We have thousands of human-written stories, discussions, interviews and reviews from today through the past 20+ years. Find them here:

Search the site Search

V.com weekend vote: What genre of music is your favorite to play?

March 9, 2012 at 10:39 PM

One of my students surprised me the other day with a big "yes" vote for classical music. She'd been working hard and was just finishing a classical piece. Knowing how much she enjoys playing fiddle music and other "fun" stuff, I gave her a few fiddle tunes to play as a little break before starting the epic Vivaldi G minor concerto.

At the end of the week, her enthusiasm for the "fun" pieces was tepid. "They're so repetitive," she complained. I was not able to disagree.

"Would you like to just go straight to the Vivaldi?"

"Yay!"

I always seem to return to classical music as the most interesting stuff out there. Of course, I do find some of the most recent experiments in rock violin and pop violin very engaging, especially the work of Time for Three and The Dueling Fiddlers. Also, there are the jazz greats like the late Stephane Grappelli and wonderful folk fiddlers out there like Mark O'Connor.

What genre of music is your favorite to play? I'm limited here to five answers, but please add your own if it's not here:

Tweet

Hi,

I wrote other. I play in a quintet that specializes in Tango Nuevo, and we have the same formation that Piazzolla originally did. It is wonderful, and as much as I love playing all music, I have to say that this has something I have not found in anything else!

Cheers!

Voted "other". Not sure that "Viola Zombies" and similar modern works fall into "classical"...
Voted "Classical", but "Fiddle-Folk" runs a close second.
I am really into flamenco, is there anyone out there who has had a go at playing the vocal line on the violin? or anyone who is interested in giving it a go?
Classical on the violin (that's how I voted because this is a violin channel), but jazz on the piano.
My lessons are all classical but I also play Scottish fiddle and Klezmer. The music I like the best of the latter two is as satisfying as the classical but for uniform happiness I vote classical.
I personally favour classical, because that's what I think of most when I think of the violin. But I do have a liking for modern stuff as well. I would really like to play 'You Raise Me Up' on my violin someday.

But ultimately I would like to try a variety of styles from different periods. :)

Too bad I could only pick one. Although I voted classical, I'd also check "folk-fiddle" (specifically bluegrass) as a second choice.
I always return to classical in my thinking, but enjoy so many genres! At this point in my life it seems that I just need to play and listen to some calm, peaceful, melodic works. Sometimes the fireworks are great. I admire the incredible work of Mark O'Connor and his fiddle-ific brethren. Mark Wood and Brigid Bibbens make me grin from ear to ear. And if I were as lythe as Lindsey Stirling I'd feel great. But when I'm alone I keep falling back on Zino Francescatti playing the second movement of the Tchaik!
I voted for other because I enjoy all good music and try not to care about labels.