Video Recording of the Bach - Practice Run Through

Checking for intonation in a run through of the Bach Sonata, first movement. The room was quite dead so I was surprised there was any ring in the tone! Definitely needs work still. Recording yourself is a real eye opener! Used a Sony Cybershot 8.1 with no sound equipment so no dynamic differentiation seemed to be picked up.

Recap Time

Since I didn't have much time to practice yesterday I ran through the pieces that I have been learning for recitals coming up in the next few months. I played through the first, second and fourth movements of the Bach and they went pretty well. The first movement especially I was quite proud of! It was one of those rare moments of perfection when you are feeling the music and "in the zone."

After the Bach I tackled the Paganini ... let's just say it was a bit rough around the edges! I won't take it up to speed until I am sure of the intonation, especially on the tenths and the slurs with repeated notes.

I also played through the Chaconne and was pleased with what came back to me. Intonation is going to be the hardest part. I did some work on the double stop section towards the end in which there are thirds followed by a huge leap up to octaves. Tough for intonation! I concentrated on the bottom note most of the time and made sure that was in tune while fingering the top note before playing them both together.

I performed the Bloch my first year of university and have had a hard time settling back into it. I think that because I have learned it already I just don't want to start it up again! I forced myself to play through it to see where I'm at. It's rough, but it will definitely come back. Some parts that I played surprised me with how easily they fell under my fingers!

Today I might try and attempt a recording of Bach and see what comes of that. Of course, it never sounds as good on a recording as it does in real life, but I do need to analyze things and hear myself playing it sometime!

The Magic Number Five

I only had two hours to practice today so went over my scales as normal (Ab major ... bleah) and then concentrated on the Bach Fuga. On a whim, I decided to do small sections of the Bach five times in a row, quite slowly, before moving on to the next section, concentrating on rhythm and intonation, and for some reason, everything seemed to fall into place so much better! It seemed easy and I felt no tension in my left hand. I followed that up with the Paganini Caprice which I played five times in a row at a moderate pace and before I knew it the notes were back in my hand! I had learned and performed the caprice years ago and wanted to refresh it for a recital later in the year. I had forgotten the nasty tenths and jumping strings but it seems if you learn something it really does stick with you! Now to work on tempo ...

It's difficult practicing some days because sometimes your heart just isn't in it and the minutes and hours seem to drag by, and then some days things just seem to flow and two hours fly by before you realize it! I'm just dreading when work starts again and I have less time to practice ...

Practice Incentive: Getting Started

Since school ended in the beginning of July, I've been trying to motivate myself to practice my violin more now that I have more time on my hands. Things have been going okay for the first few weeks. I've managed to fit in a few hours every day and I can tell upping my practice time from an iffy one hour a day during the term to three or more is helping. It does get boring, though! I have many pieces that I am working on or polishing for recitals and concerts coming up. If you already know the piece it is difficult to get started!

Basically my practice schedule looks like this:

1. Pick one key from the Flesch Scale System book and work on all the exercises to warm up. This usually takes anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.

2. Work on Bach's Solo Sonata in G minor, 2nd movement. This is my baby right now - my biggest challenge in practice this summer! The other movements are in my fingers but I would really like to be able to perform the entire sonata soon! Currently I have the first two pages down. There are still some chords that are difficult but they will come eventually! One more page and it's finished!

3. Work on Bach's Solo Partita in D minor, 2nd and 3rd movements. Much easier than the sonata!

4. Paganini - Caprice #16. This one is just a matter of getting back into my fingers. I'm also working on the 2nd movement of the Sonata in E minor ... left hand pizzicato isn't going so well. I think my strings need to be higher as I can't seem to get my fingers under them!

All of the above pieces usually take at least an hour or two (usually more) of work. The rest of the pieces I work on I consider my "fun" work.

Shostakovich Violin Concerto in A minor (currently polishing 1st movement)
Bloch Vidui and Nigun (polishing)
Vitale Chaconne in G minor (polishing)
Orchestral excerpts (usually famous ones like Don Juan, Mozart Eb Symphony, etc.)

I have so many other pieces I would like to start but these are the ones that I've set my mind on polishing and perfecting this summer. I have a few other pieces to add to the list eventually, but I'm trying to wait until I've finished the Bach before I start anymore!

I'll try and update here on my progress in the next few weeks and anything that strikes me.

I'm currently listening to the gorgeous "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis" by Vaughn Williams. He is one of my current obsessions and I would love to start "The Lark Ascending" sometime! Listening to music like this makes you wonder what God wanted with music. It can be so beautiful. Sometimes it can move you to tears. Other times you have composers like John Cage which just leave you perplexed or holding your ears! It's one of those great mysteries I think.

Psalm 150

1 Praise the LORD.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.

2 Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.

3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,

4 praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and flute,

5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD.

Music and Creativity of Man

I was just listening to Bach's solo sonatas and partitas for violin performed by Itzhak Perlman, an amazing violinist. What is astonishing to me is to think that hundreds of years after Bach wrote this music, it is still being performed today and has become standard repetoire for the violin. I am currently working on mastering the difficult first Sonata in G minor! Music is amazing when you think about it, because no matter how hard someone might try, they can't perform a movement from one of Bach's solo sonatas or partitas exactly the same way as someone else. Some musicians can even interpret the music differently each time they play it, even if they have performed the same piece countless times.

What is also amazing to think of is that if we did not have the creativity that we have, music would not be what it is. Music is an expression of the heart, soul and mind. It is a physical action in that we hear what is produced and it requires movement of some sort in order to be heard, but it doesn't work unless you listen and play with your heart.

Itzhak Perlman is a musician who plays sitting down. He contracted polio at a young age which left him without the use of his legs, but as far as music goes, he is a musician who plays with utter joy and everything that comes from his heart. He doesn't need full motion of his body to move someone through music.

Our God has created us in His likeness, with His creativity. It is vast and yet it does not even compare to His own level of creativity! He created a world which would not function if small things were altered, he created beauty within that world and he created us with emotions to feel and understand that beauty. He is a great and awesome God!

Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them. Isaiah 42:10

A Hole In the Side of Africa

Shimoni Sunset

I recently visited a village called Msambweni, which is near a famous little place called Shimoni. Shimoni, in the words of Roger Whittaker, is a "hole in the side of Africa," caves which are situated along the southern shore of Kenya in which slave traders kept Africans until they were ready to transport them off the continent. The story is that slave traders captured Africans and entered the caves which begin about five kilometres off from the shore. After leading their captives through a winding, twisting maze underground, the Africans then came out on the edge of the sea. Most were overwhelmed by the sight of so much water and were too afraid to escape back through the maze of caves.

I can only imagine the fear those people felt when they saw the Indian Ocean for the first time, not to mention the fear of being captured and not knowing what is now going to happen to you! David tells us in Psalms 56:3-4, "When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust, I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?"

It is hard to place our entire trust in God. We cannot see Him, we cannot feel Him (literally!), and we cannot trust that He is there unless we have faith. Faith is knowing that the air we breathe is always there for us on our planet. We cannot see it or touch it, but we know that it is there! Without it, we could not live. God is the same way. Whether some of us like it or not, He is always there, even if you can't see Him. Without Him, we are nothing. With Him, we have everything we could ever want! We can give Him all of our doubts and fears and leave our worries to Him.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10