February 2010

Teachers

February 26, 2010 20:17

Yesterday I had my first class with my regular teacher. It was a really interesting class!

I usually like teachers who enjoy listening to classical music. I mean, this seems to be obvious, right? It's not, though. As an example, I had a piano teacher who didn't know that the famous "Adagio sostenuto" from the Moonlight Sonata was part of a greater work, and had never heard the sonata. My present teacher, however, seems to really like the violin, and it's great to share such a passion with someone else.

Another thing I really don't understand is that many teachers I had didn't attend the local concerts. I don't know for sure, but it's strange for me to know that someone studies music, is graduated in this area, and at the same time is not interested enough to go, I don't know, once a month, and listen to live music.

Anyway, I'm now almost completing 14 days of playing without missing one day. It's not much, I know, but my first goal is to complete the "21 days" program about which Laurie posted a while ago.

And I'm starting to look for another violin! Let's see what happens next.

Archive link

Substitute teacher

February 18, 2010 19:21

Today I had my first real class since I started again.

My teacher was sick and couldn't go to the school, so another teacher came for class. Thas was good and bad at the same time. It is always good to hear a different point of view, of course, but it is hard to stablish a routine and to decide what to play when your teacher is not there, teaching you, though. The other teacher wouldn't let me move on with my pieces, and just added a few things.

The class was nice, anyway. She invited me to play in the school's orchestra. She also said that it could be good for me to study music in the university. Of course that would be a great idea - if I didn't have a job already and had free time to go to the classes.

Let's see what happens next!

Archive link

Practicing in the school

February 5, 2010 17:19

So, I went today to the school in which I have violin classes, took the violin and practiced. Yes, I scheduled first.

It was interesting. They were nice to me and had a room for me to practice (although the room didn't have a stand for my scores and I couldn't tune the violin correctly - no piano there, no diapason). It was okay, anyway, as I was there just to practice and some schools don't even let you practice there in your free time.

Anyway, in spite of they being friendly to me, I realized that studying there isn't the same as practicing at home. The school staff and other students enter in the room sometimes (I know, they sometimes have to), and of course you can't play as long as you want. For instance, I wanted to play from 5:30 to 7:30, but today they ended up closing the school earlier, at 7, so before 7 I had to be out.

I could live with all of that, though. But, even though they told me when I enrolled that I could always practice there if I scheduled first, I feel like they want me (or any of the students) to go practice there about once a week at maximum. I mean, I told her that I would probably be there during the next week as my violin will only be here on Friday, and in the end of my practicing time she said "Well, you can practice again another day, but call first".

I'm not saying they are wrong. I'm just saying that I miss having my violin around and being able to study more, and whenever I want.

I chose the etudes for third and fourth positions, and I'm already practicing them. Unfortunately, I will only be able to practice again on Monday, and only if I go the school to practice.

All the best!

Archive link

First class after a long time

February 4, 2010 18:39

So, I had my first class after about 5 years today.

It went pretty well, actually. The new teacher told me, firstly, to play anything I knew, and as I was without my violin for a couple months and couldn't practice for the class, I asked to start with a simple G major scale, in 2 or 3 octaves.

That was good for me to get a little (very little) used to the violin I was using in the class (which belongs to the school) and to try to overcome my panic of playing for the first time in months directly in front of the teacher.

It didn't go THAT bad, anyway. Afterwards, I played a bit of the Vivaldi A Minor concerto and a Hans Sitt study he chose.

I'm glad I told him that, although I don't intend to be a professional, I want to play the violin well and want to take the classes seriously. He seemed to be very receptive and did encourage me to study and achieve my goals.

So, my first real class will be in two weeks. It can't be next week because I'll be with my violin only in the end of the next week, so I won't be able to practice until then.

In the next class, he wants me to play the Vivaldi concerto after really studying it and he also wants me to pick one etude for third, fourth and fifth position and show him next class. He told me to do my best. And yes, I'm usually very motivated by the idea of overcoming my own difficulties.

I think I'll go to this school tomorrow to see if I can practice a little with the school's violin, while mine is not here.

I'm very excited!

1 reply | Archive link

I'll start having classes again on Thursday!

February 2, 2010 12:57

Hi! It's been a long time since the last time I wrote something here.

So, in fact... I haven't been playing since August. I know that's not good, but I had a lot of reasons - I've recently graduated, got a new job, moved to another town, had to find a place to live, had to learn the things about the new city, job, etc, all of this since September. The process only ended in mid-December, when I finally started working where I work now.

Now, I want my musical life back. I wanted before, but I didn't want to study in hotel rooms and really had too many things to deal with.

Anyway, I've scheluded a class on this Thursday, with a new teacher. I don't know yet if I'm staying with him. I'm actually going to his studio to meet him and see what he thinks about me being his student and what he has to offer (and, of course, I'll talk about my intentions and what I have to offer).

Unfortunately I'm still without my violin, my mother will come to visit me next week and will bring it just then. But that's okay, I talked about this with my new teacher and he said I can borrow one of his violins for the week. And yes, I know I won't be able to show him very much of my 'potential', or at least, what I know, as I haven't been playing for some time now, but I really can't wait much more to start having classes again. And I certainly can talk about what I can do - and show him next week.

I just hope he doesn't think I'm just an adult student who doesn't want to take violin seriously. I really do, and playing the violin well is one of my biggest dreams. Maybe I'll make a list with what I want to tell him before starting. I also hope he's a good teacher and I'd be glad if he had good knowledge. My last piano teacher (yes, I also play the piano) wasn't comfortable with me playing Beethoven sonatas because she thought SHE was not ready to teach them for me.

Wish me luck!

Archive link

More entries: August 2009