This story is a favorite amongst violinists, maybe you’ve heard it. Late in the career of the uniquely compelling violinist, Josef Szigeti, he performed at Carnegie Hall. On the program was the famous Chaconne of Bach. Throughout the movement are to be found chords that use the open ‘e’ string. On that occasion, each time […]

I have been thinking, and breathing, further. Thought you ought to know the rest. The real ‘letting go’ part of the belly breath is the intake. Take a breath – a real breath – and notice what must happen. Your abdominal muscles must release to allow your internals to get out of the way. This action […]

Many of you know that Einstein played and loved the violin. Well, what you may not have know, I didn’t, is something my wife told me a couple days ago. Einstein credited his violin experience – specifically periods of improvisation – with leading to some of his greatest insights. Remarkable, yes, but not unbelievable. And those […]

Many years ago a well-known violinist was walking the streets of a major European city. As he passed a small but elegant hotel he heard the familiar sounds of the Tchaikovsky Concerto coming from the second floor suite. The strange thing was, although it was being played exquisitely, it was all sounding one half step […]

We’ve all seen and been held, riveted, by footage of big cats on the hunt. The focus and concentration of those magnificent animals is truly awesome at such times. Truth is, lions have such concentration because their very survival depends on it, plain and simple. Natural selection has done its work to perfection. Only those […]

Those of you working with my course will perhaps know by now that a shift is a decisive move, made with the arm, from one position to another. That being said, it is possible to be highly expressive with the movement. Obviously it is in slow tempos that a portamento – expressive slide – becomes […]

Got a note from one of my online friends regarding ‘mute’ practice. He writes; ‘I love (and sometimes have to) practice with a mute. I find that when I switch back to playing without a mute my ear and bow pressure have to go through some adjustments. Do you find that you go through the […]

Is this something you do? You’re playing along, and then, oops, a mistake. Immediately you jump back to a point just before the breakdown and come at it again. Darn, same mistake. You do it again. And again… Sound familiar? Most of us have been there. The knee-jerk reflex to immediately repeat a passage in […]

Recently I was sent an old film clip of none other than Jasha Heifetz doing an outrageous imitation of a mediocre violinist. Surrounding Heifetz, while he gave this little performance, was a small class of elite players, they were all shaking with laughter. What made it funny, and also kind of sad, for me was […]

A couple of days ago I wrote that great fundamentals were ‘inherently musical.’ Well, I’ve been a thinkin’ further about ‘musical’ fundamentals, specifically about how they trigger the release of ‘feel good’ neuro-transmitters, in you, and your listeners. Take drawing a clear, effortless tone on the violin. To do so, you yourself must be relaxed […]

Mozart said, ‘Anything can be ventured in music, provided it is beautiful, and inherently musical.’ I love that quote. It says a lot and yet leaves much to the imagination. Today, when it spontaneously sprang to mind, it was in the presence of other thoughts that were flowing through my mind. I was thinking about […]

This morning I received an email from a fellow by the name of Jordan. He had a question about rapid shifting. Here’s what I had to say to him. Jordan, Visualization, maintaining your hand position, being ‘present’, and staying relaxed are key to successful shifting. When we are faced with difficult moves on the violin, we […]

As I sit writing this to you I am at 35,000’ and being jetted through the sky at 500 mph. No, unfortunately I am not on my own private aircraft, at least not yet. I’m on my way back from LA, though, and I thought you might enjoy one insider’s view of the music scoring […]

Yesterday my wife, 4 year old daughter and I attended a performance at an international festival of folk music and dance. It was a remarkable event. Ten groups performed representing all seven continents – and the festival is based right here in Western North Carolina. What struck me, as a violinist, is that the best […]

As many of you know, I do a lot of recording for films. Maybe 80% of the time it’s pretty easy stuff – read it and get it down on tape. It’s the other 20% I want to talk to you about today. You see, it’s in the challenging music that the priorities of a […]