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Louise Fowler posted an update 6 years, 3 months ago
@emma-flournoy
Hey, Emma. Just checking in to see how you’re doing. It’s been a while since we talked. XD
Louise Fowler posted an update 6 years, 3 months ago
@emma-flournoy
Hey, Emma. Just checking in to see how you’re doing. It’s been a while since we talked. XD
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Hey yourself! (You’ve no idea how many times I’ve wished I had a real name to call you… Not complaining, mind, just remarking. XD It doesn’t seem right to call you Louise…idk, does it?) Awww. Thanks. 😀 I’ve actually thought a few times recently that I should message YOU since it’s been awhile. Doing pretty well, thankee. Quite busy. A few weeks ago Mom had our twelvth baby. Cheaper by the dozen, you know. XD So we’ve been busier just by virtue of that, not to mention other normal and various and sundry things. Life’s never dull in a family this big… ;P Also, my older sister Elizabeth and I just joined a string ensemble/small orchestra at a Christian university near us! We’ve been in it a few weeks so far; it’s fun, though really challenging, esp. ’cause the level of music is higher than what we’re used to. We’re going to have to learn fast. *gulp*
How are you? 😀
@emma-flournoy
You can go ahead and call me Louise. It’s my middle name, so it’s real enough. 😉 If you want to find out my real name, I know Kate is on YWW (although I haven’t seen her very active) and I go by that there now. I’m just trying to figure out how she’d know it was me. XD
Lol, great minds then. 😉 Wow, 12 babies! :O That’s amazing. Sounds like it can get pretty hectic over there.
That’s also super cool about the orchestra! It’s heaps fun, isn’t it?? And it’s great that it’s Christian. Mine isn’t, though I do know of a few people that are Christian who go. What kind of pieces do you play? Just make sure you practise, and if you’re stuck take the piece to your lessons and show your teacher the bits you’re having trouble with. If she’s anything like mine, she’ll show you some techniques that’ll make it seem so much easier. 😀
I’ve been good. Busy as well with everyday things. My violin teacher has be learning a student concerto, so that’s been really fun. I’ve also been writing quite a bit. 🙂
I’m glad we’ve reconnected. I’ve kind of missed talking to you. 😀 By the way, I found that book Gorilla Hunters and I’ve started reading that. I’ve been enjoying it so far. I’ve also recently read The Scarlet Pimpernel. 😀 That was a fun read, though absolutely nothing like the movie we saw. XD What have you been reading lately?
Heh! XD Yeah, as far as I know she’s not very active there; she’s most active on Story Embers. Have you checked that out? I know it’s got a pretty active and awesome forum. Okay then. Louise. That’s right, I think I did know that was your middle name at one point. Very well. 😀
Oh yeah. XD
Yeah, we like it! We’re still just getting our feet wet, and it’s a little awkward too ’cause half the group have been playing with each other for years, so we sort of feel like outsiders. 😛 But hopefully we’ll get more comfortable before too long. And yes, we’re extremely happy it’s Christian. It’s not that big, either…less than 20 members, all strings. It’s mostly classical/neo-classical/hymn arrangements kinda stuff that’s played there, I think. Mostly a variety of classical though. Two of the big pieces we’ll probably be playing for the first concert are St. Paul’s Suite by Gustav Holst (it’s really pretty and fun), and Capriol Suite by Peter Warlock, which is also pretty fun, though really hard in spots. *cringe* So many double stops… What kind of stuff does yours play?
Unfortunately we can’t do both lessons and this at the same time; it was a hard either/or choice. 😛 We don’t have time to be going to both simultaneously. But yeah, I have no doubt that would help! I don’t know how long we’ll be able to stay in the orchestra, but we’re doing at least this whole semester, which is a few months. We hope to be able to resume violin lessons at some point. And yeesssh I’m definitely trying to practice as much as possible. Seems like I can’t practice enough, there’s so much to work on. ;P
Oh sweet, I’ve semi-learned a few student concertos on my own before, and they’re pretty fun. Not tooo hard. Glad you’ve been able to write quite a bit. 🙂
Me too. 😀 Oh, good. Funny funny. And yay for TSP, despite the fact that movie makers apparently can’t capture its essence well enough. ;P I’ve been reading a book called Men of Iron, by Howard Pyle, about a guy in early 15th century England and his boyhood escapades/becoming a knight. It’s an old classic among some of us siblings, and I read it when I was younger, but I wanted to read it again. It’s not disappointing. 😉 And I’m planning on reading Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky next; Kate read it from the library and really liked it, and I’m looking forward to it. Not s’posed to be a happy thing, but deep thematic stories have their place as we know. XD More along the lines of TCoMC and Les Mis, but a lot shorter and probably darker too, I dunno. Aaand I just recently read Northanger Abbey, the first Jane Austen book I’ve actually read. I liked it a lot. Very sweet, and also slightly satirical, which is always fun.
@emma-flournoy I’ve had a brief look and I get Hope Ann’s emails for it but I haven’t really been active. I kinda feel like they abandoned Kingdom Pen just to set up something very similar. XD I know it’s possibly because KP wasn’t going where their vision was anymore and it’d just be easier to start from scratch.
When I first joined this orchestra association, it was in the smaller, simpler string orchestra in the second violins. And for the first few weeks I just sat there listening, too shy to play. I’d hold my violin and finger the notes so kinda got practice but I didn’t actually play for a while. But now I’m sitting at the first desk of the first violins. 😀
In the big orchestra I’m still in seconds but I’m at the point where if the first chair of seconds isn’t there, the conductor will sometimes ask me to move up to it so there’s someone sitting there. My desk partner thinks it won’t be long before she loses me to firsts. XD Are you in first violins or seconds?
My orchestra plays a lot of movie music (one of the orchestra’s favourites is a Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl medley, fun and slightly challenging but pretty awesome. We have started doing more classical music and some contemporary stuff (we did Coldplay’s Viva la Vide for one concert). We actually also have St. Paul’s Suite but we haven’t played it yet. XD
Oh, that’s a shame about the lessons. 🙁 They’re really valuable. If it wasn’t about not having the time time but not having the money instead I’d have suggested seeing if your teacher was interested in bartering. That’s what we do; my dad mows her lawns in exchange for my lessons. 🙂
This one is called Seitz Student Concerto no 5 op. 22. It’s really fun.
I still found the movie a fun adventure and I think that’s what TSP is about, more or less, though it would have been nice to have it more accurate. 😉 I haven’t heard of that one. It sounds good. I can’t remember but I think we have Crime and Punishment because it was part of our literature course. Thematic stories that make you think are great. 😀 Oh, my friend I started reading Sense and Sensibility to read together and that’s the first Jane Austen I’ve ever read. I haven’t gotten very far yet as we started while I was still in the middle of another book so we put it on hold until I finish that. XD She’s read Jane Austen before but not this one.
I know whatcha mean. 😛 But hey, it is still mostly the same community, just in a different place. I didn’t move partly ’cause the forum’s supposed to be a little more serious/focused, and since I’m not actually a writer it prolly wouldn’t work that well. XD They’re more focused on focusing on writing.
Oh yikes, doesn’t that mean you’re the concertmaster?! WOW! Congratulations. XD Sweeet. We’re actually in two groups as well, right now—the conductor wanted us to practice with the little one for a few weeks ’cause he thought it would help us in getting used to general orchestra experience/staying in sync/following cues/etc. So we’ve been doing practice with both groups for a couple weeks, and hopefully we’ll be able to stay in the big one. 😛 It is more advanced than we’re always comfortable with, but that’s where the director put us to begin with, and thinks we could catch up, so…we’ll see. We’re seconds in the big one, and Elizabeth’s a first and I’m a second in the little one. That group is so small (like, less than ten people, including us) and beginner-level though that basically every position is the same difficulty. 😛
OOOH whahahahahahaaa Pirates oh my goodness. That must be SO. fun. to play. in an orchestra. Whoa. Nice. XD I play the main theme by myself, but in an orchestra…that’s cool. Yeah, I don’t know if this orchestra’s ever played movie music, but it’d be fun. Ha, nice. ;D
Yeah. :/ Thankfully I do still have enough money—currently XD—so at least that’s not a concern.
Ooh, fun! Tell me how you like it whenever you finish. I’m trying to decide whether or not I should ever read it, ’cause the movie(s) is already good enough for me. XD I’m pretty sure both movies I’ve watched are really accurate, so I don’t know if it’d be worth the effort to read the book. Though reading IS a different experience so it might be nice anyway.
@emma-flournoy
Yeah, I have YWW for that. I liked KP because it was lots of fun and the articles were really good. 😀
LOL! No! Far from it! XD I sit right next to the concertmaster in the smaller group and sometimes I sit there if she’s not there. But in the bigger one I’m in seconds so if I sit in the first chair of the seconds I’m just leading them, not everyone else. XD But yeah, the smaller group is very small. We were a lot bigger by the end of last year but for some reason we just haven’t gotten back the numbers. It started as a sting orchestra, then it turned into a mini orchestra because we had some winds and brass and now it’s pretty much back to a string orchestra. XD The big one has fluctuated too and isn’t as big as it was last year either and is practically all strings but at the point where if one family of four people don’t come one week (two of which play wind instruments) we lose two thirds of our wind section. XD
Yes, it is!! We played it a lot but it never gets old. This is the arrangement we play, though some parts not as fast 😉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zTc2hD2npA
Yeah 😀
I always say it’s worth reading the book. 😉 Movies may be really accurate, but you always get much more out of the book. 😀
Well that it certainly was and they certainly were. 😛
OHH okay. XD Well still. That’s not at all bad. XD Ha! Sounds like your orchestra is ever-fluctuating indeed. Must make things interesting…
Noice! Looks quite fun. I’m gaining a new appreciation for orchestral music in general and the people who make it work together. I mean… dis takes WORK. XD And I used to wonder why a conductor was necessary, but no longer. I understand completely. XD
True, that. ;D
@emma-flournoy
😛 XD
Lol, yeah. It’s good though. We’re usually using string arrangements now and the brass and wind have to transpose if there isn’t something for them already (I don’t know if you would have figured this out by now, but some instruments aren’t tuned the same as violin, like with clarinet and trumpet their A is really Bb so if they were to read a violin part, they would be playing in a different key than if you read it).
Oh, orchestra music is amazing! And yes, a conductor is really quite necessary. Actually, our orchestra is at a point where sometimes we don’t need the conductor and she’ll sit in with the first violins. It’s really fun, like having a bit of independence. XD You’ll also soon learn why we have intermissions. Before learning about the orchestra scene, Mum thought, “Why do we need the interval? I’m not tired, I could sit and listen a bit longer.” Welp, it’s not for the sake of the audience, it’s for the musicians. XD
You know what’s really cool?? I have made arrangements of pieces that the orchestra has played! 😀 I’ve done some hymns for the smaller one and done things like LOTR Medley and Titanic songs for the big one. I even did You’re Welcome from Moana, which we performed with a guest singer!! It’s so much fun, except having the orchestra play what I’ve arranged feels a lot like having someone read my writing. XD And if something sounds bad I feel like, “Ooh, I made a mess of that!” even though I’ve heard it many times on my program and it sounds fine. It’s usually just someone playing out of tune. XD
Oh right, yeah! It must be rather weird. Elizabeth (who’s playing in orchestra w/me) once took up French horn for a time, and she discovered the key difference, to her chagrin. 😛 It was a tad confusing at first.
Ooh, nice. HA, really! Well I’m sure I will discover that then. 😛 I always have wondered a little how musicians could just sit straight through playing for a few hours. Guess I discounted the intermission…
OK, that IS COOL. Yeesh. O.o Good for you. 😀 That makes sense, too, about hearing them play it. XD Is it difficult figuring out which parts to give which instruments/sections?
Lol, she would have been! XD
Yeah, well there you go, they really can’t. 😛 You get so exhausted after a concert and make sure you get a hat if you ever do outdoors in hotter weather. And I always have my water bottle with me and try and have a sip between each piece if I can.
It depends on the piece. If I do a hymn, I usually take the piano piece (which generally have two notes in the treble and two notes in the bass) and divide it between first and second violins (treble notes) and viola and cello (bass notes – double bass generally get the cello part if we have a player). Then if there are winds and/or brass, flute gets first violin part, oboe second, clarinet viola, bassoon cello, french horn first, trumpet second, trombone viola and tuba cello (if we even have all those instruments).
For my LOTR medley, I listened to the sound track and figured out what instruments were playing what, and chose accordingly. Some I’d have to substitute if we don’t have a particular instrument. And sometimes I have to edit it after because of the flux of the players (for example, at the time of arranging it, we had an English horn player. Now we don’t so I had to give some of their parts to the clarinet or the oboe).
So it depends on the piece, the sound I want it to have and what instruments we have available to us.
Well that sounds wise. *shudder* Hopefully I’ll never be playing for awhile outside in hot weather. Hot weather is the bane of my existence anyway. 😛
Okay, that makes a lot of sense! Coolio. Do you have a favorite of your arrangements?
And btw, as it turns out now, we’ll be staying in both the little and the big orchestra groups this semester unless something comes up. So that should be double the good experience. Though I’m SERIOUSLY not having near enough time to practice as much as I need to. *groan* I need to practice so much, mostly just the big group stuff. Got any tips on how to cram as much effectiveness into one practice session as possible?
@emma-flournoy
Yeah, it gets pretty hot here. Anyway, I know because once I didn’t have my hat and I felt really hot and a bit sick but after the break I was okay and I just kept having a bit of water between pieces.
Long story short, I need to buy a black sun hat XD
A favourite… Well, I love the pieces of Lord of the Rings but we actually haven’t performed it yet and the more we’re playing it the more I see things that need to be fixed so I’m thinking about editing it and making a better version. XD You’re Welcome was great because we have performed it and it was amazing with the singer! Oh, I’ve also arranged pieces from Titanic (My Heart Will Go On and Hymn to the Sea), both of which we’ve played and were really good. AND I’ve done one for Amazing Grace which turned out really good too. XD
So, no, let’s just say they’re all my favourites. XD
Nice, that’s like me right now. 🙂 Tips for practice… Well, my teacher says even if you have limited time, like five minutes to practice, work on technique (scales, exercises – do you have a book of scales and stuff?). The more technique you know, the easier pieces will be to play right away, as opposed to having to practise them over and over. 🙂 I hope that’s helpful.
Is your conductor a violinist? Ours is and she shows us how to play tricky bits sometimes, so since you don’t have a teacher to show you right now, maybe asking the conductor might help?
XD
Well that works. XD Choosing favorites is really a terribly hard thing.
Oh, that makes a lot of sense! *cringe* I do have some scale/positions books, but not really technique books, and I admit I hardly ever practice just raw technique by itself. :/ I don’t even really know…how one would go about that? Or is it MEANT to be really boring… 😛 I could do more scales though. That’s easy enough. Oh, and I guess I could practice scales using different bow strokes and stuff… What do you do?
The conductors of both groups are both violinists (husband and wife too 😉 ), so yeah! They usually tell you if you’re doing something wrong, but yeah, it might be helpful to ask more often…
@emma-flournoy
Have you had any concerts yet (forgive me if you’ve already mentioned that XD)? Do you have a dress code for them? Our concerts for the big orchestra are usually all-black unless it’s more casual, like playing at a local showground or at a retirement home, then we have these coloured shirts (green for strings, yellow for winds, purple for brass, orange for percussion – not the colours I would have chosen but they’re fine XD) with black pants/skirt and shoes. That’s usually what we wear in the smaller orchestra all the time, except for when we all join up for Christmas concerts, then it’s all black with some Christmassy accessories.
Indeed it is. XD
Well, they’re not the funnest things to do. XD But yes, scales with different bow strokes and patterns (like doing it with three notes per bow or four, etc) are exercises in the book I have. But there’s also things like practising third and second position, practising double stops, etc. I have a whole workbook full of scales and exercises all ordered into grades (from preliminary to grade 8; I’m currently working on grade 4). It’s definitely helpful for learning all the different scales with their harmonic and melodic minors and the arpeggios. I don’t know if you have anything like that there mainly because this is used in AMEB exams and I have heard you don’t have music exams over there.
https://www.ameb.edu.au/shop/strings/violin/violin-technical-work.html
That’s very handy! If they’re anything like mine, they know what they’re doing and they do it well. 😉 If you’re having trouble with a part, you could just go up to them before or after rehearsal and ask them if they have any tips on making it easier to play. It can be as simple as thinking the rhythm as you play it, or changing the position you play in (like from first position to third. That usually means less string-crossing which is helpful for faster bits).
It’s OK. XD No, not yet—first one’s November 8th. Just four more rehearsals. *endeavors not to shudder* Yes, the dress code is all black. Most of the time, I think. So I’ve been trying to find a good, classy black shirt and skirt, ’cause I don’t normally keep those on hand. XD At least not the shirt. Those concerts definitely sound colorful. ;D Whoa!
Well, I don’t know about anything like that, or exams for that matter, not being a ‘normal’ violin student. 😛 But I do have a scale book, that I bought on purpose, and esp. the later parts of it look positively horrifying. I’m hiding from it. XD Especially all the things with lots of sharps and flats. But I’m sure it would be extremely beneficial to do it and learn the scales/arpeggios/etc., and I should get cracking. XD
That they certainly do. 😉 That’s a good idea. I’m not incredibly position-savvy either, which is also something I need to learn. I only really know 1st and 3rd, and am only 100% comfortable in 1st, though pretty comfortable in 3rd. You can see how well I stretch myself… O.o
@emma-flournoy
I know! I had to get so much black for these performances ‘cuz some are not as formal yet still need to be black and some are quiet formal so I actually went and made a dress (with a lot of help from a couple of sewing teachers but it was good). And now most of my nice stuff is black which I don’t particularly like wearing. *rolls eyes* XD A lady at church gave me some lovely black lace and she said to my mum, “I notice she wears a lot of black,” and Mum said, “Well, that’s not exactly by choice.” XD
Yeah, all the sharps and flats can be scary. I personally don’t like having to play more than three flats or more than three or four sharps. My teacher told me the B Major scale is one of the harder ones (that has five sharps). What about them is scary? Because you don’t know what all the sharps and flats are, or you don’t know what fingers to put where maybe?
Yeah, I’m good in first, not too bad in third and getting better at second (and even doing some things in fourth I think, like a three-octave G major scale). It can be confusing. I like first and third the best.
@emma-flournoy
Hey, you really wanna know my name? 😀
Here’s my introductory post. Page 5 (if the link doesn’t send you right there), Grace W. aka rebelutionary is a good friend of mine and here she accidentally dropped my real name.
Ahh! XD
All right, my post in on page 9 of the Start Here space, called Just Another Girl. Page 5 of that post. XD
Heeey, where’s the MBTI post? *scratches head* Huh. Well, this is my reply to the notification of it, plus the others.
Ha! That’s hilarious. 😀 Yes, black is nice and clean-cut for formal occasions, but not exactly…fun for regular wear.
Well, not necessarily that I don’t know what all the sharps and flats are; that’s easy enough to figure out, even though it’s kinda hard to remember if it’s lots. It’s mostly the fingers, and not so much that I don’t know which to put where (except in the case of figuring out whether to use the 3rd or 4th finger and similar situations… such a pain in the wrist. XD So yeah I guess, it does have to do with not knowing which fingers I should use.), but that my fingers don’t go there automatically (‘cept for F sharps) like they do for the regular placing, so they’re much more likely to be out of tune when I play them. XD They wouldn’t if I just did them more… How do you decide when to use which finger for a sharp or flat? When to move a third finger down or a second finger up, etc.?
Yeah, I’ve heard 1st and 3rd are the most popular/used ones, and 5th. I surely hope I get to that point someday. XD
Oh heeey, okay! Well now I know. Cool. 😀 Is that the nickname for the real name, or is that the full form of your first name?
Random questions are fun. 😀 It’s both of us into MBTI, so you’re right both ways! Kate first, but I soon got swallowed up too. Cool! I remember you were an INFP, but I didn’t know it came out mixed. I’ve gotten more than one result too, and concluded after a lot of reading on the subjects that I’m sort of a mix between ISFJ and ENFJ. Definitely an FJ. 😉
OKAY. I just watched the video and it is awesommmme. XD XD XD SO perfect. Spot on with all of them. And I related SO HARD with both the ENFJ and ISFJ ones. Both things I do alllll the time. XD
Sorry my replies are kinda here and there. 😛 Life is full.
@emma-flournoy Oh, I deleted it because the link wasn’t working and that was annoying me. I didn’t realise you still got the notification, so I’m guessing the link worked there?? XD
Yeah. 😉
“How do you decide when to use which finger for a sharp or flat? When to move a third finger down or a second finger up, etc.?”
Aha, good question. I think the general rule is if it’s sharp, you move the finger up and if it’s flat you move it down.
For example, G# and Ab are practically the same note (on a piano keyboard they are but I’m not going to get into relative tuning and all that because technically they’re not the same note and on the violin they could be different because we make our own notes, whereas the piano has just the notes on the keyboard). But they are played with different fingers. G# is played with a high third finger while Ab is played with a low fourth finger (I’m talking specifically on the D string). But really you could play it with either (and sometimes I do if it’s just easier for a certain bit in the music to play Ab with a high third or vice versa). But, yeah, I think you decide which to play it with based on whether it’s sharp or flat.
Or it could just be you play G with a third so a slightly higher G is played with a slightly higher finger. XD
Yeah, I don’t know if I’ve played in 5th position yet. XD
It’s a nickname. The real one is the same name as Isaac’s wife. 😉 But I’m called by the nickname more and that’s what I have it as on YDubs.
Aha. 😀 Well, when I first took the test it was always INFP. But when I take it now it’s always INFJ so I guess it just changed. 😛 Either way it agrees I’m introverted, intuitive, and feeling. XD
Based on that video, I think I’m more INFP because my stand partner always says she’s bad and I’m like “Nah!” XD But I could be like “I should be doing big things with this!”
TwoSet Violin are fun, you should watch more of their videos (they do swear a bit in some, JSYK). But they make classical music funny. 😀
That’s okay! XD I look forward to your replies when they come.
Yup. XD
‘I think the general rule is if it’s sharp, you move the finger up and if it’s flat you move it down.’ Ahh, OK! Makes sense. Thanks. 😀
Gotcha. 😉
Heh. Cool. XD
Sweet. ;D Yeah, that was pretty funny. ( :/ yay)
😀
It’s about two weeks till our first concert. I’m still wondering how this is all gonna come together before then…
@emma-flournoy Cool XD
No worries. 🙂
Oh yeah, I know what you mean. XD The smaller orchestra has a performance this Saturday for a school’s 40th anniversary. I’m not really nervous about it (the music is mostly really easy) but I do get anxious when the bit orchestra has performances. What are you performing at and what music are you playing? 🙂
We’re playing at the college; I think it’s just a free concert for anyone who wants to come/family members of orchestra peeps, etc. Lessee…we’re playing the third mvt. of St. Paul’s Suite; a few movements of Corelli’s “Christmas Concerto”; the first two and the last mvts. of the Capriol Suite by Peter Warlock; the first mvt. of Bach’s 3rd Brandenburg Concerto; maybe or maybe not a thing called Introduction and Tango, written by a cellist in the group; arrangements of “Come Thou Fount”; “You Raise Me Up”; “The Trout” Quintet; a trumpet concerto by Vivaldi…aaand I think that’s it. XD The little group is doing some of those too.
@emma-flournoy
Sounds like quite the repertoire. I hope you do well and enjoy yourself!
Our performance this afternoon went quite well, though I don’t think I personally played my best. We played a song called Fiesta for Strings, Lady Madonna (the Beatles), It Don’t Mean a Thing, a Mozart piece called Overture and an ABBA medley.
Wow that was fast. XD
Thank you! 😀
Good, I’m glad! I mean, not that you didn’t personally play your best, but yeah. ;P Is there any way for you to tell if you won’t be playing so well one day, and apprehend it, esp. if you have important violining to do? Some days I have are really really good (those are the rare ones XD), some are just good, then mediocre, then downright awful, where I feel like my fingers just won’t work how I want them to and why am I even playing violin again? XD I’m not sure what factors it depends on. I’ve noticed that I play better sometimes when my hands are cold, which doesn’t make a ton of sense, though I thought of a connection recently that might have to do with it. Since different weathers warp the bow in different ways, maybe I just play better when the bow is in a cold environment. No idea. XD And I usually play better than usual if I’m ever not able to play it for a few days or more, but I think that’s just absence making the heart grow fonder. 😛
Anyway. Cool! Which was your favorite of those pieces to play?
@emma-flournoy
Lol, I thought the same thing. XD
That’s a good question… I know what you mean, some days I just feel like my fingers aren’t cooperating or the bow isn’t working well (I think it may need a re-hair anyway 😛 ), other days I feel like the best violinist in the house! (oh, wait… I’m the only violinist XD)
I know my fingers don’t work as well in the cold but that’s not just for violin, my fingers do not like the cold at all (I’m almost always wearing gloves and I have fingerless gloves that I sometimes wear when I’m playing). Some days my shoulder rest doesn’t want to stay on and I think that’s weather-related (the violin expands and contracts with the temperature and even though it normally fits, if the wood contracts it won’t).
Pro Tip: Never leave your violin in the sun, even in it’s case. Never leave it alone in the car, always take it in (I saw my teacher once in the grocery store and she was carrying her violin on her back).
So anyway, I don’t know if you can foresee if you’re going to have a bad practice session or not. Sometimes I just can’t play a certain piece, even if usually I can just fine and so that’s when you try something else.
Ooh, hard one… The Mozart is fun because it sounds really fancy and classical. XD Lady Madonna is catchy, I like ABBA anyway so that’s automatically enjoyable. 😉 It Don’t Mean a Thing is a jazzy swing piece so that’s quite fun. They’re all pretty enjoyable but I don’t know that I have a favourite. What about you?
XD Yeah. Hey, I’m just having my bow re-haired. I didn’t really know about that before, but it came up as an option instead of buying an expensive new bow (I wanna wait till I have enough money to buy a pretty nice bow, not just mediocre, before buying another bow at all). Haven’t gotten it back yet, but I’m hoping it’ll be a big improvement. I’m already imagining the smooth and effortless feel of drawing it across the strings, and trying to make myself quit before I over-expect expectations. XD
Aw, never? That’s hard. O.o XD Toting one’s violin all over the place doesn’t sound convenient. But I suppose it’s more convenient than the violin’s early death.
OK, yeah.
Fun. 😀 My favorite’s probably the Corelli concerto, and the first mvt. of the Capriol Suite. OH, and definitely the Brandenburg Concerto mvt.
@emma-flournoy
Yeah, I know what you mean, I didn’t know about it either. My friend who was learning violin lives on a farm and he has a horse and he was telling me he wants to re-hair his own bow with his own horses’ hair, and I was like, “I don’t think that’ll work quite like that.” XD
If you can help it. It’s not too bad, if you have straps, or you can just put it in the shopping trolley if you get one. Usually (for me) I’d only have it in the car when we go to the store is we go right after my lesson or something. Usually taking it somewhere means I’m going to be using it (a concert, etc) so it wouldn’t be staying in the car anyway.
I don’t know if I’ve heard those. But I find with classical music I do recognise it when I hear it, even if I don’t know the name. XD
Ha! XD If only…
Well, that’s true; I guess I don’t normally have it in the car unless I’ll be using it.
I know whatcha mean. XD
@emma-flournoy
It would have been really cool if he could have. XD
Yeah. I don’t just think, “I’ll take my violin shopping today.” XD
Yeah. Do you have any idea what Mozart Symphony no. 40 is?? If you don’t, YouTube it and I bet you you have heard it before. 😉 I didn’t know, but we’re playing it in orchestra so I listened to it and I recognised it and now I have a name for the piece. 😀
Yeah. 😛
XD
Ohh wait I think I actually do… Goes like ‘duh-da-duh duh-da-duh duh-da-duh-Daaa —- DA-da-da da-da-da da-da-duh-duh…’ etc. If you know the tune you’ll be able to read that properly. XD That’s Molto Allegro, which I think must be the famous movement. I used to listen to that all the time because I used to listen to Mozart all the time, and it’s on so many Mozart CDs.
Cool. 😀 Is it fun?
@emma-flournoy
Yes, that’s it exactly! XDXD Yes, it is rather fun, but we haven’t been playing it up to speed yet. 😉 XD
Oh yay! XD Yeah, it’s so fast. Fun. 😀
@emma-flournoy Yeah, I think we’re playing it a little over half speed.
*nodnod* Cool.
@emma-flournoy
Another one we got that’s really cool is the second movement of Beethoven Symphony no. 7.
Ooh. I don’t know that one off the top of my head, but most Beethoven symphonies are pretty epic.
Our last rehearsal besides the dress rehearsal on the day of the concert was last night. The director said he’s feeling confident about the concert, but I’m still not quite clear on how it’s all going to be good on Thursday. I think maybe they just don’t worry if it’s not 100% perfect. *clutches perfectionist brain* So I guess I’ll have to not worry too. XD
@emma-flournoy
Look it up. 😀 And if you can, find it on the YouTube channel smalin. He makes animated score things and they’re so pretty!
Ooooh! Getting close then? You’d do great. Trust me, I know about not perfect. My first concert with the CSO (the big orchestra), we had this piece for How to Train Your Dragon (which sounds epic when played well, but XD), which none of the violinists were confident about playing these triplets at the beginning, so those who did try played them very quietly so they wouldn’t stand out, and they might as well have not been played. *facepalm* So, there ya go. XD
But, if the direction is confident, then I’d trust his judgement, because he can hear the whole picture (XD) from his spot at the front and centre. You only hear part of it from where you sit (and you hear different parts depending where you sit). So maybe it doesn’t sound super great where you are, but the conductor, and the audience, are getting a different experience.
I shall, eventually. 😀
Ooh. XD
Well, that’s an encouraging thought. *nod* I’ll try not to stress. XD
@emma-flournoy
Yeah, ooh. XD
*hugs* You can do it!
Question, is your sister doing NaNoWriMo?
Thank youuuu! *hugs*
Six more hours…
No, she isn’t doing NaNo. But she just started choir practice for the Christmas program we’ll be playing in, so now we all three go to practices together. But our practices are a couple hours apart, so she has a couple hours to sit around while we’re doing our practice before hers starts. So she can take her laptop and find some quiet corner to write in. And not ask for the college’s wifi password. ;P So if that keeps up she might get a lot more written on stuff than normal. 😀
You doing NaNo?
@emma-flournoy
Till what? XD
Ah, nice plan. 😀 Yes, I am doing NaNo and I would have added her as a buddy if she was. 😉
Till the concert. XD
It actually went off a lot better than I was expecting. I’m very happy. 😀 It was fun. And I wasn’t as nervous as I was expecting to be, which was lovely. Always helps when you’re in the back and have got a bunch of other people in front of you.;P
Aww. 😀
I watched the video of the Beethoven symphony by the smalin guy. SO. COOL. O.o Wow. How long must it take to do those… But it was awesome! So aesthetically pleasing, and so cool with the placement of the different instruments and stuff.
@emma-flournoy I thought so, but I got confused because then you were talking about another concert (which clearly isn’t the same one XDXD)
That’s great! Yeah, I don’t find I’m very nervous, but like if I play with my mum for some friends or something, I’m more nervous. I think it has to do with having seven other people playing the same part as me vs being solo. 😉 But I’m glad you enjoyed it! 😀
😀
Isn’t it cool? Very pretty. 😀 His one for Canon in D is pretty cool too.
XD It’s OK.
Yeah, definitely. Scary. 😛 I’ve only been in one recital before, and it was plenty nerve-wracking.
OOH, I’ll definitely watch that one. LOVE Canon in D. <3 <3 <3
@emma-flournoy
I’ve done a couple of exams and one time I couldn’t tell if I was purposefully doing vibrato or my hand was just shaking. XD Anyway, so far I’ve decided not to do any more exams because they’re not necessarily necessary and I don’t need that added bit of pressure/anxiety. XD
Yeah, it’s pretty nice. But you gotta feel sorry for the cellos. 😉 XD
Ha! XD Well, makes sense.
I know! The same thing over and over and over again….
@emma-flournoy
XD At least it’s easy to memorise.
So, on Monday, Mum and I were playing my Seitz concerto (and going really well!) and then my conductor (who picks me up sometime before orchestra so I can help out with set up and other things), came to the door while we were finishing the first movement. XDXD And I got really self-conscious, and I could tell I didn’t play as well as I had been, but I think I still did pretty good. _grins_
Yeah. XD
Ha! You poor thing. :’D That’s funny though. That would totally happen to me in the same situation.
We have about two and a half weeks till our Christmas concert now, and we only started practicing our music for it about a week ago. *shudder* I really don’t know why they do this. 😐 That’s less than half the amount of time we had to practice for the first one. Plus my family just got sick, and my head is killing me and all my attempts at extra practice make it worse. I have chronic headaches but I think I must also be crunching my chin down too hard on the violin with the efforts at serious extra practice and messing up the whole muscle structure of my neck and head. This ain’t gonna be easy. XD
*ends pity party*
When’s your next concert?
@emma-flournoy
It wasn’t too bad. Though my hands were shaking after for a bit. XD
Aw. You shouldn’t have to be really tense to hold the violin (though sometimes you just are and don’t realise it XD). What songs are you playing for the Christmas one?
At this point that I know of, May. We’re not doing a Christmas thing this year (not a formal one, anyway. The conductor has invited all orchestra groups and their families to her house for celebration).
XD
Yeah, I think a lot of my tensity I don’t notice soon as I should ’cause I’m too focused on other aspects. It’s sad. ;P Lessee. There’s “Around the World at Christmas Time”, “A Christmas Festival”, “Star of Wonder”, “March of the Toys”, “Joy to the World”, “The Huron Carol”, and “I Heard the Bells”. I think that’s it, at least for the main group, though I guess they’re all subject to change. Several of ’em are big medleys of a bunch of different Christmas songs.
Ooh, fun fun!
@emma-flournoy
Yeah. There’s a lot to think about when playing an instrument. 😉
I don’t know any of those specifically (except for Joy to the World and I Heard the Bells), though if they’re medleys, I’d most likely know the songs in them. 😉
Yeah, I’m sure you’d know most of them. 😉
How goes NaNo?
@emma-flournoy
Carols are generally known universally. XD
It goes well! I reached 30,000 words last night and I’m consistently a day ahead of the recommended goals. I haven’t been stressed or feeling like I wasn’t going to make it and I’m confident I have plenty of story to reach the word count, and then some. 😀 It’s been an enjoyable experience this year. Though sometimes I just don’t feel like writing, but then I get people to do word sprints with me and that helps. 😉
How about you, and whatever endeavours you do. What do you like to do, since you’re not a writer? Just music, or do you have other hobbies?
Yay! That’s awesome.
Welp, I’m not even sure, technically. If reading counts as a hobby, count that. :’D I’m not really naturally artsy so I don’t do much in that field, and though I can sew things fairly nicely I don’t particularly like sewing except for once a year or so. XD Which would make violin, piano and reading my main ‘hobbies’. And healthy cooking, I guess. xD That’s fun. And mainly living in a big family with tons of people around you to invest in. Investing in people qualifies as a hobby right? XD Hoo boy. Oh, and MBTI of course. Anything MBTI, and watching/analyzing whoever I have to do with. BUT that’s not a hobby in the main sense of the word. I love thinking and wondering and researching about things and ideas in the world in general. Just don’t put it into books/characters arcs like I imagine you do. ;D
Aaaanyway! Lately there hasn’t been much time for tons of anything but violin in addition to regular life. But I try to squeeze in piano when I can (gaahhhh piano’s so relaxing to play compared to violin), and still have time for a fair amount of reading. *shrug* Life’s extremely busy and we’re sort of…going through a family season of much fighting/insensitivity and not getting along/honoring people as much as should be, so that’s taking up a lot of energy. :’D Trying to sort all that out and be happy and in good relationships with everyone and figure out what God wants me to focus on. In fact I wouldn’t mind prayers for that. 😀 I get depressed over the seemingly smallest things. 😐 Which is something I’m trying to remedy, but I s’pose it’s a long process. I hate conflict so bad.
*AHEM* That’s not what you asked for, sorry! XD But anyway. Is there any way I can pray for you?
(And do you have any other hobbies or is it mainly music and writing?)
@emma-flournoy
I reckon they all count, and I don’t see why MBTI wouldn’t. 😉 Yeah, it’s nice to have the outlet of writing for all my thinking and wondering. 😀
Yikes. That’s okay. 🙂 Sorry to hear that, that’s not always fun, is it? Of course I’ll pray. _hugs_
Uh… Not specifically at this point, but thank you. 🙂
I consider music and writing my passions, and the other (numerous) things I do hobbies: I like sewing (I’m currently working on a bag made out of an old pair of jeans), crafts, woodworking (though we haven’t done that for a while ‘cuz of circumstances 😛 Actually, now that I think of it, we’re really in need of a second car). There’s also arranging and composing music, which is different from actually playing music.
I bet. 😀
Not very fun at all, Precious. *gollum, gollum* XD
Thanks, that means a lot. 🙂
I know though, sometimes when I’ve been asked that question I’m like…uh… nothing? *wracks brains* Yeah… So it’s all right. XD
Cool!! So much neat stuff. Woodworking, that’s neat. Do you like specifically carving, building things, both? When you can ’cause of circumstances. ;P One of my brothers does a lot of woodworking. He makes walking sticks and sells them too. They’re cool.
And there are so many things that can be made of old jeans! Mom once made a huge braided rug out of some.
@emma-flournoy
😀
That’s okay, precious. *gollum* XD
Yeah, same here. XD
With woodworking I’ve made a bowl (which was mostly round when I started, so it was a good starting project and I really enjoyed that). I’ve made two boxes (one a test, one my new jewellery box). And I’ve made a baton that I’m going to give to my conductor. 😀 I did start doing some carving, but because my dad needs the car, we haven’t been able to go lately, so that’s probably just been sitting there. XD
Yes, there are! Always keep your old jeans. 😉
XD
Ooh, cool stuff! I bet it’ll be fun giving your conductor the baton. 😀
Welp, we’re done with the Christmas concert. We did it twice, one Saturday and one Sunday. They both worked better than I expected them to based on practices. It was nice.
And now the semester is over. Which is sad, though also kinda relieving to have a little break. We don’t know yet if we’re going back next semester (starting January 14th).
@emma-flournoy
Awesome! I’m glad it went well! (also, I’m sorry, I didn’t get an email for your last post XD)
We’ve got one more rehearsal, and then a party at my conductor’s house (instead of doing any “formal” Christmas thing) but I don’t know if I’m going to go to that, then our holidays until late Jan or early Feb, I think. When will you know if you’re going to go back?
The fiddle group (which is another of the ensembles) are starting to pick songs for recording a CD and I’ve started joining them in playing the last couple of weeks, which has been heaps of fun. I’ve wanted to join them, but they rehearse right after the big orchestra (which is right after the junior orchestra), so it would be a long day for me, so if I did join, I’d have to drop the junior orchestra and I don’t know if I’m quite ready to do that yet. 😉
Aah I’m sorry! Dunno what happened there.
Anyway, thanks. 😀
Well, probably just as soon as we and our parents discuss it. Anytime between now and January 14th! Hopefully sooner than later. The break is relaxing though. XD I love doing orchestra (and more important, it’s helped violin tremendously in some areas), but it kept me sooo busy and with not nearly as much time for reading and other things. Also with such a big family, it’s quite difficult to be able to do ‘extracurricular’ things like that for any extended period, especially when it’s two of the oldest kids in the family who are also much needed at home. XD I don’t want to miss out on my family either, even if I was improving in violin. But we shall see! It may still work out.
OOH, that’s cool. Yeah, that makes sense though. Do you know how to ‘fiddle’ in the technical sense, or do you just play fiddle things in the classical style? I wish I knew how to do both, but I more just can play fiddle songs in a regular style. Dunno how to improvise enough at this point, and I don’t know where fiddlers pull that AWESOME tone from.
@emma-flournoy
Yeah, fair enough. But it would be nice to be able to do that still if you can. But yes, being part of an orchestra is very busy (especially when you’re also acting as PA for the conductor twice a week 😉 ).
Hm. Well, I have improvised making my own fiddle tunes a couple of times, but I don’t remember how they go any more (probably because I didn’t keep playing them XD But I did record them, so that’s okay). I do also know a couple of the fiddle tunes from memory. But over all, the fiddle group uses music, so it’s not “real” fiddling (just fiddle tunes XD). But I know a guy, he actually was the guy who restored and we bought my violin from, he doesn’t know how read music at all, but he’s an amazing fiddle player.
Yup, definitely. And yeah, at least I’m no PA. ;P I mean, it sounds like a position I’d enjoy, but busy.
Wul cool still. I love fiddle music either way.
And wow. People like that are amazing.
@emma-flournoy
Yeah, it’s pretty fun. I check the emails and print music and bind scores for her and she and I send out the emails and organise repertoire and things like that.
Yeah, it’s really fun.
Yes, they are! We have a friend who doesn’t know how to read music very well, but he plays the piano amazingly.
Kewel.
Wow. 😀
@emma-flournoy
lol
Which movement of St. Pauls’ Suite did you say you’ve played? My orchestra has been playing the first movement (the Jig, I think it’s called), and that’s pretty challenging, but lots of fun (though my stand partner doesn’t like it XD).
We played the 3rd mvt. at our concert, but we’d been practicing the first for a bit before they decided not to do it this semester. I agree, it’s alotta fun. And really challenging. XD The worst part is the part with like 6 sharps (if you’re a second violinist. If you’re not you might not have that part.). Thankfully it’s not very long, but so fast! I love the tune of that movement. It sounds Scottish.
@emma-flournoy
I am a second violinist. 😉 You mean the bit with all the semi quavers going up and up? In our score they’re all accidentals, but it would be six sharps if put as a key signature 😛 My teacher’s helped me with that and says play each group of three with the third, second and first finger so it’s always 3, 2, 1. It means a lot of shifting, but if you practise with a piano (to know what the notes are supposed to sound like) and put in where the half-steps are, it helps a lot.
Okay, yes! That’s the part. I’m pretty sure they’re accidentals on our score too. OK, that sounds like a good solution. We had someone help us with that part too, and I don’t think they gave us quite the same fingering (it doesn’t involve much shifting at all; it’s mostly just all half a note down from where your fingers usually are in 1st position), but it’s SO much easier than how I was trying to do it. So once I know I’m hitting the right notes and can do it fast enough, it won’t be that hard. XD I just have to make myself practice slowly and work up. And yes, someone else told us to play it out on the piano over and over again so we’d have the tune in our heads and it would help. It does.
@emma-flournoy
Cool, I’m glad you’re getting input from more experienced people. Otherwise you can feel a bit lost as to what to do.
I agree! XD Experienced people are great to have around. I’d be quite lost without them.
Yeas. XD
Today Elizabeth and I went and played an informal concert thing at a local library, with a cellist/jack-of-all-strings from the orchestra and several of his students. It was mostly Christmas carols, and pretty informal, but it was fun.
@emma-flournoy That sounds really fun. 😀
Orchestra is over for me now. 🙁 Tonight is the party the conductor is having at her house, but I’m not going to go, except to maybe drop in and give my stand partner a thank you present (she brings me home every week).
Aw, too bad. 🙁 But yay for nice stand partners!
@emma-flournoy
I didn’t see this! :O
How was your Christmas? How was your New Year’s? 😀
Ack, I’m so sorry! Used to be whenever I just hit the reply to one of your comments, even without tagging you, it would notify you without fail. -_- Eh well.
They were pretty good! We had one set of grandparents over for Christmas, and then last night we stayed up and ate snacks, played games, and watched Captain America: First Avengers till midnight. ;P And we were in time after it ended to watch the date change on our atomic clock. ‘Twas fun. Now we’re sleepy. 😉 How were yours? 😀
AND I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S 2019
@emma-flournoy
No, that was more me apologising to you, because I do usually get an email whether you tag me or not. XDXD
Christmas was good. We had the family over at our house (mum’s parents and her sister and her family) and had Christmas dinner. My violin teacher was away and she often asks us to feed her cats when she is, so Mum and I took my two little cousins to go do that. XD
New Year’s wasn’t a huge deal. We all stayed up, doing our own thing, until about 5 minutes to midnight, then we all gathered together and talked and prayed. And then the next day, I got to help three of my friends bring in the new year (‘cuz they’re in the States XD) which was really nice.
Oh well then. XD
Aww, fun.
That’s sweet too. <3 And yay, getting to do it twice! XD
Are you excited for 2019? Weary? Ambivalent? Hopeful?
@emma-flournoy
XD
Yeah.
Actually, three times! 😀 One of them lives in a different timezone than the other two so hers was an hour after. XD
I think my 2019 is off to a good start in many ways, especially my writing. Last night I finished one of my stories, tonight I started the second draft of another, and I’ve written every day so far (haha, we’ll see how long that lasts XD).
What about you? 😀
Ha! Fun. XD
Good, I’m glad! That’s great. Meh, I’m probably more on the ambivalent side…. def. wouldn’t say excited. XD I’ve never been terribly excited for new years to come; prolly ’cause I’m sad the time’s going so quick. Which is probably not the best view to take. -_- There are a several things I have in mind for this year, but I’m not terribly looking forward in general ’cause of emotional aspects of life still/change in general. The thought of a whole new year of the same old problems makes me glum. But I am kinda looking forward to even that in light of growing and letting God teach me lots of things through problems. If I’ll just listen. 😉 Hey, look at this cool song I found the other day. I love it. (Even though the animation is so fake. It’s s’posed to be that way. XD And it’s charming.) It reminds me not only of the need for Christians to stand together, but also individual families.
Also! I’m going to be a legal adult in six days. O.o
@emma-flournoy
I know what you mean about time passing quick. Sometimes that can be scary.
Oh, I love Casting Crowns! That video was so cool. 😀
Yikes, now THAT is scary. I’ve been a legal adult for almost two years (12 days left XD).
*nod*
😀
Yikessss that’s even scarier. You won’t even be a teenager anymore. XD
@emma-flournoy
I knuuuu! XD
How do you feel about becoming an adult? 😉
Mostly, I always thought I’d feel older than this by the time I got here. XD But I don’t. I’m the same Emma I was when I thought those things. Just with a ton more experience behind me. 😛
@emma-flournoy
I know what you mean. The only age I remember actually feeling different at was 15.
Heh. Where do de years go.
@perfectfifths Sorry xD
@emma-flournoy Good thing you did that; I only got emails for the “Sorry” and I was wondering “what’s she gone and done?” XD
Yeh, dat’s a good question. 😛
So, what are you going to do for your birthday? 😀 From what you said I’m guessing it’s the 20th? That’s the day after mine.
HA! Eh dear. XD XD XD
Huh, it’s actually the eleventh! But I’d calculated yours as the 18th. Not sure what happened. 😛 Anyway, it was nice and quiet. Had a favorite breakfast, meal and dessert (one of the best b-day traditions ;P), and received various lovely gifts from my family. And then the majority of the people went running errands later in the day, so it was a nice and quiet afternoon home, and I played the piano a long time. XD What are you going to do?
@emma-flournoy XD 😛
Oh, well, happy birthday, then! 😀 Lol, nope, the 19th. XD I know what happened; timezones. 😛 I’m a day ahead of you, and you probably saw that message the day I sent it, which would have been a day behind for you (confused yet? Good). XD
That sounds like it was lovely. 🙂 On my birthday we’re going to my grandparents’ for afternoon tea and playing games. Then we’re going to have “breakfast for dinner” and make pancakes. 😀
Thank youu! And ACTUALLY, I thought that’s what might have happened in that case. I knew you were one day ahead and I thought I’d calculated that, but I guess not. XD I’m not sure how mine got 9 days off though! XD
Oooh that sounds absolutely lovely too. 😀 And breakfast for dinner is great.
@emma-flournoy
Ah, my bad maths skills is what happened. XDXD
Yees, it’ll be fun. 😀 And we’re going to make pinwheels (bacon, onion, grated carrot and zucchini and cheese rolled in puff pastry, sliced up and baked) and Nutella brownies (so yummy) to eat, and possibly this three-ingredient chocolate cheese cake I found which is really nice, for afternoon tea.
@perfectfifths
Ohh Ah see. xD
OH YUM. O.o Those all sound delish. Especially Nutella brownies. Tea party food is awesome!
(What are the three ingredients? Cream cheese, eggs, and melted chocolate bar or chips?)
Oh and also, we’re able to do orchestra this semester. 😀 We’re just doing the one main group this time though. First practice was last night.
@emma-flournoy
Yees XD The Nutella brownies are very easy: three eggs, beaten until frothy; one cup of Nutella, 1/3 cup of sugar, 1/3 cup of flour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt; bake in a loaf pan for about 40 (or however long it’ll take in your oven) and leave to cool completely before slicing. And yes, the cheese cake has eggs, cream cheese, and dark chocolate.
Aw, yay! That’s great. I’m really wanting to join the fiddle group this year, but that’s right after main orchestra, which is right after junior orchestra, and that, plus volunteer stuff I do, I can’t maintain all that every week, so I’m seriously thinking about dropping junior orchestra. But it’s a hard decision.
@perfectfifths
Ahhh, so yum! Simple but amazing recipes are the best. 😀
Ooh, fun! But I see the dilemma. D’you think junior orchestra or the fiddle group would be more beneficial/growing?
@emma-flournoy
Yeah, especially when your mum looks at you while watching TV after dinner at like 8pm and says “Can we make Nutella brownies?” XD
Well, that’s a good question. XD I’ve been in the junior orchestra almost as long as I’ve been playing violin. And it has helped me in playing in a group setting and about reading music and such. And it’s for young people just learning and older people coming back to their instruments (or even just learning themselves), so I am by no means the youngest or the oldest.
But the last couple weeks last term, the conductor has started bringing in the younger kiddies from the little kid group Twinkle Stars. So we’ve been playing simpler music (which isn’t a problem at all, it’s still good music). However she’s also been asking me and and the first chair to help them with following their music instead of playing (which is fine, but I go there to play, mostly XD). And she is continuing having them make that transition, which I think is great for them. But that means junior orchestra is going a bit backwards for me in difficulty and such.
I still learn a lot in the main orchestra, and I enjoy it a lot, so I’m continuing with that one. The fiddle group is a completely different kind of setting in that there’s no conductor (often the conductor doesn’t even stay the whole time), but everyone kind of takes turns leading and playing an intro and you can choose to play melody or the easier harmony and things like that. It’s just a very different experience from the other two and I really enjoy it.
That got long. XD But with all the other things I do on a Monday (Mondays are so busy!), Mum and I were trying to cut down how many hours I’m doing things, so we did decide I should drop the junior orchestra in the end. I’d been thinking about it for a while anyway, knowing that if I did the fiddlers, I’d have to, because it was too long an evening, and I figured the start of term (we go back at the beginning of Feb) would be a good time to do it.
@perfectfifths
Heheh. XD
Well that all makes sense. I’m glad you get to do the fiddle group! It almost sounds too fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants for me. XD I’m not great at improvising with anything, unless I’ve had time to plan it beforehand. XD Do they use sheet music though? That might be a little less scary.
Ha, it’s funny that yours is Mondays too! Ours are, and we have some friends who do an orchestra and their day is Monday too. Wonder what’s with that? Yeah, your Mondays sound even busier than ours! I’m glad things turned out in a way that works. Hopefully the little group isn’t too heartbroken to lose you. ;P
And HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! (Because I think this should be your 19th? XD It’s our 18th.)
@emma-flournoy
It’s not too bad, I think it’s just that I’m joining after a while, and some of the regulars have already established their “routine” so to speak and know what they’re doing more. 😉 But yes, we have fiddle music books. I own two of them, but I also borrowed the conductor’s and been practising during the holidays, so hopefully I’ll be able to keep up (especially when they play a song several times, faster and faster! 😀 ). Plus I’ll buy some of the books for myself too.
Interesting! Maybe it’s because Monday and Music both start with M. XD Most people dislike Mondays, but I love ’em, ‘cuz orchestra. 😀 Mum hasn’t sent the email to the conductor yet, so I dunno what she’ll think. DX
You got it! Thank you! 😀
@perfectfifths
*nodnod* Makes sense. Hope ya have fun. 😉
Heh, right. XD Yeah, most people have the beginning of their next work week to look forward to on Mondays, not orchestra. 😛
😀 Was it fun?
@emma-flournoy So sorry (again), I didn’t see this (again)! XD
I have my first gig with the Fiddlers on Saturday, and I’m sooooooo excited! We had a rehearsal on Monday, even though orchestra hasn’t started yet officially (that’ll be next Monday, so yay!). 😀
Yeah. Too bad for them. 😛
It was! My grandparents came over that afternoon and we played card games. And we made this amazing chocolate cake! 🙂
So… A friend of ours from church is wanting to learn violin (and so are two of her children, possibly). She’s actually borrowing my old one while the one they own is getting fixed, and I gave her a bit of a first lesson (how to hold the violin and the bow, how to put the shoulder rest on, some basic scales, that sort of thing), but I’m also considering actually teaching her (like for a fee and everything). So that’s pretty exciting. She has the passion and the musical-ness and she knows some theory and how to read music from learning piano as a child, so I think I’d just be teaching how to play the violin. Anyways, Mum has told me to pray about it, and if I did offer, I’d have to find the time in our week to do it (that won’t be easy), but I am considering it. 😀
@perfectfifths
You’re fine. XD XD
Sweeeet! So that was yesterday for you, right? Was it funnn?
Quite. XD
Awesome! 😀
Hey, that’s neat! Would you feel odd, teaching someone much older than you? I don’t know if I would or not… I think it’d depend on the personality. 😛 It’s great that she’s already got the passion and musical-ness, ’cause I bet that’ll help a lot. That’s exciting! 😀
@emma-flournoy XD
Yep. It was! But I was sooo tired for the rest of the evening. XD
😀
Not with her, I wouldn’t. She was literally jumping up and down with excitement when I gave her a taste of it, and when I told her yesterday I’d like to teach her, she was so excited. 😀 She asks good questions and has been very insightful just from that one bit I showed her (she asked me if she should move her left elbow to help with reaching on the fingerboard, which is something that my teacher had to tell me to do XD). I find it easier to teach adults than kids anyway (I was also showing her kids and they were rather easily distracted and distracting XD).
So, have you got any performances planned? It’s a bit early in the year, but I already know of at least three for us that are planned later this year. XD