5 Easy Tips for Better Violin Care
It’s one thing to learn how to play the violin. You go to lessons then go home and practice. Unfortunately, some teachers don’t teach how to care for your violin. Like any other tool you own, the violin needs regular care (I was going to name this post ‘The Care and Feeding of Your Violin’). …
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violinguy
Musicians who Travel – Five Things they Need
Wouldn’t it be great if all of our gigs were in the same town we live in? Or at least within an hour of our home? Sadly, if you want to make good money as a freelance musician, you have to travel and stay overnight from time to time. This means long car rides, a…
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violinguy
Myths of Classical Music Debunked (Mostly)
For those of us who make our living performing classical music, loving it is a no-brainer. Explaining it to the uninitiated is another matter completely. It has become increasingly more difficult for the general population to take the plunge and listen to classical music. Personally, I think it’s because of one or more of the…
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violinguy
5 Things to Remember Now That Summer Is Here
Summer is here (at least in Georgia where I live) and that means school is out, kids run wild, and the weather is nasty. High temperatures mean sunburn and dehydration while you’re in the pool or at the beach. You need to be aware of the ways hot weather and sun can hurt you. You…
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violinguy
5 Actors Who Deserve an Oscar But Don’t Have One
Oscar season is upon us, and that means talking about films and actors. This post is certainly off-topic for my site, but I am quite a movie buff so I enjoy talking (writing) about films. Every year, a bunch of actors/actresses are nominated and ultimately win Oscars. There are several who, for whatever reason have…
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violinguy
The 5 Most Terrifying Violin Passages in Orchestral Music
Next month I am performing a terrific but horrifically difficult symphony, Shostakovitch’s 10th. This symphony has arguably the most terrifying four minutes in all of the standard repertoire. Often, these scary passages appear on audition lists, but sometimes they take you by surprise. You won’t know them until you come across them in your music. …
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violinguy
5 Pieces for Holiday Gigs String Players Should Know
Ah, the holidays. Christmastime is here again (cue Vince Guaraldi). This is when many string players make a nice chunk o’ change. In order to be successful, you need to know the standard repertoire of holiday performances, and below are the 5 you should definitely know and know well. I’ll also include some “honorable mentions”…
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violinguy
5 Music Collections Every Advanced Student Needs
As a violin student goes from cute-for-playing-for-neighbors-and-relatives to serious advanced student, the music he or she needs increases. Below, I give you the five absolutely essential sheet music collections that every serious violin student needs. There are no elite violinists in the world that haven’t studied these works or learned these etudes. If you want…
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violinguy
Five Things All Gigging Musicians Need
Greetings intrepid readers. You may have noticed (or not, which is more likely) that I haven’t written any articles lately. There are a few reasons for that, and today I’m going to focus on the main reason – lots of gigs and no time to write. I’ve also been sick (see my last post on…
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violinguy
Five Activities You’ll Be Good At If You Play the Violin
Learning to master the violin is hard, however the tools you use in learning the violin are very helpful in many other activities. When you play the violin, you are gaining dexterity in your muscles. When you play violin in a group, you are listening and blending in. Learning music helps your brain develop memory. …
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violinguy
The 5 Best Mendelssohn Scherzos
Felix Mendelssohn is one of my favorite composers (but is he on Mt. Rushmore?). He was just as much a child prodigy as Mozart ever was, and just like Mozart, he didn’t live to see his 40th birthday. He gets far too little credit, mostly because he wasn’t revolutionary in his composing. Like Brahms, he…
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violinguy
5 Violin Showpieces to Motivate Young Violinists
It is well known that children are easily motivated by someone doing what they want to do, and doing it very well. When I was a young violin student, my parents bought a record (you know, those big black vinyl discs) of Itzhak Perlman encores. While many young students today look up to Joshua Bell…
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