Getting Ready for Summer

June 5, 2008 at 4:51 AM

Hi, its me again, with thoughts of lessons on my mind and preparing for summer.

I e-mail my teacher about once or twice a week with progress notes, and admitting guilt to not practicing a particular "homework assignment". He says he always enjoys reading them. I sent him an e-mail earlier in the week about travel plans for the summer. We are both going to the Interlochen Adult Chamber Music camp - he as a member of the faculty and me as a student. I can tell he is quite excited about this. He told me that I would be one of the "spring chickens" since there are very few people of "our generation" at the camp. He also mentioned that the "old ladies" often hold parties during the week and lamented that the faculty was rarely invited. I should probably make sure I invite him and his wife (also a faculty memeber) to a party or out for a cocktail. :)

After the usual warm-up scale, my teacher announced he had something for me to take with me on my next trip to China. I was thinking, what in the world could this be?? He presents me with a single piece of paper, given to him by Heidi Castleman years before. On it is every single scale in a consensed format - fingering numbers and a list of scales. He also told me he was going to condense some of the fingering exercises for me to take as well - "to save on space and additional weight" on my trip. How thoughtful!!!

On to Clarke. We start on the last page. Those 32nd note arpeggios are still giving me some fits in transitioning from one to the next. So, "guitar" practice for me - just fingering the chords while holding my viola in a guitar position and plucking. "Guitarists do it ALL the time!" Heh, I would definitely NOT make a good guitarist. I can't even pluck all my strings in that position. Oh well, I will learn. Then back to the beginning of the piece. We worked some dynamics, shifting styles, and some refinement on rhythm.

From Karen Allendoerfer
Posted on June 5, 2008 at 11:15 AM

That camp sounds like too much fun! Oh to be in a music situation again where I was a "spring chicken" ;-)

From rhea ko
Posted on June 7, 2008 at 12:19 AM

i had watched video on indianapolis competition
i like his sounds, too
very energetic & glorious souds
i love it

From rhea ko
Posted on June 7, 2008 at 12:23 AM

sorry i have some mistake :)

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