#violin student

[seraphsiege]

practicing classical violin brings some so much misery. it’s so demanding and i can’t keep up because i didn’t start early enough. even finding a piece i enjoy brings me pain to play because of how much love i’ve ended up losing. i practice and practice and i’m trying to record more of my practicing sessions but it still feels like it isn’t enough. what more does it want from me?

[xenthecreative]

I've posted like crazy, I'll shut up soon, I swear.

So, my violin teacher (Miss Susie) told me in October, there is a local wedding and I can come with her to get visual experience and help her set up things (for experience) since I'm pursuing this as a career.

Okay, great! I don't have to play! (I have severe anxiety so you can imagine how reliving it is to know you don't have to preform at a wedding!)

So, I tell dad. A week or so later, he gets it confused with a recital. I told him it's not. A few days later, he forgets again and again. He's only forgetful on some things, but I gave up on telling him over and over again. But he proceeds to tell me I'mma hafta "doll up" for this.

... I already know that. Even if I don't want to.

I'm a bit of a tomboy. I HATE makeup. I just tie my hair back, that's all I ever do with it. I'm not found of dressy/fancy clothes, I feel out of place in them. And I'm most certainly not wearing a dress. Not to mention, I hate clothes shopping but he tries to get me to. A lot.

When I was younger, it was cool for me to be like that. All tomboyish. But since I'm older, he constantly tells me "When you get out there, you're gonna have to get all dolled up. That's just how it is. You're gonna have to do your hair, makeup and wear fancy clothes. There's nothing wrong with being girly." What he's really saying in his language "You're gonna have to quit being all tomboyish if you want to be a violinist. You're gonna have to be girly about your looks, not being careless like you are all the time now."

It's rude, I know, but I avoid talking to him if possible because I know he's constantly going to repeat that and many other words I'm not in the mood to put up with anymore.

I get it, me being me isn't acceptable in the gloomy world. I'm a girl, so I'mma hafta do what other girls do, right?

😞 I'll quit my ranting here. Thanks for listening.

[onlyamusician]

So this is what I've been up to these days. Bach's fugue in G minor. I've got to play it in front of my classmates on Tuesday and I would lie if I said I'm not a bit scared 😂

[im-phi-nitesimal]

En carácter de estudiante

[onlyamusician]

After three intense days of rehearsals, we played Mendelssohn's 3rd Symphony and it went great :)

Now I'm waiting at a café to catch the bus to get to my town. Looking forward to arrive and spend this afternoon with my friends, but first a 3-hour long journey 😐

[onlyamusician]

Today I've had my first violin lesson of 2019

I was a little worried 'cause I felt like I hadn't had time to study much over the winter holidays, but it has beenva good day. We've worked on some Dont studies (I'm stuck with these for all the year), Gaviniés and I've started working on Wienawski's op. 10.

Also I've read the first movement of Mozart's violin concerto in A major. For now without cadenza, but I plan on studying it too.

Tomorrow I have class with my chamber music group, and we're starting with Dvorak's piano quintet. I'll be playing 2nd violin and I won't get too much solos, but I'll enjoy a lot anyway

[violinaway]

I've been trying to give slow practice a real chance. And by that I don't mean just go mega slow until I have 80% of the notes right and then pick up the pace. I mean go through the music and don't pick up the tempo unless I have 100% of the notes right, then up the tempo and repeat. Yes, it's as tedious as it sounds.

I'm already seeing it starting to work, though. I feel much less anxious when I up the tempo, as I've taken something out of the equation.

My teacher suggested that I might be trying to get there "too quickly". Guess he was right - I can be quite impatient.

But also feel like no one had actually told me about what slow practice should feel like. I've now read about metronome charting, and might be doing more of that (though that's even more tedious than slowly upping the tempo!).

It's all learning..!

[violinaway]

Note to self: showing up every day, bit by bit, sloowly slowly, gets you a little bit further.

When I started playing the Sitt etudes one year ago, I could have cried, they all felt like such a struggle. Now that I’ve finally finished the first book.. I still cry. But hey, book one is done!

It’s going to be a long journey, but can’t wait till I can play like someone might actually want to listen.