A Late Start

December 7, 2006 at 6:55 PM

A little more than a year ago, I took up the violin--at age 52. A foolhardy venture, no doubt. But it's worse than you might imagine, since I operate under the delusion that I will one day be able to play like Nathan Milstein. This would be pathetic, of course, except that it's a useful delusion; it keeps me hopeful and dogged and not easily disheartened by those times, all-too-frequent, when my playing sounds just about as far as possible from anything resembling music.

I'm on my second violin-teacher, having driven my first one into early retirement.

My first teacher wisely had me doing nothing the first two months but open bowing. I came to love those meditation-like practice sessions where I did nothing but bow open strings, and they stand me in good stead now that my new teacher has me learning my first Bach gavottes.

And this is the other wonderful thing about taking up the violin: after all of these years of being a prisoner to rock-and-roll, I am just now discovering these wonderful Baroque composers like Bach and Vivaldi and Corelli and Biber, and violinists such as Milstein (ah, Milstein!) and Menuhin and Heifetz and, my current favorite, Andrew Manze.

From Stephen Brivati
Posted on December 7, 2006 at 10:34 PM

Greetings,
nothign foolhardy about it at all. if you follow a strict macrobitic diet you might live to around 150 at which point you might even soudn liek Milstein on ocassion.
Anyway, you have inspire dme to write a blog dedciated just to you.
Cheers,
Buri

From Jim W. Miller
Posted on December 7, 2006 at 11:26 PM

Dude, in five years you'll be giving Milstein a run for his money. You know why? Because you used to want to be Danny Kortchmar. Milstein is child's play.

From P. Brabant
Posted on December 8, 2006 at 1:22 PM

Hi,
I admire you for saying outloud what may be many of us late starter do not dare to say. Being able to play like the great ones!
thank you for sayng it, it made me feel soooooooooooo good!
Good luck, and good practice
pasc

From Jim Hale
Posted on December 8, 2006 at 7:25 PM

Thanks, everyone.

And, Jim, how did you know about me and Kootch?

From Jim W. Miller
Posted on December 9, 2006 at 1:05 AM

Haaaaaaa! Danny Kootch. I knew it:) Been there, done that.

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