Had a couple of interesting responses to yesterday’s newsletter, ‘To Record, or Not to Record.’ One of our subscribers wrote of Heifetz nit-picking his recordings. I’ve got a story about that one. The other observed how recording oneself may be more valuable for the musical light it sheds, rather than exposing technical imperfections. That one […]

You all must remember the Fred Astaire film in which he dances with a coat rack. It’s iconic in dance movie history. I just can’t recall the name of the picture. The point is, though, if you remember that dance you will recall not only how wonderfully he danced, but how beautifully he made the […]

Oo-Wee, just finished a very exhilarating practice session. The kind of session that gives back more energy than was put in. And I put in a lot today. What I explored very deeply in the hour was just what the title of this email suggests; how to SURRENDER tension. Many violinists experience some form of […]

I trust you are having a wonderful Labor Day Holiday. It is good to honor the brave men and women that have stood up for safe working conditions, an honest wage, and all the other good and just benefits a hard worker should be blessed with. So, why must the mind lead? And how does […]

Some of you may recall that several months back I said that Milstein felt tennis was a good sport for a violinist. And this is true, to a point. Tennis does require you to use the whole arm to strike the ball, and that does compliment the ‘Russian School’ of bow technique. But the real […]

First off, I send my greetings today from Loch Lomond, in the Northern Kingdom of Scotland. Spent the better part of yesterday at a real Scottish wedding, complete with bagpipes and lots of men running around in skirts. I kept my pants on. But I’ll tell you thing, these Scots do know how to party! […]

As you know, I’m of the school that the violin should be supported in large part by the left hand, with minimal pressure exerted by either the chin or the shoulder. I pick the violin up out of the case with my left hand and just rest the lower bout on my shoulder and collar-bone. […]

No, I’m not going to tell you to eat more carrots, clean your glasses, or consider Lasiks surgery. It’s vision of the musical sort I’m talking about today. And for it you don’t need those two, miraculous orbs in the front of your head. Musical vision really takes place within the theatre of the mind, […]

First things first, I’d like to thank all the people who have written in these past few days. I’ve had some wonderful responses to recent newsletters about the goings on in Vermont, and violin matters in general. Time has not permitted me to respond to each and every one, but rest assured, they have been […]

Today’s title is the beginning of an old adage. Let me give you the whole thing, in case you’ve never heard it. ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.’ Like any such ‘saw’, it can be true, and it can be untrue. After all, as Einstein one said, insanity can be defined […]

Yesterday I arrived in Vermont to begin final preparations for the 5 consecutive days of concerts I will play beginning on Wednesday evening. Actually on Sunday I play two different performances, so in all it’s actually six concerts and some ten or so rehearsals. If you’ve been reading lately you already know something of the […]

Today I’m announcing the dates of the next two Masterclass/Seminars. But first, I’m so worked up from the practice session I just finished I’ve got to tell you about it. A little background – In two weeks I will be at the Vermont Mozart Festival where my duties will include performing the D and A […]

You know, in all my teaching, the recent masterclasses included, I can count on one hand the number of people who did not have an issue with tension in the left hand. Part of this I think stems from a misunderstanding of proper relationship the fingers of left hand should have with the strings. We’re […]

Putting your ‘practice’ out in the public eye can be a risky thing to do. After all, my recorded-at-home wonder of the #24 is right next to Heifetz’ glitzy 1940’s production with accompaniment. So, does it measure up? Well, for me it depends on my mood. Sometimes I can look at the performance as a […]

Last Wednesday the first copies of ‘Paganini for Violin Virtuosity’ left our doorstep for destinations both near and far. By today there must be many getting a taste of the ‘pudding’ that lies inside. I hope it satisfies beyond expectation. Now, for those of you still unconvinced by what you’ve read, I’ve some news. My […]