“All This Awesome Power, In An Itty-Bitty Little Package” As I gazed upon my small collection of chipped rosin cakes this morning, I started to wonder if I needed something new. The less than pristine chunks I have on hand could conceivably last until I’m well into retirement, but still. Part of me just really likes buying new rosin. So I started thinking about what kind of rosin I might try next. Then I started thinking...

Think you practice more, less or the same amount as your peers? Last week, I made some assumptions about how much time musicians need to practice based on their skill level. I posed the question to the beginning adult violin students group (bavs) on Yahoo! and got some interesting feedback. Being a lover of graphs, I decided to pose the question again – in the form of a poll. Want to find out how your practice time stacks up to other...

Zen gardens, minimalist and organized, are thought to encourage contemplation and perhaps enlightenment. Junk drawers, while arguably fascinating and useful, are far from relaxing or enlightening. But couldn’t the visual stimulation and juxtaposition of objects inspire creativity? It reminds me of a plaque I read on a friend’s wall: “Dull people have immaculate houses”. What, if any, relationship does organization...

A reminder to stretch before practice came to me at the chiropractor’s office, of all places. The boy and I get adjustments somewhat regularly and the chiropractor noticed tension in wee-man’s left shoulder during our most recent visit. I questioned whether it might be related to his violin practice. She thought playing violin might be the cause and suggested a little massage before and after each practice. Notice anything a...

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star with Harmony Take 1 (in 1 Take). Suzuki parents (and students) back me up here: listening to / playing the Twinkle Variations gets OLD. Sure they’re good for you, like Brussels Sprout, and you might even like eating them… the first 9,999 days. But, and I’m pretty sure there’s a book about this on my to-read list, after day 10,000 who wants to eat that again? It doesn’t even smell...

How much practice time is ideal, appropriate, reasonable, absolutely necessary for a violin student? Let’s assume (as I have) a new violin student could survive, progress even, with 15 minutes of practice everyday. I’m not talking about setting the world on fire, winning fiddle competitions or doing well at auditions; but surviving. By the same token, let’s assume a student anywhere between Books 3-5, excepting...