We had just completed a very emotional and moving cue. The door to the control room opened with its usual clank, and there, walking to the conductor’s podium, was a man with a face you can never forget.

Even without the fake ears.

The orchestra broke into thunderous applause. Nimoy quickly waved us down, thanking us with obvious sincerity for the contribution we were making to this installment of the Star Trek legacy.

When the break was called he lingered out on the scoring stage giving several of us the opportunity to chat with him. A truly gracious human being.

After we were called back to work he returned to the control room where we could see him through the glass, his arm affectionately draped around his wife of many years.

I tell you, the feeling you get from this production team, from the top down – I spoke at length with the producer – was absolutely top-drawer. No false airs, no Hollywood slickness, no pretension.

For the entire week it was like having a family reunion, a barn-raising, and a jam-session all rolled into one.

Now, to my surprise, the film will not be released until May. I think the time delay has a lot to do with the secrecy surrounding the project. Usually the music is the last element of the film to be added, and it usually gets recorded a month or two prior to the release date.

I imagine that this production is moved up due to commitments of some or other of the principles.

As for the music itself, it’s tremendous. Full of little innovations, challenging, and yet fun to play, it’s not always so in Tinsel-town.

Now last night I attended the annual bash the Recording Musicians of America (RMA) throws for its members and the industry. At dinner I sat with one of our first-call percussion players – who happens to be a son of a very accomplished violinist of years back – discussing time, amongst other things.

He was saying how useful it is to him, as a percussionist, to have a concertmaster in front of the orchestra who really projects an accurate sense of time.

I found that very interesting.

Here’s a guy who’s got a metronome clicking away in his ear, who’s spent his life dealing with rhythm, who has as good a view of the conductor as anybody, and yet who keeps an eye on the concertmaster chair to see what else he can learn.

We talked about a former colleague and concertmaster in town, now retired. His name was Israel Baker. Israel had that awareness of time my friend was looking out for. I sat with him on numerous occasions, and benefited greatly from his example.

His technique was unassailable, and he was Always thinking. When I sat with Israel I not only performed my best, I came away slightly better. And again, a more generous, likeable man you could never meet.

Well, that’ll have to be it for now. Time to head off for the day’s record session; for Keyshia Cole, if that name means anything to you.

Got up early today and have been enjoying the moon-set and sunrise. Fantastic.

And doing so I began thinking about what separates the amateur, or student player, from the real violin performer. First thing that came to mind is a bow moving back and forth, yet never coming within 8 inches or so of either the frog or the tip.

I remember one conductor in my youth saying, ‘You’re not going to get charged by the yard, my friends, go ahead and use the whole bow.’

Of course, this is a case of ‘preaching to the choir,’ where folks using my courses are concerned. Getting that right arm relaxed and flowing from tip to frog is a priority in all my courses.

One of the critical elements in approaching the frog is the ability to relax the shoulder and allow the upper arm to follow the forearm and hand. Another is allowing the wrist to flex forward which keeps the bow in a straight line parallel to the bridge.

Interestingly, both of these are much easier to accomplish, and feel much more natural, when one’s breath is moved by the diaphragm.

As soon as the abdomen releases and the diaphragm muscle draws down it’s like permission has been given to the whole body to relax. It truly is a remarkable feeling and one we could do well to remember even after the violin has been returned to its case.

To me, having access to those last few inches of bow under the hand is akin to witnessing a dancer that projects a timelessness to his or her extensions; where they linger in the imagination long after their existence in real time.

This is where true artistry begins and ends, in my opinion; where your breath can enliven another’s soul.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Time is drawing short to register and make plans for attending the Sedona Master Class/lSeminar. This will be a wonderful experience which will bear fruit for many months and years to come.

I can’t even begin to explain how I arrived at the title for this newsletter. Fact is, though, if you know anything about the lives of these two composers, and you think about it, you’ll agree the statement has merit.

Handel was an early poster boy for capitalism. Yes, he had patronage, as a composer and performer, but more importantly, he was an excellent small business man, and quite a risk taker.

At the time of his passing he was worth some 20,000 pounds sterling, a very large fortune, in his day. And that’s after he went through a very bad patch in which an opera company he was heavily invested in went belly up.

Bach, on the other hand, was more of a ‘company man;’ for the nobility in his earlier years, and the city of Leipzig later. No close encounters with entrepreneurism for him.

Now here’s a funny twist.

Handel never married, and was extremely private about his intimate life. Bach had twenty some-odd children.

I think these two facts speak mountains as to their likely positions on the hot-bed issues of family planning and abortion.

So let’s take a look at their music.

Much of Bach’s output championed a spiritual life centered around Christianity. It was a happy union, no doubt, as most of his employment demanded it, and his personal views harmonized with it.

Handel, on the other hand, was probably more of a secularist – he certainly favored popular music, for most of his life. In fact, his composition, the ‘Messiah’, only came about after public interest in opera waned in England and he was forced to move sideways into the dramatic, ‘got religion’ concert works known as ‘Oratorio’.

Purely a business move, on Mr. Handel’s part.

So there you have it. Hope I haven’t offended or burst anyone’s bubble where these two titans of music are concerned. Both offer violinists absolutely wonderful vehicles for growth and expression.

And, as luck would have it, Beginners Circle players working on Month 11 material are getting a good dose of Bach this month with a charmingly elegant dance known as a ‘Loure’.

Month 6 Allegro Players are taking on a whole, 4 movement Handel Sonata; at once regal, stately, meditative, and jolly-romping good fun.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. The days are growing shorter, and so is the time left to register for the biggest question-answering, tail-kicking, technique-building, expression-expanding master class in the South-West of North America. I won’t be able to say, ‘all aboard!’ too much longer on this one folks. Come do what you need to do now.

Well, you might not believe this – I have difficulty myself – my computer tells me this is newsletter number five Hundred.

That’s the magna 5-0, who can appreciate that sort of thinking.

So the question I asked myself, as I settled into thinking of a topic, is, ‘Have I learned anything NEW in all this.’ And as soon as the question was asked the answer came flooding to me in a resounding yes, yes, YES.

So that felt good.

I thought, ‘why not celebrate by writing up the top 500 things I think about while playing.’ And then, as a little smile passed over my lips I though, ‘Ah, maybe the number’s too small.’

I mean, over the years hasn’t my mind wandered to over a million different things while I fiddled the hours away, most of which had nothing to do with violin playing.

Yes, guess I did do that a lot at one time.

On the other hand, doesn’t happen too much now. And that’s essentially the message of the day; shrinking the number of thoughts that get between you and mastering how the violin and YOU tick.

Together.

Violin playing is a real-time skill, as I’ve said before. For it you must have a real-time mindset. That means a high level of awareness as to what your body is feeling and doing. It also means supplying a great amount of intention each and every moment it’s under your chin.

And finally, it means keeping score. You’ve got to be present enough to gain instruction when intention meets with less total satisfaction.

My feeling about achievement is this. If you can Think it, and it Matters for you to have it, then it’s there for the taking.

The mind can move mountains, my friends. It’s the most powerful muscle in the human body.

So let’s open our case and have a Ball with it!

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Fact is, there ARE about 500 things I’ve learned about playing since I began creating instructional DVD courses. And I’m going to cherry pick the best and juiciest to have on-site when folks show up for the Sedona Masterclass/Seminar next month. It really is the place to sort out any and all unresolved playing issues. And to receive the musical and inspirational council of a Milstein protégé. Come get registered NOW.