Singing With Our Hands

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 dancers are actually singing with their body. All of them got the rhythm of the music. After all, that’s as essential to a dancer as water to a fish. The basic step patterns and moves communicate it. What I’m talking about is something beyond the basics.

The standouts were tuned like vibrating crystals to a higher form of communication. When their bodies moved, the vibrations penetrated right through to the core of my being. The complexity of the steps, the athleticism of the dance, these were all superfluous. It was the vision they carried within themselves and radiated outward to their audience that moved.

That should be your mission as a violinist, as well.

To do it, to really ‘get it’ and communicate it, you must do two things.
You must form a vision of the musical message, and then carry it with you as you master the technical issues.

There is no better way to develop both abilities than by studying etudes/caprices written by a master violinist/composer such a Rudolphe Kreutzer. I urge you to do it with the insights I provide by going ordering you copy of ”Kreutzer for Violin Mastery, Vol. 1” now.

All the best,
Clayton Haslop

P.S. Those of you waiting for orders will be pleased to know that they ship today. I apologize for the delay, and wish you great success with the course. Those of you not waiting for an order should be. Click here to receive your copy now.