Violin musings

My own musings/students’ comments about violin playing in general

Jon Schmidt – Another favourite pianist of mine

Jon plays some beautiful songs (no, not upside down!):- “Waterfall”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7toBVVK9EA&feature=fvsr “Game Day”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1IvK_rt_wg&feature=relmfu “I Saw Three Ships”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7jZXkxcIgM “Sacred Ground”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OICK1M6s2MQ&feature=related   And with a little help from friends:- “Love Story” (with Viva La Vida) (with Steven Sharp Nelson on the Cello and Bass Drum) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXtVBJDPs6k “Michael Meets Mozart” (again with Steve Nelson): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR94NDIfGmA&feature=relmfu &hellip Continue reading »

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Creative Time Management – taking short breaks during music lessons?

Not trying to be opinionated here, but this article (Creative Time Management for the Full Time Independent Music Teacher left me a little perplexed.  Perhaps things are different in Australia, or I just have very high standards, but I don’t wander off to pay bills during my students’ music lessons. I also make sure I &hellip Continue reading »

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Jarrod Radnich – Harry Potter Theme

My students have enjoyed watching Jarrod Radnich play his arrangement of the ‘Pirates of the Carribbean‘ theme – to see all the technique they are learning put into action.  Jarrod Radnich also recorded his arrangement of the Harry Potter theme however, he was ‘cloaked’ (you could only see the piano keys moving, not actually watch Jarrod play &hellip Continue reading »

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Splitting up my website, stay tuned…

I can’t put any more posts up for the moment, because my wonderful husband (who is an excellent web developer…plug for him!) is going to do amazing things with my website.  I have given him a mammoth challenge, and he is spending every spare second he has to make the changes I have specified.  Shouldn’t &hellip Continue reading »

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Recipe for a successful music lesson

 I’m not sure where I stumbled across this, but I love it – Karen Harrington’s Recipe for a Successful Music Lesson: Ingredients: Cheerful music teacher, willing student, 2 oz. of understanding, 8 oz. of patience, 1 pint constructive criticism mixed with an equal amount of praise, 1 lb. technique, 1 cup dynamics, 2 cups of &hellip Continue reading »

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I think I’ve fallen in love…

and my husband has been informed The gorgeous sound of Joshua Bell playing ‘O Mio Babbino Caro’ is absolutely music to my ears.  It is a song I could never be sick of, providing Joshua Bell is playing it! Yes, he moves around a lot, some people find it distracting, but if you close your &hellip Continue reading »

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Orchestra Antics

Conductor: Wait, what just happened there? Clarinet: Do you have a fermata here, because we have a fermata. Conductor: Oh, is that why you stopped? Trumpet: Well, I have a railroad track. Conductor: I don’t have anything there in my score.  Does anyone else have something? Oboe: I got a fermata. Flute: My part says &hellip Continue reading »

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Laughter Leavens Life…

and makes for an interesting choir or orchestra practice Ahhhh I have the fondest memories of trying to get through a choir rehearsal with a friend whispering jokes in my ear, of the violinist in the chair next to me whispering viola jokes, and perhaps some not so fond memories of receiving a few ‘wet &hellip Continue reading »

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Kinder Beat – teaching 18 month to 3 year olds

Posted 12 February 2010 on my music blog:- A few years ago I was introduced to Kinder Beat. A music course aimed specifically at 3 to 4 year olds. I was curious as I was teaching piano to a couple of littlies and was having a few little problems with them, mainly at how to &hellip Continue reading »

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The Versatile Blogger Award

Wow, so I don’t get many awards these days, but I was very touched to receive this award from Heidi at Heidi’s Piano Notes.  Thanks Heidi!!! To accept this award, I must… 1-Link back to the person who gave me the award. 2-Share 7 random things about myself. 3-Pass the award along to other blogs &hellip Continue reading »

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