All posts by hannahviolin

I am a violinist. I also enjoy running, working out, reading, and hanging with my friends and cat.
Performing, Teaching

Wonderful week in Columbus

I had a better time than I thought I would in Columbus, Ohio last week.  I played with the Columbus Symphony for an all Shostakovich program, and with the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra for a different set of concerts.  It was a lot of fun, though a ton of work.  I thought I would be completely exhausted and unable to enjoy playing, and I was completely exhausted (one day I had three rehearsals plus a concert)…but I seemed to be able to always find energy to a) play Shostakovich Symphony no. 10/Mozart Symphony no. 25 and b) hang out with friends.  Weird how that works!

I’ve been busy since I got back as well.  I’m playing with the Quincy Symphony this week, in addition to teaching and preparing for our upcoming quartet concert (Mozart d minor quartet, Villa Lobos no. 5, and Piazzolla’s Four for Tango).

Being busy is great–it makes me feel alive!  I am not that busy here generally, but I have lived a busy lifestyle before (in Cleveland, for several ridiculously busy years.)  I am hoping I will just continue to be more busy the longer I live here.  A colleague suggested it takes seven years to really become a successful freelancer in a city.  I’m only 1 1/2 years in, so I suppose I need to be patient.  (Patience is not my strong suit, except while teaching others…)

My friend had a DMA recital tonight–I wish I had been able to be there, but she lives in Arizona, which is a bit far to travel.  I hope she did well!

Random thoughts

Beethoven Violin Concerto

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I’m looking forward to Saturday night’s concert (attending, not playing, to be clear!).  It’s all Beethoven with the SLSO, including the Violin Concerto with Christian Tetzlaff.  A source (a certain viola player I know well!) tells me he sounds fantastic though his interpretation is a bit unconventional.

My work week is effectively over, all that remains is Saturday morning group classes up at SIUE, and this Saturday is observations only for me again.  TGIF!  (Remember when Full House was a part of that?  Random, yes, I know.)

Performing, Teaching

Overthinking it plus viola

I recently started teaching a viola student.  I am having a lot of fun with it!  I don’t really play viola, nor do I own one, but I decided today I know exactly what I want.  Her viola is the same size as my violin–that’s what I need!  A viola the same size as my violin.  Then I can play the Walton Viola Concerto easily, without undue stretching.  (I can just imagine my boyfriend Chris’s reaction to that statement…NOT pleased–a bit of  a viola snob, he is…silly!).  My younger sister became a violist the other year (from violin) and I believe the Walton was her primary reason.  (Also, I think, doing something a bit different from her two older sisters).  I’ll add “small viola” to my list of instruments to buy!  (Mandolin being the other on the list, and of course, ultimately, a piano…)

I was really touched by the story about the Haitian violinist Romel Joseph today.  Here’s a link to the story.  I have no real words…just wow.

Follow up thought from earlier post:  No matter how I act, not everyone is going to like me.   Since I work primarily in a service oriented field (music for hire, or music lessons for hire) I spend much of my day acting in a way that I perceive to be “appropriate.”  I want people to want to hire me to play, and I want to do that by acting in a most professional manner.  Then I see other people (primarily Males, of course) who don’t worry in the slightest about being easy to get along with or nice, and having success in their lives…ugh, what a pain to have been born a middle child female who always just wants people to get along and wants people to like her, or at least well enough.  Naturally I am ALWAYS going to be willing to work with people professionally and meet the needs of my clients, but perhaps it’s okay if not everybody agrees with me at all times (or for that matter, it’s okay if occasionally I might inadvertently do something or say something that someone else miscontrues or is mildly offended by?).   Okay, now I’m definitely overthinking this whole thing!

Grand Ideas, Performing

What is this all about?

Today I have been thinking about this blog, and what I want it to reflect.  I sometimes forget how far reaching my audience can be!  Of course, I KNOW that anyone can read this, and Yes, I do have the address in my email signature, but I am excited to know that people ARE reading it!  Thank you.

That said, how can I keep people reading this?  How can I make my blog worth reading and interesting, without being too offensive?  I have no intention of offending people, even you brides who want your weddings outside in October!  (Seriously though, do remember that it is not always beautiful and pleasant then, so PLEASE have a back up plan, even as simple as having portable heaters).  I don’t even want to offend conductors or reviewers, even though as a musician, you are not always my friend.  We are all on the same side however, in that we want to grow our audiences, and we want people to love music as MUCH as we love music (oh, and we do, we DO!  and we feel if you just understand the music even a little bit like we do, you will love it too!)

I think though, my main point of this blog, is to satisfy my urge of writing things down, my urge to be heard, and perhaps to entertain and inform.  If you learn something you didn’t know about violin, violin teaching, violin lessons, weird internet women (that would be me), or…anything at all, then perhaps your day is just a little bit better.  I consider the search for more knowledge, on all subjects, to be of utmost importance.  Learning makes us better.

So there you have it.  First, do no harm.  Second, learn something.  No reader left behind!

Random thoughts

Pines of Rome

I wasn’t going to go to the SLSO for awhile (the concerts kept making me VERY angry, for personal and professional reasons) BUT last night they were playing Pines of Rome by Ottorino Respighi, one of my favorite pieces. I have played it many times (probably a dozen, at least). I have played first violin, second violin, every different divisi possible plus the solos. In any case, I’m glad I went last night, because I hadn’t SEEN it performed before (that I recall, at least). WOW. It was super intense and awesomely loud, and just wonderfully enjoyable all around. I can’t use enough superlatives to describe the feeling of being in the audience for Pines of Rome. I’m glad I put my pettyness aside and went to the concert!

Teaching

Group Class Observation

I get so freaked out by the idea of teaching [Suzuki] group classes.  I’m sure it’s because I just haven’t done it very many times (once, really, to be official).

This morning I observed the class I will be teaching for my videotape (in the next few weeks, evidently).  The teacher was wonderful with the group, and the kids were both very cute and pretty responsive as well.  I took tons of notes (as usual!) and got several new ideas of things to do.  I started feeling more confident about the class since the teacher made it look so easy to teach them.  Of course,  it’s because she’s an experienced teacher, and has tons of ideas and THUSLY is able to seamlessly move from activity to activity, quickly moving on from something that doesn’t work before the kids notice a problem.  I also feel like I need more, new ideas, but probably at this point, I just need to really KNOW the ideas I have observed, and be able to pull them out of a hat, so to speak.  Like private teaching, I’m sure group teaching is a skill that just takes practice, and I just need more of it.