I wrote before about getting the book that provides second parts for some Book One and Two songs and working up Minuet One from Book One. I’ve not said much to Teacher about it (in fact until Monday I hadn’t played it in a couple of months), but I had worked it up previously to […]
I’ve let Canon in D – the ubiquitous Pacabel wedding tune – languish. I got frustrated a few months back with the variation of the theme that is the most interesting and forms the bulk of the arrangement I’m working with, an arrangement I bought and downloaded last spring. I haven’t touched it in a […]
As I wrote yesterday just before my lesson, I was happy for the opportunity to work through my new Gavotte with Teacher in our first lesson in three weeks. We worked on the piece the whole time, going slowly and noting some rhythmic and bowing patterns that I need to work on. But as with […]
It’s been three weeks since my last lesson; with the new year comes a new lesson day too – I’m changing from Wednesday to Tuesday mornings. The day will work out better for my schedule and it doesn’t seem to matter to Teacher. In fact she often has something late on Tuesday nights, so it […]
Of all the songs in my repertoire, the one I play best is the Suzuki Book Two Bouree by Handel. I’m not sure why it comes out better than the rest. While it’s true that I now play it a lot because I like playing pieces that I play well, I’m not sure how it […]
Happy New Year! This first post of 2016 is my 400th on Musical Me. The blog continues to do its job, reinforcing the musical learning I’m doing as I pursue my instrument. There’s no denying I’ve come a long way on the violin – a richness of detail now informs every practice session – short term goals, such […]
In 2002 Joshua Bell had a new $4 million violin. He had just saved the Huberman Stradivarius from ending up with a collector who intended it for a museum, the last place instruments of that caliber need to be. To raise the cash Bell sold his own Stradivarius for two million and somehow managed to […]
Michael and I are in Wichita for our annual Christmas with family trip, and yesterday we shared meals first with my parents at their house, then at my grandmother’s house a few short miles away. On both occasions, the two generations up from us had given attention to background Christmas music. Mom and Dad had […]
Ryan Libel 