The concerto grind is on! Working on practicing runs at a quicker tempo instead of always practicing them slowly. I’ve been struggling with accuracy and playing virtuosically when playing the piece at speed, so hopefully this will help with nailing those runs a higher percentage of the time. Also trying to keep my right shoulder and arm from being tense and rising up. Here I am just breaking down the run and adding little by little each time. Next I should start from the top and do the same thing going down!
🎻 Vieuxtemps Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Minor, I. Andante
Just had a seating for orchestra and here’s one of the excerpts! I absolutely love Dvorak’s music and I’m so excited for us to play New World. As simple as this excerpt seems, it also requires a lot of attention to detail, like dynamic markings, phrasing, and articulation. Let’s hope that came through in the audition.
🎻 Dvorak Symphony No. 9 “New World” - IV. Allegro con fuoco
Day 3 of #Practice30 with @nyphilharmonic
I got to do a little practice in the Lawrence University Chapel while the power was out (hence why it’s so dark). I decided to do some slow Bach practice giving enough time in between notes to listen to the resonance and judge intonation. I feel that sometimes I hear intonation differently when I’m playing my instrument vs. hearing it in a video or room echo. It’s actually really good to practice intonation like this in a resonant space if you ever get the chance.
I also found some new fingerings for this movement by Enescu on imslp that I really like. Yay for progress!
What solo Bach are you working on right now?
🎻 Bach Partita No. 3 in E Major, I. Preludio
#Practice30 Day 2! @nyphilharmonic
Here’s some of the Higdon I’m working on here at DCMF. This section in particular is very tricky tempo-wise and pitch-wise. I’m working on getting a clearer sound, better intonation (especially in the octaves), and more solid shifts. Oh and I need to clean up that ending 😅
🎻 Jennifer Higdon Piano Trio, Fiery Red
I’m still early on in learning this piece, so recording myself is super duper important. This video is illuminating in that it shows that I have a tendency to rush the octaves and my octaves aren’t as in tune as I thought they were while playing. It’s necessary to catch these things now before they become habit.
Also, I saw that the @nyphilharmonic started the #practice30 challenge, so I decided to try to take on that challenge myself. This is Day 1, just posted a day late. Another video coming later today.
I hope you all have a wonderful day!
🎻 Vieuxtemps Violin Concerto No. 4, I. Andante
I’m at the Decoda Chamber Music Festival! (my first since 2019) I’m working on two tricky chamber music pieces here, and one of them is this Stravinsky. The bow stroke is still a little wonky but I’m working on getting it smoother and more efficient. I’m also working on intonation and execution of the chords. Seeing progress though!
🎻 Stravinsky - L’Histoire du Soldat Suite, II. Le violon du Soldat
Really enjoyed playing with the organist at this beautiful church in North Carolina this past Friday. I was also thankful to spend the day with @ellismclarty in making our trip up there and back. Glad to be playing more in public again!
🎻 Ornament of Grace - Bernard Wayne Sanders
📹 @ellismclarty
Just a little Bach melody that I’m playing for a gig. Online classes and summer trips have made my playing quite rusty, so I’m starting my journey to get back in shape and better than ever! This is a good learning moment for me to realize what happens to my playing when I don’t do much for a little while. Firstly, I lose a lot of control, especially in the bow, but also in things like vibrato. I also have less of a feel for rhythm, tempo, intonation, and other nuances. I’ve got my work cut out for me this summer!
🎻 J.S. Bach “Bist du bei mir”
Did a lot of intonation work with this section since the accidentals are tricky, but it still needs more work in that area. Needs to have better tone on top notes, more musicality, and dynamic range.
🎻 Bach E Major Partita, I. Preludio
In this closet practice session, I worked on intonation and flow between chords. It needs some more work on vibrato, tone, phrasing, and smoothness.
🎻 Rode Caprice No. 4
Hello everyone! I took a much needed break from violin and haven’t practiced seriously for a few weeks. I’m in a much better place mentally now and I’m excited to get back to the practice grind!
As you can see, I am now very rusty, especially with my tone and intonation. But we all have to start from somewhere! I also realized that I left out an entire beat in one measure, it will not happen again.
Needs work:
▪️Intonation, hand frame, hearing the note in my head before playing it, downward shifts, more practicing as double stops
▪️Tone, focus on making every sound beautiful, not tensing up anywhere
▪️String crossings, especially in the area across 3 strings, using minimal movement to other strings, efficiency
▪️Musicality, practicing with musical intention, understanding the phrasing and direction
I’ve clearly got my work cut out for me, but I’m so happy to be back at it. :)
🎶 Bach Partita No. 3 in E Major, I. Preludio
🎶 Jessie Montgomery’s “Strum” played by The Jacqueline Quartet
@cbviolin
@violyah
@ellisthecellist
I’ve LOVED working on this piece this semester. We are gearing up for several performances/recordings. More from this recording in the coming days!
Mark your calendars for Tuesday, April 6th at 8:30pm (I think!) where we will be playing the entirety of Strum for the UofSC School of Music Chamber Music Night Perfomance. More info on that soon!
