My greyhound Luke, enjoying the dulcet tones of one student's lesson.
The Beanstalk Library takes on Arlington
I performed with my band, The Beanstalk Library at IOTA in Arlington on June 26. The bands The Fire Tonight and Tinmouth joined us on the bill. It was a great night with awesome music! Enjoy the photos below by Roxplosion!
Spring Recital 2014
Enjoy a few images from my most recent student recital, which I presented on June 7, 2014 at the Sanctuary at Convergence. The students did a wonderful job, as always!
The Beanstalk Library welcomes Spring 2014...
...with a little outdoor music festival in the District on what's setting up to be a perfect Saturday. We'll be at the Kingman Island Bluegrass & Folk Festival on April 26, 2014. Ryan, Brian and I will perform on the Gypsy Sally's Stage at 2pm. Be there!
...And, post-Festival, here's a picture of us playing! It was an amazing day and the event reached capacity within the first 3 hours! Can't wait to play for it next year!
Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat!
Playing in pit orchestras ranks as one of my favorite ways to perform. This week I've been having a wonderful time performing in the pit for the Maret School's production of Guys & Dolls. Tons of fun tunes to play, and the student performers are very talented!
Learning Together
Last weekend I held a group studio class for some of my students. It was a nice opportunity for some of my younger, less-experienced students to play along some of my more experienced pupils. We worked on a couple of pieces together (in parts) and then practiced performing solos for each other. Every little performance helps calm nerves and ease stage fright for the next time, so I know all attendees will feel a little more confident at my next student recital.
Happy 2014!
I had the pleasure of ringing in the New Year with my band The Beanstalk Library at IOTA Club & Cafe in Arlington, VA. This was the 2nd year we performed to a sold-out crowd at IOTA for New Year's Eve. Also joining us for the show were two great bands: Derek Evry and His Band of Misanthropes and These Future Saints. Can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be on NYE!
Winter Recital 2013
On December 14, I hosted my 3rd Annual Winter Recital for twenty-five of my private students at the Sanctuary at Convergence. Everyone did a beautiful job performing a mix of holiday and classical solos. I love recitals so much because they provide an opportunity for students to set performance goals and feel a real sense of accomplishment at the end of it all. And Convergence provides a beautiful space not only for the students to perform, but also for everyone to convene in the Gallery for refreshments after it's all over!
Playing for Spielberg!
Every year for the past 5 years or so, my string quartet, the Cherry Blossom String Quartet, has been invited to perform at the Annual Gala for the National Archives. This year, they presented their 2013 Records of Achievement Award to the one and only Mr. Steven Spielberg. The quartet was delighted to be a part of the big event! The Archives requested that we feature music from some of Spielberg's most famous movies. So we set about learning and rehearsing the themes from Jaws, Jurassic Park, E.T., Schindler's List, and Poltergeist, to name a few. Our performance was even featured on WTOP radio the following morning. Take a listen! Aside from Mr. Spielberg, some other well-known folks were also in attendance at the event, including Ken Burns, Nancy Pelosi, and Cokie Roberts. It was a wonderful and exciting opportunity that I definitely will not forget!
Back to School!
I absolutely love this time of year. My continuing students are rejuvenated and excited about starting a new grade in school. Many of them are outgrowing their original violins and violas and trading them in for larger and better-sounding instruments. Some students who have been studying with me for several years enjoy looking back on all of the progress they have made. And of course, brand-new students sign on for lessons. I always love getting to know new students: learning their stories and background, understanding their learning styles, and helping them discover why playing music is so much fun.
This is also the time of year when I get to start planning for recitals and group lessons. Stay tuned for dates on both of those events. Happy September!
Rolland Workshop
Last week I attended a one-day session of a Paul Rolland String Pedagogy Workshop. Paul Rolland was violist and violin teacher who emphasized the importance of freedom of movement in string playing. He created a series of films that demonstrate various techniques in string playing. The films are particularly helpful for string teachers because Rolland used actual developing violin students to show teaching strategies. The workshop I attended was a one-week program at George Mason University. Since I hadn't heard about or attended the program before, I elected to go to the program's "sampler" day. The sessions included helpful information on teaching students about bow control and bowing techniques. It was wonderful to get a little teaching refresher and trade ideas with other string teachers. Below is a picture of violin teacher Lucy Manning demonstrating how to teach bow bouncing (spiccato) to even very young students - our guinea pigs for the afternoon!
Spring Recital, 2013!
I presented my annual Spring Recital on June 1 at the Sanctuary at Convergence. Twenty-seven of my students performed solos while I accompanied them on piano. All of the students did a really lovely job. It takes a lot of courage to stand up in front of a crowd and perform, and I was very proud of them!
In Memory: Neil Landsberg
On a sad note, I lost one of my beloved students recently. Neil Landsberg decided to take up the violin about one year ago. Lessons with Neil were always full of jokes and laughter, and he had a real enthusiasm for learning. I learned a lot from Neil, including how to be a more humble, compassionate, generous, and kind person. He touched the lives of so many, including my own. I don't think what I've described here is even close to adequate, but the world has lost a really special person. If you have a moment, this article in Time features Neil, and is an important read.
A Busy Spring
It's been a very packed spring here at the violin studio! Some of the highlights included my very first Adult Student Music Hour for my more mature students. Three of my adult students and their spouses came over to the house for a small get-together. Each student performed a solo while I accompanied on piano. It was a lovely afternoon and a more relaxed way for my adult students to get a taste of performing (and all the excitement and jitters that come with it)! My band, The Beanstalk Library has wrapped up the recording of our newest album, The View From Here. It will be available for purchase in a couple of weeks. We played a show at the very cozy and intimate Galaxy Hut on Memorial Day to celebrate the completion of the record. Here's a pic from that show:
Studio Class!
This weekend, I hosted a small studio class for some of my younger students. We worked on playing a couple of tunes as a violin quartet, which each student playing his or her very own harmony or melody line. Next, each of the students performed a short piece for the others and the listening students practiced giving positive feedback to the performers. it was an excellent way for them to prepare for the upcoming recital. The kids had a great time listening to each other play and learning to play in a small ensemble. It was a blast, and I can't wait to schedule the next group lesson!
Tuning Your Violin
It's a daunting task. [Insert sigh of frustration here.] At this chilly time of year, especially with our constantly changing weather in the DC area, violins and violas have a tough time staying in tune. For the inexperienced player or parent of a string player, you run the risk of breaking a string when you tune the instrument. This site provides tuning pitches for each of your strings. If you can use your fine tuners to get the strings in tune, use them. If the string is so far out of tune that you must use the pegs to tighten them, proceed with caution. Starting with the A string, pluck or bow to hear its pitch and compare it to the tuning pitch on this website. Chances are, you will need to tighten the peg. The strings are wrapped snugly around each peg so they don't typically tighten on their own -- they're more likely to slip out of tune. Gently turn the peg - gently! While you do so, push the peg into the peg hole a little bit to help it stay in place. Listen to the tuning pitch, pluck the string, and turn the peg again if necessary.
I could write pages on the tuning process, and this is just a start. If you're unsure of how to tune, ask your teacher. It takes years of practice to become proficient at tuning your instrument, so be patient!
For the Dream to Ride
I was recently invited to perform music for a poetry reading by Iran's national poet, Simin Behbahani.
Welcome, 2013!
What a fun December! It was filled with tons of fun performances. My students all did a wonderful job at my studio Holiday Violin & Viola Recital. It was a festive occasion with lots of carols and other fun tunes, and was a great learning experience for the kids. Everyone played their pieces by heart while I accompanied them on piano. Below is a post-recital photo of me with one of my very littlest students!
The Cherry Blossom String Quartet was honored to be a part of some very beautiful holiday weddings, including a gorgeous wedding on New Year's Eve at Memorial Baptist Church in Arlington, VA. And later that evening, I capped off 2012 with a super-fun New Year's Eve show with The Beanstalk Library at a very packed, very sold-out IOTA Club & Cafe in Arlington, VA.
What's in store for 2013? Stay tuned for new events in my teaching studio, as well as new musical collaborations and performances. Onward!
What are you doing New Year's Eve?
This, I hope:
Deck the Halls!
I'm in the midst of a music-filled December. My quartet, the Cherry Blossom String Quartet has had a banner year, and we are finishing it off with our busiest holiday season ever! All kinds of lovely company holiday parties and beautiful holiday weddings are on the horizon for CBSQ. Check us out at our annual performance at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Alexandria, VA for their Lessons & Carols Service on December 16, and their Midnight Mass on December 24. In the teaching studio, I have been helping many of my students prepare for my first-ever Holiday Recital next weekend. Twenty-five students ranging in age from 6 to 15 will perform a mix of Christmas tunes and classical pieces. Judging from what I've been hearing in their lessons this past week, parents are in store for some lovely performances!
To round what has been an amazing year for me, I'll again join The Beanstalk Library at their 3rd Annual New Year's Eve Throwdown on December 31, 2012 at IOTA Club & Cafe in Arlington, VA. Sweetening the bill will be bands Ugly Purple Sweater and Alex Vans & The Hide Away. This is guaranteed to be a great night. Tickets are on sale now at IOTA for $18.00.