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As soon as his Sept. 18 audition is done with, Thomas and I will get back to some FUN music, i.e. fiddlin. IN the meantime, he is working his tail off on this piece because the first chair in the Bangor Symphony Youth Orchestra is vacant this next sea. son and his teacher said he has a wicked chance at snatching it if he can show the conductor what he is made of by playing in the first, second and third position so she chose this one for him. We both LOVE Vivaldi anyway so this is right up his alley. She also told him to begin swaying or moving while playing. I dont know about you all, but trying to get an 11 year old boy to sway to music is tougher than it sounds, hahahaha. Anyway, here is his rendition and he still has three weeks left before audition time. The audio has a lot to be desired.
Jim(Thomases Dad)
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Bangor Youth Orchestra, Look Out!
@JimandThomas That was excellent! Dynamics & shifting are outstanding.
You're hard work is showing, for sure. 
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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@JimandThomas - Wow! Maybe by the time I'm 111 I'll be that good (or wait, what are my chances of that???). You are an incredible young man. I feel very fortunate to have been a part of this forum when you first came here to show your skills.
The old curmudgeon!
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@JimandThomas -
COOL!
You're doing GREAT!
Don't know if this is helpful, but when I've heard this piece performed by orchestras in the past, my general impression of what was important - exaggerated dynamics.
Can't wait for the big day!
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you rock thomas ! or should I say you vilvaldi!! 
Impressive playing Thomas!
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Thomas B.
Very impressive playing!
Your working it out very very well.
Sounding good.
Mark
Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.
Albert Sammons
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Excellent playing @JimandThomas ! I'm sure you'll do well on that audition. It's already very good, the intonation, the dynamics, the trills, vibrato, …
I don't know about swaying, I can't help moving a lot myself (too much, to be honest). I can't see why 'not swaying' would be a problem, except if it makes one tense (I tense a lot if I try to stay immobile). I think it's personal though.
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Congratulations Thomas, you are already doing really well, it will be great for in 3 weeks!
It's funny I played this piece recently, but with a score a little too complex lol so much that I forgot my vibrato and there are wrong notes 
I may play it again in a while when I have progressed.
since08.2019
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I know there were a few slips in there, but apart from that it sounded really good most of the way through - I can tell you were feeling the music rather than just playing the notes. Well done!
3 more weeks to get the gremlins out of the tricky bits and you should be good to go.
I'm sure your teacher has already told you this, but go over the bits where the fingering/bowing is tricky in isolation over and over slowly and deliberately until you have them, then put the whole thing together.
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Sounding so good!
as far as the teacher asking him to move/sway, my first teacher did the same with me. She wanted me to tap my feet, sway, move somehow. It was because I would over focus during lessons and practice until I got comfortable with a tune, get in my head, and she wanted me to loosen up and feel the music.
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@JimandThomas -
I know you are running out of time, practicing for the audition, but think you might greatly benefit from the wrist talk going on in this thread: https://fiddlerman.com/forum/s.....o/#p129563
- Emily
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@ELCBK Yeah, we watched this a couple times already and it is still a constant struggle with his wrist. He is using his knuckles and everything else pretty well, including the limited use of his forearm. I am giving him a little leeway with his wrist because if you remember, a couple months back, he had to completely change his bow hold from RUssian to Belgium. His "homework" every week is a crazy amount as well, not to mention school starting already. Every week he is given a new piece from Wohlfarht, 3 pieces from Applebaum and a piece from Suzuki 3 and so far he has passed them each week. And if it takes a little bit longer on his wrist flexibility(as long as there is improvement every week)than I am quite happy with that. The last thing I want to do is push him too hard and he loses interest. But this wrist thing....geesh. It is a killer I tell ya.
Jim(Thomases Dad)
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@JimandThomas -
Sorry, I thought the movement demonstrated in this video
would help make Thomas's playing easier/more enjoyable. 
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@ELCBK No worries and no apologies needed, we continue to work and work and work on it. Just trying to think of some easy exercises or ideas or something to help him along but then again it may just be time that is needed
Jim(Thomases Dad)
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@JimandThomas -
Wishing you the best of luck on Sunday,
Thomas!
You'll be GREAT!
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Thats great playing, no doubt about it. Pleasure to listen to, and he is progressing so fast its amazing. He should listen to his teacher about the movement, she obviously knows what she is talking about.
That one is or was in The ABRSM grade 6 over here at one time, very tricky in parts for sure, but he makes it sound easy, beautiful stuff. Shifting and staying in tune is realĺy difficult as you know, but he does a brilliant job of that as well, he will need a new teacher soon.
Cant beat a sunny day
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Well, I screwed up yet another video. I thought I could get better sound by doing something with the camera I used, but now I messed up the video. Still learning. Thomas and I will be hearing back from his conductor tomorrow whether or not he passed his audition and hopefully what chair he will be occupying. In the meantime, we wanted to make one final rendition of this concerto at 88 but he wanted to up it to 110.
Jim(Thomases Dad)
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