Yes, Go for It!

What a morning, the car was actually Cool when my daughter and I whipped it into gear and made off for school.

Got back, ejected myself from the vehicle, strode through the front door into my studio, popped the latches on my violin case, hoisted violin to shoulder, swung the bow into place, took aim at the opening of the Brahms violin Concerto, and, YEOW – set it right back down.

No, that’s not the way it happened. Just kidding.

Not to say there isn’t some talking back from my body these days. It’s really still quite upset with me for slamming it into the hard-top 3 months ago.

Clinically, for those of you interested in my case, I’m dealing with the after-effects of a shoulder dislocation informally as ‘frozen shoulder.’

That means I’ve got some muscles under my scapula that are locked up. In my case these muscles enable one to cross the arm in front of the chest.

And after a period of ball-dropping on my part I’m back on recovery road, big time. Got a Chiro/Energy man and a sports medicine masseuse on the case. And they are the supportive players to the violin therapy sessions I put myself through daily.

Good news is, after warming up and pushing the night-time muscle waste out the area, why, I’m started to sound pretty good. Might even be ready for the next major playing challenge heading my way. The recording of the music for the next Star Trek movie.

I can tell you. There will be notes on this one.

So, as I sat down to write just know I first had a glance at email. Got a real nice note from a gal down-under. No, not talking Australia here, but South Africa way.

And as she had a question to go along with it that a number of you might like answered, thought I’d share it with you. Here’s what she said;

Good Morning Mr. Haslop,

My name is Natalie and I live in Cape Town, South Africa. I grew up in a musical family. I played the Violin since I was 10 years old and I’m 31 years at the moment. Just before my exams for Grade V111 in 1994 my mom passed away. She was my whole world. I haven’t played since then. My dream was always to play in our orchestra and then to teach. Do you think that it’s too late for me to study music and still become a music teacher? I have a full time job and a family. And when I think about what spare time I have left, I don’t think that it will be sufficient time to practice everyday.

I think as I get older, the music increases in me all the time. And I know that classical music is needed in our community and our schools. I just don’t want to start something that I won’t be able to finish.

Please can you give me some feedback on your thoughts.

Thank you so very much.

Natalie

Well, Natalie, I am sorry for the loss of one so dear to you. I’m sure your mother would be absolutely in agreement with what I’m about to say to you.

Go ahead, MAKE your day. Let out all that abundance of beautiful energy you’ve held back for your mother’s resurrection. Fact is, and forgive me if this sounds strange to you, your mother is all she ever was and will be, Right Now. The Truth of your mother exists quite beyond time and is thus eternal. And the same can be said of you, I might add.

Now where actually practicing the violin is concerned I have this to offer. It’s not so much how you play as with what understanding to you play. I, myself, play about an hour a day now. Yet there is more Perception in that one hour than there were five of 30 years ago.

Teaching is always good. Just like how surgeons are trained, ‘see one, do one, teach one.’ Remember, though, to keep your mind and senses in gear all the while. Don’t just do what your muscles remember from years ago. ‘Question authority,’ as the good Ralph Emerson used to say; even when you’re mind thinks It’s the authority.

I’d also recommend you acquire Kreutzer for Violin Mastery or get involved in my Allegro Players at your earliest convenience. I feel quite sure that these programs would inform and accelerate your growth greatly.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Twas thinking about my Beginners Circle this morning, and about how much has been accomplished in just shy of one year. Why, to go from where we started to where we are today is quite remarkable.