folks at V.com mention this book and person...Can't think of the Name. And a guy who's last name get's me giggling since it sounds like a Canine Flautulence...Wohlfahrt. Op.45, Book 1.

REFLECTION:
Dr. Pinell said, at our first meeting, that he was looking forwards to our first lesson becauise he believes me to be someone who Love's the Violin and eager.... I am. However, for some reason I feel that I'm not what he was expecting. It is taking me time getting simple things down but this is all new too me. I've never had teaching like this, REAL teaching. Not that school house get them to play a song to make the parents happy and I feel bad about saying that..I don't know what! Objectively he seems pleased to see me. And... I play for him what I was asighned to learn and he moves me on to the next step. His expressed efforts working with me, and I 'do' see that since my first lesson with him I've come far from that. He complaments me saying that I have a realy, realy good ear! And I do get the 'gist' of what he's comunicating too me. But for some reason I feel that I'm not what he thought and that he's disapointed. Or perhaps I'm hearing my former step-father shouting down what a disapointment I am everytime I even thought about the violin and what a waste of a life persuing it, "Because all you'll ever be is a teacher and those who can do it, do it. And those who can't TEACH!" Ummm, Dad, Jesus was the greatest man who ever lived and He WAS A Teacher! That was 24 years ago. And that's when I had my Nervous Breakdown do to his verbal and physical abuse. Glad I'm over it.

In Studio Class we've been watching DVDs and we watched one with Gingold! The kids who played were incredible! Joshua Bell at 11 was one of them, and I was utterly blown away! (I say utterly, funny...since I don't have utters yet Ha!)He had a brass belt buckle shaped like a violin. I still Have mine! My Mother got it for me when I was 12! These days I have the body of Gingold at that time and still have that Belt buckle...I'm the only one in class that has can say he shares something with Gingold and Joshua Bell!
We watched the members of the Albamberg Quartet give a master class to another quartet Schubert's piece based on Claudius's Poem. "Death and the Maiden" (Javier told me that between the two Death wins. That made me think of about 12 songs by Slayer and Marilyn Manson.)

And so I end this entry. What a Rush! I can't wait for next week, heck in the next ten minuets to practice for next week! You know you're a Violin Geek...When:

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More entries: April 2008 • January 2008

February 2008

Correction about the belt buckel.

Royce's Violin Journal in the Key of 'R'; Opus 2

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