I hosted and performed in my first online student recital last month; we uploaded our performances to an unlisted YouTube playlist to view and share at our discretion for the next month or so. It was very cool to see how each video was made and how it contributed to the performance itself, some were outside with breathtaking views and others had cool visual effects. The hardest part about this for me was not being able to do group songs with students but I had to remind myself that coming together in this new way was a first and that in itself was growth to be proud of. Finding ways to grow right now is hard, I am finding it helpful to define goals and work towards them, even though they’re not what they used to be. My goal as a teacher and performer is to keep improving our playing, performing and expression of music, however that may be. As a musician and music lover, my lifestyle has been stifled by the absence of performing and attending shows where I used to connect with others through sharing the joys of music. Now we must find other ways to nurture the joys of music that are not so group dependent. We must be patient, be flexible with our goals and celebrate even the smallest ones, and most importantly stay connected to keep each other strong.
Music is not canceled
Oh the countless platforms for sharing audio and video and countless recordings sent back and fourth each week! Let’s just say I’m constantly learning here as we are forced to slow down and figure things out in new ways. I’m trying to provide useful resources but I know we can easily feel overwhelmed by all the options. I like to think of Cat Stevens (Yusuf) singing, “Take your time, think a lot, why think of everything you’ve got”. So here’s another video on one of the most fundamental skills in playing the violin; how to hold it correctly and comfortably. I hope you find it useful as you navigate your home learning, let me know if you have questions.
Silver linings I've discovered in giving and taking online music lessons
-recording yourself and listening back reveals how out of tune you actually are
-scheduling is wiiiide open and super flexible ⌚️
-learning the one thing that you've always wanted but were to scared/ scarred to master: tuning a violin 😱
-a human connection that's cheaper than Animal Crossing, for the first few lessons anyway 🐮
-you look like a cool dj with one earphone on and one off 😎
-no house cleaning or pants necessary
-learning to play accompaniment with a half second of delay, super pro
-seeing super cool kids bedrooms 💫
-being bombarded with cute videos of kids playing music 😍
-supporting your favorite musicians as many are offering lessons since their gigs have been canceled
Anchorage Folk Festival Performance
Students performing at the Anchorage Folk Festival last month. These performances are always tricky given that everyone is just returning from the winter holiday and there’s not much time to practice, that doesn’t stop these guys though! I love how the folk fest nurtures first time performers in a casual atmosphere. It provides an opportunity for those family kitchen jams to get out of the house and onto a beautiful amplified stage; if nothing else for the performers to take that first step in tightening their chops, sharing and performing music. I hope these performances encourage more first-time family and friend bands to grace the stage, it’s a great first goal for organized musical projects.
Winter Recital 2019
Students always amaze me at recitals. Stage composure, continuing on when you mess up and remembering to take a bow at the end are aspects of performing that we don’t practice in private lessons. I tend to use recitals as group lesson opportunities as well; learning to play together while performing! An impressive skill that even professional musicians rely on. Very proud of these young performers!
Carol of the Bells form
This is really less of a blog post and more of a practice resource for our recital on December 8th. Use this rough recording to know and practice your part after I have gone over it with you. We will go back and repeat the section that starts at :50 seconds to the end. Happy practicing!
Music is a lifelong journey
A dear piano teacher shared this quote and I just wanted to pass it on. I feel that it especially rings out for violin playing because it can be so unforgiving at the beginning. The squeaks and scratches scare us away because it’s not what we want to hear so we stop. The key is to explore and experiment; you have to push through, even when your pets have to leave the room in discomfort! How can you grow if you’re too scared to make horrible noises? You can’t.
“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.” - Ira Glass
Hesketh Island Residency -AK
As a Homer resident for a few years in high school, I knew of Hesketh Island from passing it in Kachemak Bay on our way to go fishing or visit Seldovia. I had the chance to set foot there this fall as part of a music residency with the Super Saturated Sugar Strings in collaboration with a pop-up adventure lodge where we shared our creative process. One of my favorite ways we create music as a group is by sharing little bits of melody that get turned into something bigger when others add what they hear. This simple melody started as something I sang when I got home and walked through the door after being gone for a while, it was inspired by the joy of feeling home.