Monthly Archives: December 2013
Dr. Suzuki’s World: A Contextualization
“A clever baby can become tone-deaf. It can even become a wolf. In fact, it can become just about anything, in accord with its specific environment. I firmly believe that cultural and musical aptitude does not come from within, and is not inherited, but occurs through suitable environmental conditions.” – From “Nurtured by Love: The Classic […]
My New Violin, Part II
I am on Cloud 9, having retrieved my new violin, a 1926 Roth Strad., from the shop late this morning. I was already completely taken with the instrument’s appearance, but most of the minor cosmetic blemishes were evened out at the shop and it’s even more beautiful now. It’s got new strings, a new bridge, […]
“We’re Cutting the Bridge Right Now”
I just got off the phone with the luthier who’s been working on my new violin, and it’s just about ready. As I expected, I was unable to retrieve it before our big Christmas trip, so I’ve been without it for longer than I would otherwise have been. I don’t know much about exactly what […]
Binding Passion
This Christmas trip has me away from the violin for longer than I have been since I rented it from the shop. I’m missing it, but I’m also enjoying the company of my family. It seems I share a passion for this instrument with one of my nieces, about 13 years old now. I’ve mentioned […]
Big Family Cacophony
Michael and I are in a hotel in Wichita, Kansas prepping for family Christmas festivities, so I thought I’d use this Musical Me moment to think about some of the Christmas albums that I have listened to over the years. But as I started to write the list, I realized it’s brief – my family […]
When the Going Gets Tough
Yesterday as I practiced I struggled to be in tune. It was so bad I stopped half way into the session to see if the instrument was out of tune. It was not, so I had nothing to pin it on save my own fingers. Some days are harder than others! I experience the same thing while […]
Good King Wenceslas
When I was a child I sang. For a number of years, the children at the church I grew up in put on an annual Christmas musical, and I always participated enthusiastically, often with leading roles. One year, I was the title character in “Good King Wenceslas,” a fictionalization in musical form of the man […]
Tchaikovsky and Sayaka Shoji
I’ve become obsessed with Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. This morning I woke up with one of the strong melody lines running through my head, much to my delight. Since reading Lois Shepheard’s memoir of Suzuki, I have taken to heart the notion that I must listen to good violin music if I ever hope to play […]
“This Is Going to Be a Nice Instrument”
I took my new violin to the shop Teacher recommended. It’s not conveniently located for me at all, but the moment I met the man at the helm I knew it was worth the trek and that Teacher had not steered me wrong. I plopped the instrument on the counter, told him that I’d received […]
Oh Holy Night
Well after writing that post about Christmas Music the other day I couldn’t get Oh Holy Night out of my head. I practiced my usual repertoire for over an hour in the morning yesterday, but upon returning from the grocery story in the afternoon I became obsessed with picking out the holiday tune on the […]
Ryan Libel 