Why violinists are storytellers
I am in a wonderful space with the students in my studio. I’ve had most of my students for a few years now and we are well beyond the Twinkles and basic tunes. As my students mature we talk a lot about storytelling, creating a mood, a feel, or an image that you can imagine as you play. This intent is so important when playing the violin, and is so often forgotten about in the midst of technical practice, memorization and bow exercises.
This short article in the Strad magazine, talks about storytelling for instrumentalists and why it’s so important not to forget about it. Cellist Raphael Wallfisch says, “I use songs, speech and gesture every day in my teaching and practicing, because when you listen to music, you want to be told something.”