Blog Journeys of a Lifelong Learner

I participated in a two-week violin technique workshop in Dallas, Texas, from May 24 to June 4, 2010. The opportunity to study with three primary teachers and to receive additional input from four secondary assistants (all of whom are advanced students) was beneficial. My schedule having been freed of most general responsibilities during that time, I was able to practice approximately 65 hours over the course of the event.

Time was spent working on fundamental techniques, though advanced material was also discussed. I had originally planned to bring some new music to the workshop, but it seemed advisable to spend the workshop working on further development of skills exploited by the 24th Paganini Caprice. Some progress was made, though further growth is still necessary.

One primary focus of my work was to develop greater consistency in the production of an optimal sound. Some moments of the performance demonstrated glimpses of potential. One benefit of the performance was a further demonstration that I need to perform more frequently, as nervousness tends to diminish the quality of my performances, regardless of circumstances.

Alternate positions of the violin, configurations of the chinrest and shoulder rest, and arrangements of the bow hand, were explored during the workshop. This video (recorded on June 3, 2010) is a representation of the fruit of the intensive program:

While much could be said on the need for improvement, this is a short list of current items for focused work:

• vibrato — wideness and freedom
• bow — maintenance of a somewhat flat shape from the elbow to the hand (i.e., avoiding a sharp arch in the wrist, or maintaining a generally higher elbow for greater support)
• bow — exploiting the weight of the arm and constantly releasing any pressure, so as to produce a large tone without artificially pressing or compressing sound
• left hand — throwing the hand for a better articulation of the fourth finger, particularly in passages involving stretches to the fourth finger
• projection of musical lines and the formation of definite musical concepts for communication

Any comments, particularly of the constructively critical variety, are greatly appreciated.