August 2005

August 29, 2005 14:37

I don't have orchestra this semester at my high school, but that is ok with me. I know my orchestra teacher will miss me, but I will be in there next semester. I've talked to Tyler, who is going to be concertmaster in my place this year, and was telling me about how terrible the orchestra is this semester. Mrs. Morrell, the orchestra director at KMHS, is making them read Mozart and Beethoven. These are below average high school orchestra students where the second violins don't even bother to practice and suck so much. And Tyler tells me that they read through Mozart Symphony No. 40, but the students can't even play in a minor key, so the seconds played it in G major instead.

ugh... I can't wait until the second semester (sarcasm). I might get to do a solo in the spring IF the orchestra can handle it. I doubt that they can handle "twinkle, twinkle," though. And some of those kids have "played" (but forgotten to practice) their instruments for seven years.

The orchestra keeps getting worse every year. I remember last year when a girl played the Mendelssohn concerto in e that the orchestra could barely handle it. And it was a sight-readable first violin part for me!

When I have my senior solo in two years, I wish I wouldn't have to limit my selection because it would need an "easy" orchestra part. I don't even think the orchestra could play a Mozart Violin Concerto. I remember last year we played the Magic Flute Overture and the second violins couldn't even do the turn-arounds at a moderate tempo, let alone the allegro we where playing it as.

I don't know how many of you can relate to me, since most of you are long past the high school orchestral setting.

But, this problem is not just from the students, but the teacher as well. Even though 75% of the kids don't practice, my teacher does not teach. She claims to play cello, but she can't. The truth is that she plays trumpet. A trumpet player teaching a high school string orchestra doesn't have much to offer. She only got the position because she is a brown-noser.

I wish she would let the students who know what they are doing go off in sectionals and teach the other students. We have some truly gifted musicians in my high school. Plenty of them are in the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, a part of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, which is pretty big.

I just feel that high school orchestra pulls me down. If I could spend the hour and a half a day practicing instead of playing the same two measures over and over again because other people won't practice, then I would be so much better of a fiddle player.

This is why I am glad I don't have orchestra this semester. I have a light schedule, too, so I can come home and practice an hour or two and still get my homework done.

I have my second lessons (my first "official" lesson) with my new teacher this wednesday. He's going to be re-building my right arm technique, even though I have doen it plenty of times before. I guess every teacher just wants a different bow arm from you. I think Dr. Eanes sees something that could pose a problem later on down the road. However, he knows better than I do, so I'll just do want he wants me to do. I purchased a Schradieck and Mozart 3 book for him (I already had Kreutzer). He was surprised that I hadn't played Mozart 3 yet, but that my old teacher had me learn other Mozart violin concertos (4&5).

I looked at Schradieck, and was surprised at how technical it is. I thought kreutzer was pretty technical, but Schradiek will really help me out.

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August 9, 2005 10:17

Yesterday, I had an interview/audition (call it what you will) with the Violin Professor at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, and he agreed to teach me.

I played Kreutzer 8 and the first movement of Bruch No. 1.

The playing was ok, not the best, since I had nerves, but at least I wasn't shaking or anything. So, I start lessons with him in a few weeks, but in the mean time, I still have lessons with Elana.

And again, this week I am still working on some solo Bach. I have been working on Partita No. 2 for the past two weeks, and my teacher is letting me move on to something else in the Bach book, of my choice, but still wants me to work on the musicality of the Sarabanda from Partita No. 2.

I want to learn another Sonata. I learned the First Sonata in g minor awhile back, but I want to work on No.2 or No. 3. I've heard that Number 3 in c major is tough, but even if I don't get to look at the entire four movements, my teacher will still be happy with me getting some of it done.

And the Fugue is over 9 minutes long on my recording of Milstein.

School starts back tomorrow. I don't have orchestra this semester, which isn't that great. I think my orchestra teacher will let me still play in the concerts though. I am the concertmaster, afterall.

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August 2005

August 29, 2005 14:37

August 9, 2005 10:17

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