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SharonC said
Like playing violin isn’t hard enough.In 1987, Christian Adam of Lubeck, Germany, set a world record for playing his violin while riding a bicycle backwards, riding 60.45 kilometers (37.56 miles) in 5 hours, nine minutes.
On his website, he explains that he came up with the idea while he was at a youth orchestra retreat.
Christian Adam is a violinmaker in Ahrensburg, Germany, and has a website here:
If he'd done it blindfold, I'd be impressed.
Andrew
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ABitRusty said
hold my beer..headed to get a tuxedo
@ABitRusty I think you should go for it.
My version would be wearing a feather boa, riding a Big Wheels (i.e., so I wouldn’t fall off) 
YouTube Video: Big Wheel Commercial 1978 by Marx | 1970s Toy Ad
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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ELCBK said . . .
Was watching the violinist on the bike, but I NEVER see his feet move/pedal the bike!Kinda funny I had recently become mesmerized by this couple... Beside the Seaside with Rimski & Handkerchief. And, what everyone wants to know - How Does Rimski Steer That Thing?
@ELCBK Supposedly, he set a record for riding a bike backwards (broken by someone else since) prior to doing this record setting it with the violin.
Rimski & Handkerchief have some interesting contraptions; creative musicians. The mechanics of them are pretty clever.
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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Gordon Shumway said
SharonC said
Like playing violin isn’t hard enough.
In 1987, Christian Adam of Lubeck, Germany, set a world record for playing his violin while riding a bicycle backwards, riding 60.45 kilometers (37.56 miles) in 5 hours, nine minutes.
On his website, he explains that he came up with the idea while he was at a youth orchestra retreat.
Christian Adam is a violinmaker in Ahrensburg, Germany, and has a website here:
If he'd done it blindfold, I'd be impressed.
@Gordon Shumway
I guess I’m too easily impressed—but I think I’d be likely to trip & fall just backing up a couple of steps from my music stand
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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SharonC said
ABitRusty said
hold my beer..headed to get a tuxedo
I think you should go for it.
My version would be wearing a feather boa, riding a Big Wheels (i.e., so I wouldn’t fall off)
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My shoulder rests (and a couple of cases)
The shoulder rest I’ve used on my main violin for the last few years is a Bon Musica. I use a bit of red cosmetic sponge on the bottom portion to make it sit more comfortably. It may not look pretty, but I like the support, and have gotten it into the shape/configuration that suits me.
I think the Bon Musica is one of the shoulder rests that is difficult to fit in a violin case, so I’m also lucky to have a case that allows it to just fit (as I have it configured) – Pedi Niteflash Oblong Case.
Before using the Bon Musica, I used a Comford shoulder cradle. Like the Bon Musica, it was very supportive. But when I was using the Comford, I was using a center chin rest (Flesch center with hump). I was not as comfortable with the center chinrest when I started doing more shifting, and once I transitioned to the Wave chinrest, the Comford didn’t work for me anymore, and that is how I ended up with the Bon Musica.
For my 14” viola, I’m using the Fiddlerman shoulder rest (regular violin one). I’ve just been lucky with it – I set it up when I got the viola, and I haven’t had to adjust it at all since.
I’ve got a couple of other shoulder rests as backups – and I can use them, but they are not as comfortable for me as the Bon Musica. There are:
1) Performa Paduak– I’ve used this mainly on my carbon fiber. I’ll bring my carbon fiber as a back up if I’m performing with my ensemble group, and so like to have a back-up shoulder rest with it.
The case I use for my carbon fiber is another case that is good for a bigger shoulder rest (this one will fit the Performa and Bon Musica): Gewa Bio-A Oblong Case – it has an adjustable neck rest (designed for violins 1/2 to 4/4), and so it has some extra room (compared to the Gewa Bio-S case, that has a fixed neck rest), so that these bigger shoulder rests can fit in there.
2) Mach One Maple– I keep this with my older violin – it’s fairly comfortable, and very light.
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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Sheet Music Folders
I really like these. Usually, there are downsides to keeping sheet music in a binder:
1) the glare on the sheet protector pages
2) you cannot easily write on it (you’d have to take it out of the sheet protector).
3) time/effort to put in/take out pages
This binder nearly eliminates those things. It keeps multiple pages organized and the pages slip in & out easily. Spiral binding makes page turns easy. No glare of a full-page sheet protector. And, you can write on the music easily.
There can be a little glare at the very top & bottom (retaining strips), if the light is angle just right, but I’ve found it’s easily mitigated by moving slightly (because it is a narrow area, and not a like a full page). And, if you want to make a notation that needs to be right under the retaining strips, it’s not hard to do—I’ve been able to do it by just lifting it up a little to get my pencil in.
ViolinVids Video: Sheet Music Binder
I’ve seen a few different brands out there that all seem very similar, but these are the ones I’ve been using. I make up spare/backup folders for our ensemble group, and I’ve found them easy to work with (replacing/reordering tunes, etc.,).
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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If I have a piece of music I like, I print it out as many times as necessary until I've marked it up how I want cleanly, then I laminate it. Laminators are a great investment and not at all expensive. After that if I want to mark it up more, I use a Sharpie.
Andrew
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Gordon Shumway said
If I have a piece of music I like, I print it out as many times as necessary until I've marked it up how I want cleanly, then I laminate it. Laminators are a great investment and not at all expensive. After that if I want to mark it up more, I use a Sharpie.
I think I like the pencil on paper thing. However, I can see lamination w/ a Sharpie being a good option
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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I am definitely a fan of #11 – just have your game face on.
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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Practice – Bowing, String Crossings
I’ve been working on my bowing, and this week I’ve been focusing on wrist motion of my bow hand during string crossings. Specifically, I’ve been using Wohlfahrt 50 Melodious Studies Op 74, #9. The melody is relatively easy, so I can focus on my bow motion in front of a mirror.
On YouTube, ViolinExplorer has a video of this Etude as well as many others – I like the way he demonstrates them.
YouTube Video: F. Wohlfahrt 50 Easy Melodious Studies for the Violin Op. 74 – Etude no. 9
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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@SharonC -
Nice string crossing exercises! 🤗
Was just looking at Cathal Hayden playing 'The Home Ruler' hornpipe with the Máirtín O'Connor band, today (great example of string crossings on all 4 strings). He's playing in Eb major, but there's another recording of him playing it down a half step in D major (settings with notes on all 4 strings on The Session).
...can't go wrong playing ITM for string crossing practice - just about every Irish fiddle tune is chock full of different kinds of string crossings, quite a few tunes have multiple crossings on all 4 strings! I think ITM forced me to start working on more advanced string crossing bowing early on & learn how to conserve energy. I 💖 slurred string crossings.
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@ELCBK Thanks--there’s lots of good ways to practice different things—right now, the Wohlfahrt has the form that I’m looking for
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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Practice – Times may vary
I’m continuing to practice my current piece (Yanshinov Op35) & bowing exercises.
There is lots of guidance out there that talks about how to practice, for how long, etc., No one can argue (or at least they shouldn’t) that practicing violin takes time. A lot of it. But I now practice in a way that is effective for me, which is when I can best focus and get the results I want.
My practice times vary – sometimes I practice short, maybe 10-15 minute intervals, multiple times a day, other times I get 1 – 2 hours in all at once. Although I used to try to practice at a specific time of the day, I now adjust based on when I can focus best.
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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The Hunt
When cats hunt. . . well, sort of (it's just a bug, but hey, it's still prey).
I’ve made this video music related by adding in Saint-Saens’ Royal March of the Lion (Carnival of Animals).
ViolinVids Video: The Hunt
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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@SharonC -
OMG!
HOW CUTE!!!
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Adult Violin Learning Article: Insightful or AI Sterile Blather?
Was reading this “article” (I guess you’d call it that) called The Role of Motivation and Goal-Setting in Adult Violin Learning:
https://kandmmusicschool.com/b.....-learning/
Many points listed are posted elsewhere – setting realistic, measurable goals, music training improves the brain, etc.,
It does contain good information. And it is posted on a music school site that has guidance throughout to support its educational business—so I’m not criticizing the site or the information it has listed.
However, as I read through it, I was asking myself, “Did a person write this, or is it a gathering of data by an AI entity?” Reading it made me think of someone who is speaking to a group by reading off a teleprompter, and not really conveying any personal thought.
The article points out that for adult learners, “Intrinsic motivation declines with age due to brain changes and resistance to change.” I think maybe, being old & set in my ways, I am suspicious of the AI thing, and so when I see it, I become more interested in the motivation of the purpose of its existence rather than the information that it is providing.
Just pondering. Thought it was more interesting than what/how I’ve been practicing my piece & my bowing exercise
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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SharonC said
etchttps://kandmmusicschool.com/b.....-learning/
"But remember your “why” reignites motivation by tapping intrinsic drives."
That's an insanely complicated way of saying "socialising".
And it's plateaux, not plateaus.
Sorry, Sharon, I screwed up your post rating while wondering why posts only ever get 0 or 5 stars!
Andrew
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Gordon Shumway said
SharonC said
etc
https://kandmmusicschool.com/b.....-learning/
"But remember your “why” reignites motivation by tapping intrinsic drives."
That's an insanely complicated way of saying "socialising".
Yep, blather--
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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Nan Kemberling – Atlanta Cellist
@jols mentioned SCOR! (an Adult String "Camp") on her Traveler YouTube channel linked to her post here:
https://fiddlerman.com/forum/t.....3/#p144799
I also attended SCOR! (four times). While being reminded of this, I thought about Atlanta cellist Nan Kemberling—she was at two SCOR! events as an instructor that I attended.
One of the pieces she played for us is called Julie-O, a modern cello solo piece; here’s a recording from that actual SCOR! event of her playing it:
YouTube Video: Nan plays Julie O
One of the fun things she recorded some time ago is a tune she created called There’s Always Room for Cello – something she created, directed at students (contains suggestions for good playing habits, etc.,):
YouTube Video: Always Room 4 Cello (original full-length version)
You can find out more about Nan at her website:
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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