Picking up the pieces

May 9, 2006 at 5:05 AM

I've been quite inspired lately by several V.com members, particularly Laurie, whose attitude in the wake of disappointing auditions is an example for us all. I have no dramatic stories about trying out for major orchestras, but I did just come off a weekend of pretty miserable performances for which I was woefully unprepared. Thanks to the people here, though, I'm not obsessing over it; I'm just going to pick up the pieces and do what I need to do to get back on track. Violin is my hobby, after all, and there's no point in doing it unless it makes me happy, which it does! Even if I don't always play as well as I want to.

On Saturday afternoon, my teacher Virginia had one of her "group sessions", which are essentially very informal recitals. She intersperses solo performances with group pieces that people of all levels can play, and it's a lot of fun. My 3-year-old, Kiera, was with me, and she enjoyed singing along with the Twinkle variations and clapping with the fiddle tunes. I played excerpts from the Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso. Unfortunately, between the two different viral infections I've had recently and the dual responsibilities of jury duty and keeping up with my day job, I haven't practiced much in the last three weeks, and it showed. I was glad I'd decided the previous evening to swap out the Eudoxas (which both sounded and felt horrible to me) for Infeld Blues. Even so, my intonation was much worse than it should have been and I got the impression that Virginia was a little disappointed since I'm one of her more advanced students. Needless to say, I'll be spending this week trying to get the work back up to where it was a month ago.

Yesterday, my husband and Kiera were in the car with the radio on, when she suddenly said, "That's the piece Mommy played at Virginia's house yesterday!" Cade listened carefully---it was background music underneath one of the "From the Top" informational spots---and sure enough, it was! Proof positive that even a three-year-old is capable of listening to and remembering music.

My community orchestra had its last concert of the season yesterday as well, and I've decided for certain that I won't be continuing with the group next year. Although the conductor, music selections, and my fellow first violinists are great, it's just too frustrating for me to play in a group with such little professionalism. Rehearsal attendance is spotty, all seating behind the first stand is random, and bowings aren't properly synchronized. I want to play in an ensemble I'm proud of, and this isn't it. Perhaps I'll audition for another group in the fall, but for now I'm happy just focusing on solo work.

From Terez Mertes
Posted on May 9, 2006 at 4:37 PM

Karin - you're a real inspiration for all you manage to get done. A pat on the back to you!

I can appreciate your decision to leave your orchestra. I struggled through four years with a choir in Santa Cruz before giving up for some of those same reasons. The joy of making music was leached out of me by all the other junk. ((My reward, in retrospect, was freeing my time to eventually study the violin.))

BTW, I have call for jury duty for ten days, starting May 14th. It's in San Jose, at that, so I'll be one grumpy person if I get picked the way you were. Tell me it isn't contagious!

From Clare Chu
Posted on May 9, 2006 at 8:09 PM

Karin, what a day and week you've been through. Kiera is a real sweet kid and very talented. I'm glad you'll be able to focus on your violin as well as her violin playing instead of contending with a disorganized orchestra. By the way, your teacher was probably not disappointed, they usually aren't. We're harder on ourselves than on anyone else. Keep your chin up and over a violin. :-)

From Karin Lin
Posted on May 10, 2006 at 3:01 AM

Thanks, Terez. :) You have jury duty for ten days? I've never heard of that happening unless you actually get on a panel. Actually, I enjoy jury duty, but it would be nice if I didn't have to keep up with my day job!

Clare, thanks for the pep talk. "Chin up and over a violin"...I love that!

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Picking up the pieces

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