Posted by: Celeste Whiting @ 7:35 pm
When you try to learn something new, you’ll need to try and try again. If you knew it already, you’d not be learning it. That seems obvious, but a lot of students think otherwise. They become frustrated by having actually to learn a new thing.
The real issue is that on a cognitive level, they really do understand the goal. But they do not understand the physical learning that must happen to realize and manifest their cognitive understanding. It is one thing to know how something ought to go. It is another thing altogether to make it happen.
Posted by: Celeste Whiting @ 10:39 am
Summer is the time to relax, go to the beach and read for fun. But it is also a great time to focus on technical issues that you didn’t get to during the school year. Pick one thing that was really giving you problems during the school year and work on it. Maybe it’s your three-octave scales or spiccato. Whatever it is, make it fun. Try practicing outside or on the porch. Have an m & m every time you get it right. Break up technique sessions with some jamming along with your favorite CD.
Congratulations to all who played. Everyone did great!
And thank you to David Perample for wonderful piano accompaniment.
Intonation…a moving target? No, but it does require constant listening and self evaluation. For young students, matching pitch games help. But older students can learn the subtle art of self observation. You can’t fix it if you don’t realize it needs fixing!
During this state budget crisis, a lot of people are asking if the arts
should receive funding from the state. Last month, arts advocates
rallied in Lansing to protect funding already in the pipeline. The
situation in Michigan is so grave that school funding will most
certainly be cut next month. So why continue to advocate for arts
funding?
I
met with Charles Avsharian to get his thoughts on the arts, music and
business in Michigan. A violinist, educator, entrepreneur and CEO of Shar Music Company,
Avsharian was born and raised in Ann Arbor and has a unique
perspective. His own independent spirit instigated what eventually
became Shar Music Company.
Now in its 45th year, Shar began when Charles, a student at the Curtis Institute,
managed to sell strings to Philadelphia Orchestra players at a discount
unmatched by dealers at the time. The young conservatory student had
the moxie to sell strings to the legendary ensemble renowned for its
amazing string section. Chicago had brass, but Philly had strings–the
“Philadelphia Sound,” cultivated by music director, Eugene Ormandy.
Avsharian’s father, observing Charles in action, pursued this business
idea and began selling strings by mail order from Ann Arbor.
At
the age of 29, Avsharian brought his single-minded focus to the company
and made two shocking career moves for a gifted violinist. In his
second year as a violin professor at the University of Michigan,
Avsharian resigned. Shortly after that, he declined the position of
concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony. He made these choices in order to
help grow the company with his father, Michael, and brother, Michael
Jr. “At that point I made a full commitment to working for the
company,” he said. ” Because I’m competitive by nature, it became my
role to develop the company. I was lucky I had a brother and father in
whom I had complete trust.”
Go to Our Michigan for the complete interview…
This afternoon, one of my younger students played in his school talent show. He was fabulous. Everything we worked on in his last lesson, was in place. Time to feel proud.
Congratulations, J.B.
If you could already play it, you wouldn’t need to learn it. That seems obvious, but many young players don’t realize it. When a young person feels frustrated at this fact, they need to be reminded of things they can do now, but at some point weren’t able to do. For example reading, writing, even walking.
And the way to mastery is frequent, repeated effort. Practicing. Practicing is doing. Plain and simple. Try to do it. Try again. Do it right very slowly. Do that again. Repeat the act of doing the new skill correctly and soon you will master it.
Celestial Resonance Violin Studio will celebrate 10 wonderful years of music, learning and service on Saturday, June 9. All former students are welcome to attend and encouraged to bring instruments!