DMA, Recital, and Kung-Fu!!!

Howdy ya'll.. (all 2 of you who read these things).

Finally, I can take a breath a maybe get in a little blogging time.  These past couple of months have been two of the most hellacious months I've experienced in quite some time.  Not only have I been preparing for my first masters recital, but I've been moving apartments and training for a half-marathon, all the while trying to maintain appropriate grades in all my classes.  (Finally in real masters classes.  None of that 'review' crap!)

So, now I'm in the last 3 weeks before my recital, and I'm feeling pretty confident with it.  The third mvt of Vieuxtemps is giving me a little trouble and my collaborative pianist isn't returning my texts requesting rehearsal times, but it's all good...right?  My lessons have been, for the most part positive, I mean, when I can get Dr. C to actually believe that I can play past the first page.  Yes, I'm still dealing with performance anxiety; that will always be something I continue to work on.  I will say I'm making great strides, and I hope to have a better control of this anxiety by Nov. 13.

What I've come realize is that we often times, at least for me, tend to fight or resist this anxiety.  I personally find that when I do this it only makes matters worse.

 !WARNING! Now going on a brief tangent, but I promise it all ties in together.

I remember back when I was in 8th or 9th grade, I was attending Sunday school.  We were all given a piece of paper and were told to write any question, no matter what it might be, and then to hand it in.  Most of the questions were rather silly like, "Will Mickey Mouse go to Heaven?"  Yeah, stuff like that. Remember, it was the youth group.  However, being the more serious minded person I was/am, my question was thus, "According to the Seven Deadly Sins, anger is one of those sins.  So, was Jesus angry or not when he turned over the tables and whipped the people who had turned God's house into a market place?"

(This was before I knew more about the so-called 7 Deadly Sins being man made and not found in the Bible, but go with me on this.)

The answer I received was basically, (paraphrased), "We all have anger, even God.  The difference is that His anger is righteous indignation while ours is more petty.  Our petty anger is what leads us to sin."  So, anger is the "pot" of the sin world apparently.

Anyways, the point is is that we all have anger, and we all have to accept that part of ourselves.  We can choose to give in to it an allow it to control us, or we can control it.  Jesus controlled his anger and only when it was righteous did he allow it to show.  In the same way, we can learn to recognize our anxiety and only allow it to show when it best suits our purpose.

One of my favorite quotes from the TV series "Missing" is, "Fear is what kills you, it's nervousness that keeps you alive."  It's accepting the anxiety and not letting it turn into fear.

One of the techniques I've been working on in this acceptance is a combination of something Dr. C told me to try and something I learned from Tara Brach's audio-book "Radical Acceptance."  Dr. C told me to give my anxiety a name, something silly, I came up with Pedro.  Once you give it a name, when you feel him/her coming on say, "Pedro, go f*** yourself!"  I don't normally use such harsh language when talking to myself (remember, the anxiety is a part of you), but it really depends on how much coffee I had....  Anyways, Ms Brach talks about accepting parts of you by first identifying them, by name is you have to, and welcoming them as if they are an old friend.  Then tell them to stay in their little corner.  I find this technique oddly satisfying, especially when Pedro behaves...

So this is where I segue into kung-fu.  I've recently have re-fallen in love with martial arts, specifically with Chinese Kung Fu.  It's always been a minor passion of mine, but I never took the time to really study it, until now.  I've recently begun taking Tai-Chi lessons at the Cincinnati Kung-Fu and Tai-Chi center.  Why Tai-Chi, you might ask.  Isn't Tai-Chi that really slow meditative movements?  How is that "martial arts"?  Remember the movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."  The fighting style used in that movie was none other than Tai-Chi.  BOOM!

But yes, Tai-Chi has other benefits.  Tai-Chi is part of the Wudang style of Chinese Martial Arts, as opposed to Shaolin Chinese Martial Arts.  Wudang focuses more on inner strength and confidence.  Sounds like something I could use right.  It's all about using your chi, your energy, and controlling it.  I've mentioned in previous posts that I've been experimenting with mediation, well, I've replaced it with practicing Tai-Chi.  Mainly because Shi-Fu Ware hasn't taught me any daoist mediation techniques yet. This class that I'm taking not only teaches Tai-Chi but Qi Gong, and eventually like I said, daoist meditation.

Qi Gong is used for many purposes in Chinese culture.  There are three types: Healing, Martial, and I forgot the other, but it does exist.  Shi-Fu Ware is teaching me the Healing version.  It focuses on combining motion, with mental intent , with breathing exercises (spirit).  I highly recommend this for every one!

I've already have started applying some of what I've learned in these lessons to viola and I'm finding they actually do help out a lot!  Again, every one needs to try this, but be careful you get a qualified Tai-Chi instructor recognized by other Tai-Chi masters.  There are a lot of fakes out there.

I've also been working on DMA applications.  The schools I'm looking at are CCM (obviously), Texas Christian University, and Oklahoma University.  Right now I'm in the phase of "what do I have to do to apply?" So far it's turn in a sample of my writing that's at least 7 pages in length with bibliography and footnotes.  I don't really have anything like that, so this is gonna be interesting.  But it has to be done.  I need to right letters behind my name!!!!

Final Thought(s):
The entire world is driven by a will, blind and ruthless. In order to transcend the limitations of that world, you need to stop willing, stop desiring, stop hating. --Lao Ma

To conquer others is to have power. To conquer yourself is to know the way. --Lao Ma

Recital

We've got a recital!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1: JS Bach Sonata No.1 for Viola da Gamba transcribed for viola and piano.  I'll be playing all four mvts, but the video only plays one.
















2: Glazunov Elegy.  I don't have a recording of this, honestly.

3: Vieuxtemps Viola Sonata.  Again, I'll be playing all the mvts, but the video only has one.

Goals

So Aspen is done and a new school year begins!  Yay???

So far my practicing has been way more productive since I've been more strict in the my practice structure.  I've also made the discovery that I can't spend only 1 hour per piece/etude/scale/exercise per day.  I don't tend to make progress fast enough that way.  So what I've been experimenting with, which has so produced favorable results, is to spend 2-3 hours on technique, then 2-3 hours on ONE mvt/piece/etc.  per day.  The next day I would obviously work on something else, and continue to rotate through the week.  Every once in a while I might/will do the 1 hour/piece/day, but for the most part I'm sticking with the afore mentioned formula.

This formula seems to work well.  I actually got into the top orchestra at CCM, Goal #1 for the school year, CHECK!  That's another thing.  I had a meeting with Dr. C, explaining to her a few of my goals for the year.  She then said I should write them down and refer to them often.  We used to do this in my high school and I was a big proponent of it, but I haven't been keeping up with the practice.

Goals!
1-Make Phil-This will mean focused and consistent practice on the excerpts.  Making sure everything is
                     in tune and there are no "HOLY CRAP" moments.
                     *Check

2-Give a two recitals: One for the Fall and One for the Spring.  The Fall will be recorded and sent for prescreening auditions for DMA programs.  Rep I'd like
to tackle for these recitals include: Vieuxtemps Viola Sonata, Der Schwanendreher, Bach Suite 5/6, Bax "Legend.
--This will involve making a plan of action.  I will hopefully have about three months to prepare each and will have to plan my practice accordingly.

3-Learn up to Kreutzer 20
--consistent practice sticking to the formula

4-Win Aspen fellowship
--Really paying attention to the details in the excerpts and playing a lot for Christian Colberg and Dr. Carroll

5-Get into a good DMA program (preferably with some money)
--Stick to the formula and continue practice in mindfullness

6-If still officially a resident of OK, compete in Naftzger and win!

7-Perform more
--signing up for Performance Class more often even to just play an excerpt or etude.

For right now that's all my musical goals for the year.  I will try address each one in future posts.

Final Thought

"Stop thinking, just play!"-Christian Colberg

It's been awhile since I've written anything here.  And for all my avid readers (all 2 of you), I apologize.

So I've been here in Aspen, CO attending the Aspen Music Festival and School.  This place is pretty amazing, but I feel like I'm attending a more rustic version of CCM, just no theory or music history.  It's nice though because I get to see Dr. C every week instead of once every four.

So far my lessons have been in the pattern of bad, good, bad.  (Bad is just a word, they really weren't bad, but I don't have a better word for them.)

My first lesson was all me being extremely nervous.  Probably because I hadn't seen Dr. C in about, oh 7 weeks!!!!  I really wanted to play well, but alas, it didn't.  The second lesson, I think she was shocked that I sounded as good as I did.  I mean, I wasn't, I know I sound good when I don't allow myself to be controlled by my anxiety.  Today, though, I don't know what it was, I was just not playing well.  I don't think my nerves were controlling me, but something was askew.

I have a lesson with Mr. K this Saturday, and this week I'm off of orchestra.  Can we say 6 hour practice days?!?  I'm strangely excited by this.  Let you know next week what happens.  Also, I'm going to experiment and be really strict with my practice structure. I'll let you know how that works out.

Final thought:

The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend.  Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again.  In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose above the broken mountain named Dragonmount.  The wind was not the beginning.  There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time.  But it was a beginning.

Excerpt from "Knife of Dreams," book 11 of the Wheel of Time series by the late Robert Jordan.

65817.5

So, I'm working on some research, "Baroque Performance Techniques as they apply to the Bow," for Bowing Class, and I feel I deserve a short break.

It's that time of year when no one wants to do anything.  Summer is around the corner, and all I want to do is be lazy.  Mind you, that's not so different from how I usually am, but this feeling, this need, is accented by warming up of the weather.  What makes matters worse for me, all my friends at WSU are already in finals week.  How fair is that?  I'll tell you... pretty fair because UC started in September, way after everyone else did.  So we get out in June.  UC sucks.

However, even with this increasing sense of larthargicism, I'm finding there's still plenty to learn when it comes to my practice.  Did you know you shouldn't skip steps or rush through the learning process and move on the the next step before completely finishing the step you're on?  I know, it seems rather obvious; however, I've been finding I've been doing exactly that.  I think it stems from the fact that I've been so anxious about learning things quickly I feel like I need to rush things.  This, unfortunately, hasn't been working out.  I spend longer on pieces, etudes, and excerpts than I should because I keep having to relearn them.

Another thing I've learned, I have no control over what people think of my playing.  This has been freeing as of late.  I've decided I no longer care what people think of me and my playing because the only person that matters in the end is me.  If I'm truly happy with myself and my playing, it stands that others will too. But there will always be that one who, for no other reason than because, will hate.  That person can go shave a kiwi for all I care, just as long as it's far far far away from me.

***

I just ran my first half-marathon last Sunday.  I've never had so much fun running before.  I went ahead and signed up for another in October.  I wanted to sign up for a full, but with me going to Aspen for the summer, I'm not entirely sure how this will affect my training, and I think it would be good to have one more half under my belt.  I learned quite a bit about my running that I want to try and fix before I run a full.  For instance, electrolytes!!!  I ran (no pun intended) out of GU and I didn't think I would need more than I packed.  Wrong.  Next time, I'll pack one more than I think I'll need, and I want to try out these things called "Sports Beans."  They're made by Jelly Belly and they've got carbs, caffeine, and electrolytes and they release it into your system fast.

***

Saw "The Avengers" this past weekend.  One word, "AWESOME!!!"  However, I feel like I need to say it, if you're expecting a deep impact on your cognitivial processes, causing one to contemplate the complexities of existence in our universe, this is not the movie for you.

I say this because the former Miss Kansas, Ms Deaver, hated the movie.  She said the movies she liked best were like "Tree of Life," which is a thinker.  Don't go into the movie expecting great things, instead expect fun.  That's what it is, an extremely fun movie.  ENJOY!

***

As always, be sure to check out my other blog: "I Write on the Side"

Final thought:
"THUNDER UP!"

I want everyone to know this is what I sound like when no one else is in the room.  It's not perfect, but it's sooooo much worse when people hear me.

Also, yes I know it's been a while since my last update.

I've decided to not audition this time for the Lexington Phil.  There were too many knew excerpts.  I thought I could learn them and work back up the other's I already knew, but I bit off a bit much.

I'm going to start taking up meditation yoga to help with my performance anxiety.  I'll keep you updated, hopefully better than what I have been.

Final Thought:
"I'm just not good at texting!"-says a frustrated Dr. Carroll
"I swear, sometimes I think I'm really good at it, and other times I feel like a violist when I text."- Me

(During a lesson talking about texting on an iPhone)

Road to the Job: 1/2 the Rep

I know it's been awhile since my last post.  But don't worry, I've been hard at work.  Here is half of the rep I need for the audition.  I've combined it all into one video.  The order is: Mendelssohn: Scherzo, Brahms: Haydn Variation No. 5, Beethoven: 5th Symphony 2nd mvt, Beriloz: Roman Carnival Overture, and Mozart: Symphony 35 4th mvt.

Final Thought: 

Roses are red, Bacon is red, Poems are hard, Bacon!

P.S. If you wish be sure to check out my 2nd Blog: I Write on the Side.

Road to the Job: Shostakovich 5

So, I just finished practicing Shosti 5 excerpt for the audition in April.  This excerpt is so dangerous for me because I always think it's really easy at first.  But then, I record myself, and this is what I get: Those who have ears, listen.

For it only being my second practice session on since I started out, I don't think it's too bad.  But this video reminds me why this is so difficult.  Here's why.  The big reason is intonation.  Shostakovich, he writes hard notes.  That's all I'm going to say about it, haha.  Second is a steady rhythm.  For those that have played this symphony will know what I mean when I say we gotta keep that steady cello/bass pulse throughout this section.  It's so easy to rush and slow down without even realizing it.  Thirdly, this whole excerpt is piano espressivo.  So it's really quiet, and yet really expressive.  How in the heck am I supposed to do that?!?  And the final thing: both off the top of my head and that we have time for is cleanliness.  Those shifts and bow changes have to be smooth as, well, the smoothest thing in the world. The listener who is adjudicating behind the screen should not be able to tell just by listening where every shift and bow change and string crossing is.  All I have to say is, thank God for recording to devices that continue to humble me everyday : )

Final Thought:
"Not all treasure is silver and gold mate."

I will call this session, "Road to the Job."

These sessions, I'll talk about my progress towards winning a position in a professional symphony.  Hopefully, I won't have to continue this past April 21 because that's when I take my next attempt at winning a job.  I found a job opening for a permanent position in the Lexington Philharmonic in Lexington, KY.  It's only about an hour and a half from where I live.  And, as mentioned before, the audition is April 21.

Now I have to give credit to God on this one in a big way.  The day before I found out about this gig, I had an awful performance experience with excerpt class.  I think I mentioned it in my last post.  I decided that instead of letting my bitterness over the performance take control of me, I would take control of my bitterness.  None of that "tail wagging the dog," crap.  So, as always, I continue to pray to God for guidance, and the next day I found this job opening.  However, I decided I needed to make sure this was what God wanted of me, so that night at church, I asked the group to please pray for guidance.  The next day, Dr. Carroll gave me her blessing to go on and take the audition.

The rep for the audition are your basic excerpts.  Most I've played or am half-way familiar with.  Four of them I've never played before.  But luckily, there's nothing weird or out of the ordinary with these excerpts.  Another thing I need in addition to these 10 excerpts is a solo concerto.  If you've been following, you know I've been working on the Telemann.  However, this is not a concerto played in an audition for a professional setting.  So I've decided, again with Dr. C's blessing, to bring back Der Schwanendreher by Hindemith.  My favorite concerto for viola!

I reckon, to prepare for this audition, in addition to keeping up with my other viola studies, I'll need to practice 6-7 hours a day as opposed to 4-5 hours a day.  This means I'll have to sacrifice a few distractions.  Mainly netflix instant streaming.  I'm a sucker for marathoning my favorite shows.  Luckily, this is the time of Lent.  Now, I'm not Catholic, but I do think the idea of Lent is a great one.  Jesus sacrificed so much for all of us, the least we can do is sacrifice one thing for him.

I'm going to try to post weekly recordings of my progress.

Final Thought:
"You know what happens to a toad that gets struck by lightning?  Same thing that happens to everything else."  Halle Berry as Storm in the movie X-Men.  This is quite possibly the worst epic quote in history, and yet, I love it.

65608.9

So remember how in a previous post I said I was going to experiment with the Daphnes and Chloe excerpt.  Well I kept up with that for the most part.  I performed it yesterday, and still I fell flat on my face.  So what happened?

Short answer:

• I allowed myself to second guess thus exacerbating my already high level of performance anxiety.

Long answer:

• I didn't warm-up properly
• I picked the wrong focus (getting through it instead of a technical or musical attribute)
• I didn't go through my normal performance ritual I had been practicing
• I didn't allow myself to "feel the room"
• I didn't allow myself time to feel my instrument and reconnect

So this was definitely a win for "Self 1".  This brings the score board to Self 1-4, Self 2-4.  Even tie.  (for those of you who have forgotten, Self 1 is "interference", Self 2 is "potential".  We like self 2)

If it weren't for the beta blocker I took before I played, I would have been a mess they would have had to mop up from the floor.  I was really embarrassed.  I knew the piece, nit-picked it, but I didn't allow myself to show that I had done any of this work.  I enforced my old bad habits of performance practice which have done nothing but create this fear of performing through a slew of consistent negative performance experiences.  So ultimately, it's my fault.

I will say though, I do have confirmation I can and do know how to play my viola.  Dr. Carroll told me in my last lesson that both she and Mr. Kawasaki, after watching my Aspen audition tape, both commented on how good I sounded on the recording.  She looked at me and asked, "Why don't you sound like that all the time?"  I just shrugged.  I wish I knew.  But at least all my claims of, "This sounded better in the practice room," have been validated.

So what do I need to do?  Perform!  Every week if I can manage it.  This is why I signed up for this advanced rep class, because I need to learn how to perform.  I practice it in the practice room, but no one's there to criticize me, so therefore I have no fear of making mistakes.  I think I even need to perform in performance class more often.  Even if it's just a kreutzer etude a week, a scale, or an excerpt.  I'll talk this over with Dr. C.

Luckily, I'll have two opportunities next week to redeem myself.  I'll be performing the excerpt again in rep class, and I'm performing my concerto in performance class.  I decided while I was sitting down after my horrendous rendition of the excerpt that I had two choices: to either let myself feel like dirt after that performance and continue to beat myself up over it, or use the experience to my advantage and use it as inspiration to better myself and work harder.  To take the time to recognize what I could do better and learn from the experience in order to keep it from happening again.  I chose the latter.  Each performance is a learning opportunity.  My former teacher at WSU, Catherine Consiglio, always said that these performances shouldn't be thought of as "performances" but as "a learning experience...a part of my education."  When I reminded myself of this, it took a greater part of the edge out of my bitterness.

--------------------------------------------------------

I finished "The Wise Man's Fear" by Patrick Rothfuss.  I personally gave it a 4.5 out of 5.  This was mainly due to the fact I felt it was like a never-ending-story.  It was well written and extremely captivating, but in many places it would never move on.  But, if you like sci-fi/fantasy, the Kingkiller Chronicle is a must.

Now I'm reading Thomas Hardy's "Jude the Obscure."  I think Rothfuss might have gotten a lot of his inspiration for the hero of his story, Kvothe, from this book.  In many ways, they are exactly a like.  And honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if I was right on this.  If I ever meet him I will confirm and let you all know.  I'm hoping this finish with this book soon because I need to get back to my main series I've been reading for the better part of 7 years, the Wheel of Time.  Fourteen books, each a minimum of 600 pages.  That takes a long time to read, and I'm not the fastest reader on the planet.

Final Thought:

There is "do" or "do not." There is no "try."

65556.9

These past two weeks have been rather interesting.  Last week I stressed myself out so much I couldn't play my viola for more than 30 minutes at a time, and this week, I can play for five hours straight and feel no tension anywhere.

So what was I so stressed about?  Let me see: classes, I had a group lesson with Dr. Carroll and a lesson with Mr. Kawasaki three days later, I was stress because I hadn't finished reading my book (this supposed to be a relaxing activity, so I most surprised by it), and I was having trouble with my running training.

Remedy: Do absolutely nothing!  And it worked.  I allowed myself to relax, gave myself permission.  And now, I feel great.  I've about doubled my sound on my viola, running is fun again, and I've lost two pounds : )  (And I actually had a pretty good lesson with Mr. Kawasaki.  He didn't pass me off on anything, but he hinted that I was getting better)

I think that one of the activities I did to help me destress was make a list.  I like making lists.  There methodical and help me to organize my thoughts.  I have ADD/ADHD, so lists can be most helpful when I can't concentrate.  So what was the list I made?  A list concerning everything I could think of that I should be thinking of while I perform on my viola.  I focused on three areas (mainly because I don't have enough paper or pencil lead to get everything down on paper): posture, left hand, and right hand.

Posture:
-Stance

• position of feet (I like my right foot slightly in front of my left)
• weight on the backs of the heels
• viola parallel with the floor
• Am I using my abdominal muscles to support my spine?
• Is my spine straight?
• What position is my head in?  Is it leaning to one side or the other.  Or is it "held up by a string"?

-Tension

• Jaw
• Neck

Right Hand

-Bow

• correct stroke
• Am I allowing gravity to pull my forearm down allowing more weight into the string
• Am I "letting shoulders lie"  (are my shoulders resting)
• Is my bow straight
• is my upper arm "hitting the wall" (is my upper arm stopping in the same place each time or is it flapping like a chicken wing)
• Is my arm properly balanced
• Am I on an even plane with the string
• Is my stroke being engaged by the forearm then the fingers

-Tension

• Shoulder
• Upper arm
• Elbow

Left Hand:

-Hand

• Is the frame of my hand "set"
• What is the finger pattern I need to use for this passage
• Where are my fingers landing
• tips
• pads
• are dropping or am I forcing them down
• am I using speed
• am I releasing the energy  after they drop
• Am I aware of cross-string relationships
• Are my elbow and hand on even plane with the string I'm playing on
• is my elbow too far under, or not enough under the instrument to allow easy finger motion
• How are my shifts
• are the fast and light
• am I lifting, sliding, and placing
• are the slow and heavy (no no)

Intonation:

• are my ears telling my fingers where to go
• are my fingers listening to my ears
• is this Pythagorean Intonation, Just Intonation, or Equal Temperament Intonation

Vibrato

• Am I using wrist or arm in this passage
• fast or slow
• is it in tune?

Tension

• hand
• fingers
• fourth in particular
• elbow

I did this because I wanted to make a check list.  Dr. Carroll says she thinks of literally everything while she plays by going through a mental check list.  She says she cycles through it constantly and this allows her to become more focused on the music.  This is actually a technique described in "The Inner Game of Music" as a way to engage "self-2" (one's potential) and shut out "self-1" (interference).  After making this list, it really did help me to focus my thoughts on my own personal check list, and it has aided me greatly in the past two days.  The biggest being the part about my ears telling my fingers where to go, which I've known about and have been trying to do for a while now, but also realizing my fingers need to listen and actually do what my ears tell them to do.  Once I realized this, I found it a lot easier to play in tune.  

Even though this is a lot of information to think about, I didn't even cover the areas of :musicality, history of the piece, what is the hermeneutic meaning behind that passage, what kind of energy do I need to convey what I wish to convey, etc.  And people think majoring in music is easy...........

Final thought:

"What a conundrum, I'm going to blow things to smithereens for people being so persnickety about my vernacular." 

I'm starting an experiment this week.  I've been trying to get that old fire-in-the-belly feeling I got for practicing when I first moved to CCM.  I tried recently an idea of "practice away from the instrument."  According to "The Inner Game of Music," this is just as important if not more important than our normal idea of practice.  So last Saturday, I forced to try this idea because I was very busy and didn't have time for a normal 4-5 hour practice session.  I recorded myself on three pieces I'm working on with no specific warm-up.  I listened to them and made comments on things I need to fix before my next lesson.  I also researched bow strokes on www.violinmasterclass.com (great resource btw's)  Anyways, another way I've tried to get the fire back is I signed up for Adv. Rep/audition class.  We go through excerpts for orchestral auditions.  I need to learn these because even though I don't plan on winning a spot in a high-to do orchestra, I need to be able to teach these.  So I'm going to record myself everyday, make notes, and base my practice for the next day based on my practicing away from the instrument.

Telemann Mvt. III

1. Clean Shift at the beginning
2. Check for correct pitches especially perfect interval between the E and B.  Make sure E's match
3. Keep the line moving from one set of slurred notes to the other.  Don't let the music die.
4. Don't choke or lose the sound during held notes
5. Be sure to start softer in order to bring out the cresc.
6. In the section of one 16th followed by three 16ths slurred, watch for intonation, specifically third finger G's and first finger C's in third position
7. After the cadenza, right before the tutti section, make sure the B's and everything in relation is in tune
8. The End sucked, fix it.

Telemann Mvt. IV

1. Make sure your unisons are consistent and reliable
2. Drill running 16th note passages checking for intonation and making sure you feel confident playing it at the drop of a hat.
3. Drill all shifts
4. Check Intonation on all perfect intervals, especially the harmonic ones

Kreutzer No. 2

1. Make sure all string crossings over two strings are crisp and clear and in tune.  Drill from 40-80 bpm.  Work hands separate if need be.

final thought:

"My Name is Kvothe.  I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings.  I burned down the town of Trebon.  I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life.  I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in.  I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day.  I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.  You may have heard of me."

"The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

65501.1

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

New practice goals, new weight loss goals, what have you.  It's a time to begin anew.

Just a quick update on the practice front.

-I think I'm finally understanding how to use my bow correctly; specifically in a detache style.  (Detache: the most common style of bowing.  It's pulled straight, up and down.  If done correctly, there's a "click" at each bow direction change, and the bow should be straight as well)  This is something I've been working on since the alter half of last quarter.

-I'm working on developing perfect pitch.  Never thought it could be taught, but apparently it can.  I've started this this quarter, and I've already made great strides.  I'm not quite ready for people to go a piano and start testing my ear, but I'll get there.  Ultimately this will be a tool to help me obtain perfect intonation. Yes, there is a difference.  Tuning systems, they're complicated, please don't make me explain them.

-I'm listening more, and I'm not happy with what I hear.  This IS  a good thing.  Dr. Carroll says, "If you're happy with what you hear you should be worried."  This has become one of my favorite Dr. Carroll "Bobble-Head" quotes.
    +the Bobble-Head comes from an inside joke at my undergrad.  Often times it's hard to keep motivated or know what to work on in practice.  So a bunch of us came up with the idea of having a pocket-sized bobble-head of our teacher.  Tap the head, and out pops a quote!  It's brilliant.

-I've noticed lately that I get more done if I pretend Mr. Kawasaki is in the room.  That man scares me.  I've come to accept that fact.

***

Quick update on my novel.

-I have it sent out to a couple of people.  The rough draft.  An incomplete rough draft.  I'm supposed to get comments soon.  I'm hoping the character development in particular is believable

-I have started writing Ch. 31 today.  Once I get this done, I predict 7 more chapters to go and I'll be done with a first draft.  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!!!!

***

-Holiday weight, bane of my existence.  How have I decided to combat this?  by signing up for a half marathon.  You can't be fat and run 13.1 miles at one time right?  I hope so.  I'm up to 6 miles at 5.8 mph.  the race is in May.  I think I'm doing pretty good.

***

The current book I'm reading is titled "Yvohshilan: The Guardian" by JuleAnn Troutman.  JuleAnn is a friend of mine from WSU who shares my love of sci-fi/fantasy.  I started reading it once but got side tracked and then read other books.  However, it is my goal to get through every book on my shelf within the next two years.  I have a plan, and it will get done.  I'm close to the end of this one, and it's getting quite interesting.

***

I finally defeated Final Fantasy XIII!!!!  Just in time for the sequel FFXIII-2.  As far as games go, I give it about 3 1/2 out of 5.  Ranked on the Final Fantasy scale (based on my favorites that I've beaten) the updated order is: XII, IX, VIII, XIII, X.

I've started, for the second time, The Legend of the Dragoon for PS.  I started it once and made it to the third disc, but didn't finish it then.  So this time for sure, it's a done deal.

***

Now my rant:

ONE

I am tired of those who post things on facebook that are absolutely outrageous or otherwise offensive.  I probably have posted something like this before, but it would have been by accident.  I try my best to guard my "tongue".  Recently, one of my cousins posted things about how the Pope was a Nazi, and how Leviticus should be taken to the extreme literally if it is to be used at all in our society.

Of course, I challenged him on both accounts.  He had absolutely nothing to base these statements on except for the fact that they were in reference things both associate  with that he disagrees with.  And then, he goes to trying to prove me wrong on my views, unsuccessfully by the way, all the while not paying attention to anything I post.  I know this because if he had actually read what I wrote and used the correct head to think with, he might have figured out that I had answered every one of his future questions he had proceeded to ask me.

But he wasn't the one I was ultimately upset with.  It was his friend who believed it was her right to jump into our discussion throwing absolute nonsense around like she actually knew what she was talking about.  She was completely rude, mean, and disrespectful to me when I had done absolutely nothing wrong.  I never attacked her, nor my cousin verbally.  I attempted to be as diplomatic as possible while still making my point clear saying in not so many words, "I disagree with you because of x,y, and z."  But apparently I was actually being judgemental and condescending (not true), when actually she was embodying the exact behavior she hates Christians for.  Pot calling the kettle black much????

Anyway, neither one of them knew enough about either the Bible or Christianity Doctrine to make an acceptable argument.  Both made contradictions to themselves and this was why I eventually had to put an end to it because I was going out of my mind reading their replies.

Two

Tim Tebow, yes he's a Christian and great athlete.  Big Deal.  There are many other great athletes who are Christian.  Get over him.  I personally find it rather annoying that he always seems to push Jesus into the camera.  I think Jesus has more important things than winning Tim's football games.  Just sayin'.

***

Final Thought:


"Emotions were flooding him, super-saturating his being; he didn’t know what the proper response for a situation like this was.  However, his gesture appeared to be well received for Varra was smiling which only deepened the endless depth of her eyes.  He often got lost in those eyes, pools of green with depths unknown.  And when he did, there was no confusion, only clarity."
-Isaac, "Incarnations Chapter 26: Hopes and Fears" 
by Michael Garland