February 18, 2005 at 2:54 AM

Thanks everyone for writing such nice and supportive comments in my last blog entry. I'm feeling a lot more optimistic now. On Sunday my mom took me to hear Joshua Bell's recital. At first we had pretty crummy seats (in front of two little kids who were kicking our chairs) but after two people didn't show up we moved to better seats, the same ones, we later realized, that were occupied by the judges in the competition. :-/ (They were the best seats we've ever had in that hall.) Joshua Bell is amazing, of course. I love the way he changes bow. They sound so smooth, like melted chocolate. The concert was advertised as a crossover event, but it was really a heavy duty recital program with Brahams, Saint-Saens, and Janacek (which I fell head over heels in love with when he played it. It was the first time I'd ever heard it) but the audience, who were expecting a less serious, Valentine's Day-y performance, clapped in between movements which was basically ruining the sonatas, so eventually Joshua held up his bow to hush them.

I've started practicing a lot more technique, to kind of get my mind off of last week. My teacher and I have a new plan, which is basically less focus on competitions and performing, and more on just studying the violin. I finally started Rode caprices, a bit late. I'm borrowing my teacher's copy while I'm ordering my own, and it has a note with--get this--Dorothy Delay's handwriting in it, from when he was studying with her! I can't believe I touched the same piece of paper as her. Heheheh. I also am borrowing a piece of music belonging to a dead student of Carl Flesch and Sevcik, which they touched as well. (This is starting to sound pretty creepy. I'll stop here.) So I've picked up some more unacompanied Bach to work on, and I've started reworking Zigeunerweisen, which is a lot easier when you come back to it after a few months. The glissando, which I really struggled on, is pretty easy to do now!
Today I played my violin in the bath. Seriously, though. I was recording Bach for an application for Encore, and the bathroom is the most resonant room in my house. And the bathtub is rather large, so I stood in it for more arm space.
I've been listening to CDs of Annie to learn Miss Hannigan's solos a bit more. I don't like a few of the songs in that musical, but some of them are jewels. Like Little Girl and Easy Street, the two songs I sing. I need a voice lesson though, maybe I can get one with my sister's charming voice teacher.

Little cheeks, little teeth, everything around me is...little!
If I wring little necks, surely I will get an accquital!....
Some women are dripping with diamonds!
Some women are dripping with pearls!
Lucky me, lucky me, look at what I'm dripping with
LITTLE GIRLS!

--Alice

From Scott 68
Posted on February 18, 2005 at 3:30 PM

The janacek is awesome and I have no doubt josh did it justice

hey i have mp3s of the shumsky recording of the rode caprices click on my name and send me a note if you want a copy

as for the bathroom, youre quite right - all that porcelin is great for acoustics

cheers
scott

From Henry Liao
Posted on February 19, 2005 at 5:18 AM

I'm glad you're continuing to nurture your musical spirit! It's great to find inspiration in other players, and often we grow as much by listening to others play as when we practice ourselves.

Years (time flies!) ago I played Daddy Warbucks in a school production of Annie, and I must say it was a very enjoyable experience.

"The jig is up!" ;-)

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February 18, 2005 at 2:54 AM

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