Bow Hold fun!

Just found this delightful little video by everyone's favorite violinist, Itzhak Perlman, on his preferred bow hold. I know I'm always telling my students some of this info in lessons, but sometimes it helps to hear it from another source. :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r0WW-KN6VM

Summer Camp!

The Washington area is currently bracing for its first winter storm 2016. What better time to start considering summer music programs for your student?? I'm a huge proponent of summer music camps, especially sleep-away programs. They are wonderful way for students to experience and immerse themselves in new music in a beautiful setting, meet other like-minded young musicians, and study with new teachers and conductors. Right now is the time for students to send off applications and audition recordings! I've done a bit of research and here are some great programs:

  1. Brevard Music Festival (for high school age students)
  2. Sewanee Music Festival (ages 12 and up)
  3. Killington Music Festival (ages 12 and up)
  4.  Camp Encore/Coda (grades 3 through 11)

This is just a tiny sampling of some of the wonderful summer programs. As an alumna of two of the programs above, I still cherish the memories and the invaluable musical experiences from these programs.

Openings at Alexandria Music Co.

I have some rare openings in my schedule at Alexandria Music Company. If you or your son/daughter are interested in taking violin or viola lessons, contact me for details! January is a perfect time of year to start lessons, after things settle down from the holidays! Music is an ideal indoor activity.

Winter Recital 2015

Another Winter Recital is down in the books! Last weekend, 22 of my students performed solo for an audience of about 90. Despite lots of nerves and jitters, they did a super job. And the recital ended with a bang -- my final performer, Duke, broke his bow in the final measure of his solo, Slavonic Fantasie by Dvorak-Kreisler.  It was an exciting way to wrap up! Enjoy the pics below. Parris

I have taught siblings Nozomi and Duke since they were FIVE. Now they're in high school and they tower over me!

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Here I am with all of my wonderful students who performed!

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Happy students, happy teacher

I was so excited to learn in the past week that 4 of my students have been placed 1st chair in their school orchestras! Teaching all of my students is a delight regardless of where they sit in orchestra, but it's always wonderful to see my students' faces light up (and their confidence skyrocket) when they are moved to the front of their sections. Many of the students are currently hard at work for my upcoming Winter Recital. It's a little strange working on holiday/winter-themed music prior to Halloween. But, early recital prep leads to confident and satisfying performances!

Interested in learning violin? Now's the time!

If you or your son/daughter has been pondering the idea of picking up the violin or viola, summer is the ideal time to try it out! For my school-age students, taking lessons now is a great way to get a head start on school strings class (for brand-new beginners).  For more experienced students, summer lessons are a great way to improve and learn new techniques during a season when many kids leave their instruments to collect dust in the corner.  :) Summer is also the perfect time for adult students (beginner or experienced) to get into lessons.  Work schedules tend to be lighter, and days are longer. What better way to enrich your life and increase your brainpower than learning the violin?

For teachers, summer is a transitional time when some students move away, so there are typically more schedule openings for new students, and you can beat the "fall rush" when there's typically an influx of new students. Shoot me an email if you're interested!

Caring for your beloved instrument

Since it's been quite toasty outside lately, here are a few instrument-care reminders to keep your fiddle in tip-top shape! 1) Never leave the violin/viola in a hot car for any extended period of time. Hot temperatures wreak havoc on the delicate wood instruments. Heat causes cracking, bubbling in varnish, and warping. Bring it inside with you whenever possible!

2) Humid temperatures can cause pegs to stick or become impossible to move. For a lightly sticking peg, loosen it first, then gently turn it until the string reaches the correct pitch. If it won't budge, don't force it -- pegs can break, and then you'll have a real problem on your hands. Instead, take it to a reputable violin repair person such as Brobst Violins, Michael Weller, or Potter's Violins. They can use a peg lubricant to loosen it up.

3) To keep the violin finish looking gorgeous, always wipe it off with a soft cloth after playing. Make sure to get underneath strings where rosin dust builds up. Also remember to wipe the strings themselves to remove rosin dust from the bowing area and any residue from the fingerboard. Lastly, to prevent fingerprints, try to avoid handling the violin by the wooden body. Instead, hold the violin from the neck.

4) When you are returning your instrument to its case, remember to loosen the bow so that the hair becomes slack. Otherwise, undue pressure is placed on the hair and the wood of the bow, putting both at risk for breakage.

Spring Student Recital approaching!

It's just around the corner! On June 13, 2015 at 10:30 am at Convergence, I'll be hosting my annual Spring Violin & Viola recital for my students. I absolutely love working with students in their lessons to prepare for a recital. It's exciting, and a little stressful, and so very rewarding to see them make progress on the solos they choose! This recital will again feature some new ensembles (trios? quartets? duos?), as well as some musician parents performing alongside their kids. Can't wait!

Welcome to The Guest Room

My band, The Beanstalk Library, has started a fun new concert series in 2015 entitled "The Guest Room." We are collaborating with other area musicians on a monthly basis by organizing a shared show, and performing as a backup band for our featured guests.  January and March's shows featured performances by Derek Evry and Lauren Calve, respectively. Our next installment of The Guest Room will be on Wednesday, April 29 at 8 pm and will showcase  singer/songwriter Carolyn Crysdale. The Guest Room is hosted at The Evening Star, a well-known haunt in Del Ray (Alexandria), VA. They will be serving up their always-tasty eats and drinks. These shows are free and open to the public. Swing by and check it out!

Lauren Calve with The Beanstalk Library

In the Bleak Midwinter

February in DC: It is a bleak time of year. As I write this, the weather outside 20 degrees and cloudy. In the spirit of one of my favorite winter songs (okay, "In the Bleak Midwinter" is actually a Christmas Carol), I'd like to offer some suggestions for concerts which might lift your spirit. You can listen to this lovely rendition of "In the Bleak Midwinter"  (by Gustav Holst) as you read! Attending concerts is a great way to stay inspired while you are taking violin or viola lessons. I recommend checking out different genres of music. These days, you'll see the violin performed in so many styles: classical, folk, Irish, rock, bluegrass, jazz. It's such a versatile instrument, and who knows, you may find yourself inspired to learn a new style! My top five picks of DC and Northern Virginia concerts coming up this month:

1) Claremont Trio at the Library of Congress (FREE)

2) Beijing Chamber Players at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage (FREE)

3) Alexandria Symphony at the George Washington Masonic Memorial ($5 - $60)

4) Fairfax Symphony Orchestra at GMU's Center for the Arts ($25-50)

5) A Tour of Norwegian and Swedish Fiddle Styles at the Library of Congress (FREE)

Winter Recital 2014

Mission accomplished! I'm proud of all of my students who performed in my recent Winter Recital. This time I invited a few of my musical parents to perform alongside their sons and daughters. It was a fun, interesting, and unique experience for the audience and the performers! The final performance of the afternoon was the first movement of the Bach Double Violin Concerto. It was performed in a string quartet format: my students Duke and Nozomi played the violin parts while I accompanied on viola, and Ralph Brooker played the cello part.

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The Recital's A-Comin!

Many of my young students are prepping for the upcoming Winter Recital. It's a very exciting (and sometimes nerve-wracking!) time, but the end result is always hugely satisfying. Tonight I held a rehearsal with two of my students who will be performing the Bach Double Violin Concerto. I'll accompany on viola and another student's dad will play the cello part. The recital will be on Sunday, December 14 at 1:30 pm at Convergence. All are welcome!

Bach Double Rehearsal

Magnificent Intentions Music Festival

This weekend, one of my favorite Arlington, VA haunts, IOTA Club & Cafe, will host the Magnificent Intentions Music Festival. This 3-day festival features more than 20 DC-based bands, including Vandaveer, Justin Jones, The Cowards Choir, Derek Every & his Band of Misanthropes, and...well, I'll just let you read the rest on the poster below. Advance tickets are available for purchase online via the festival website. You'll save yourself a few bucks if you purchase them there. I guarantee you'll hear some excellent music and discover some artists you may not have heard of before. Check it out!

Hello, Mando

I've recently been working up my chops on the mandolin. Since the mandolin shares the same string intervals as the violin (G, D, A, E) the transition from violin isn't totally outrageous. However, there are some obvious differences: picking vs. bowing, frets, double strings, etc. I always love trying out different instruments because I find it helps me in my teaching studio. I get to experience exactly what my students experience in terms of trying to train your mind and body to do something totally new. I have to remind myself of the same things I tell many students: "Practice more slowly!" "Start simple!"  Chris Thile's mandolin video Essential Techniques for Mandolin has been a big help. It's also such a joy to see my technique improving day by day, even in very small ways.  Learning the mando is turning out to be a very rewarding challenge. The most difficult part for me? My left hand fingertips are sore! Turns out violin finger callouses aren't nearly tough enough to withstand mandolin strings. :)Mandolin