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February 2, 2005 at 9:31 AM

I've never been one to name drop, mostly because I don't believe in it, but partly because I never have any names to drop about, at least none that would make me important. But today, while doing research on the internet, I looked up my old teacher and discovered that he was a student of none other than Ivan Galamian. Huh, didn't know that. I suppose at the time I was taking from him, I had no clue who Galamian was, anyway. But now, for some reason, it makes me feel a little more important inside, even if I shirked all the assignments he gave me and spent most of my time crying in the practice room or writing "Help" on the wall instead of practicing. I didn't forget the valuable things he told me, though. Yes, looking back, I see this, but too bad it was mixed in with all kinds of negative comments on how I would never be able to get anything right, even drawing a bow correctly. I can't think of anything positive he ever said. Not that he didn't say anything positive, but... One time, he actually said something positive, and to this day, it shines brilliantly in my memory; at the time, I had no idea what he was talking about. To allude to the general content of it, in some way he compared me to the best violinist at the University and said it was a shame I didn't practice because I had the ability to do more than that student could ever do. It floored me when he said that, right as I was quitting my major. If he'd said that from the start, I might have at least tried.

I put too much stock into what people say.

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My parents and some of my bosses were very negative to me and it affected me severely. I internalize what people say, but I try to prove them wrong. It is a constant battle between self doubt and self affirmation. I have a lot of respect for you because you persisted in studying the violin. Bravo!
And bravo to you too, for persevering, Pauline! Personally, my next step in perserverence will be to put myself under tutelage again. I'm a little gunshy, you know? But aren't teachers valuable? Here's a toast to students: may we develop thicker skins and determined spirits!
emily, i didn't know you went to University of Oklahoma. when did you attend there?
'93-'94. I graduated in '97 with an education degree. Did you attend there?

I also noticed you mentioned in a thread comment that you were playing the Rumanian folk dances. Me too! Yeah, you gotta watch for tension when it gets all exciting at the end. Makes me wish I took AT!

i didn't go there, but i had a friend from interlochen who did. she started in 96 as violin performance, so i don't know if you knew her. her name is karen stokke. i heard the violin faculty underwent a lot of changes around that time.
i love studying the folk dances. they're not too terribly difficult, but challenging in all the right areas for me.
cheers! i hope your studio has become a lot nicer to you than it was last month!
Ha, I just posted my latest of adventures in Studioland!

No, I didn't meet Karen that I know of. I stayed away from the music department, except once a couple of years later when I accompanied a friend's jury on the piano. My professor was on the panel, and he greeted me with, "I didn't know you were still around, I thought you dropped out of school." Nice to see you, too. He really knew a lot about the violin, but simple lacked tact at times.