Nanny Music #33 – what’s in your mind

Tags

Arts, Education, Muscle memory, Music, Shopping, Suzuki, Suzuki method, Teacher

Recently I read an article talking about practicing on instruments, some professor said if you practice with absent mind, the longer you practice the more imprint of the mistakes in your brain, and that makes improvement impossible. No doubt. I know this right from the start and I never asked my children practice a certain amount of time. I just told them to practice the part they can’t manage yet then a few more times to ensure the right way and bring into their muscle memory. if they could practice 5 to 10 times a day, I am happy. I also told them to think of the music and play in their mind when they are in the car and can’t physically play on the instruments. Seems i am with the experts all along.

My children both play fiddle good but they have different styles even learn from same teachers. They heard different things from the same song. When my daughter thinking about long stroke bowing my son is thinking legato in the same phrase of melody. The main thing is they all HEARD the music and they are not just play notes. They play fiddle with passion and expression because they play like that in their mind before they apply it on the instrument.

Practice is to make it better, if you just remember the notes and don’t have the music ringing in your mind, you are just a robot do what you told. Anyone can play notes. soon or later. But the musicians can hear how their music touch the audience before they play. i felt annoyed when a teacher or parent told the kids to wave around when they perform, it is awkward and make them look like clowns. my daughter’s teacher said, just relax and let the music drive your body moving so the audience can feel your enthusiasm. Yes, close your eyes and your music is dancing with you. There is another pianist said when you reach the highest level your body will move less because you are playing through your heart not through your body. I think he is talking about the impulse. Why not teach the kids play from their heart from the very beginning. I heard people applause kids play with squeaky sounds because they thought they are too small to make it sound good. No, they are wrong. Suzuki method teaches kids distinguish the tiny difference between sand and beans sound like in a jar while shaking it. Even a 4 years old can recognize beautiful sounding. All they need is to use the right technique and experiment it when they play instruments.

Feel the music is the best way to practice, when you play beautifully in your mind. Your brain will teach your fingers to play like that. I don’t think my kids ever play squeaky notes even when they were 4 and play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. They are not prodigies, they just really hear and feel the music. a 10 minutes practice in your mind is better than 5 hours sawing on the instruments.

http://www.facebook.com/fiddlinfrenzy.com

http://www.fiddlinfrenzy.com

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Nanny Music #31-Recycle orchestra and music teachers

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Arts, Asia, Education, lesson, Music, Music education, Music lesson, Teacher

One of Dryden, Ontario’s Landfill’s. This one is located in Barclay. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Because of our own financial problem, I encourage my children to help other kids when they can. since they start to perform at very young age, they have being the volunteer entertainers of Child Run,an annual fundraising event for BC Children Hospital. Now they established a charity program to teach kids from low-income family for free. We always know how hard it is to pay for music lessons and buy instruments as we experienced it ourselves.

Just saw a trail of a documentary film called Landfill Harmonic, a couple of music professors and a luthier is help the poorest kids who live in a landfill city make instruments from trash and teach them to play. They took those amazing sounding young musicians on tour in Europe with their instruments made from garbage. One of the orchestra kids’ father said they make a living by resell the trash, surviving day by day. They don’t have money to buy any instrument or pay music lesson. And his daughter said she can’t live without music. I cried when I heard the outstanding music they played. My guitar teacher who is the best in Asia want to teach me for free too when I was young. I asked him why, he said, because you really want to learn. Unfortunately I couldn’t continue the lessons because of some family issue.

a few days ago a music teacher send me an article written by a music parent who is an economist talking about why music teacher should charge the missing lesson without give out make up lesson. He compare music lesson with swimming lesson, he said, you can’t ask for make up lesson for swimming or university class so you shouldn’t ask make-up music lesson if your kid is sick. he forget one thing swimming lessons and university classes are group lessons if you missed one you can ask your friend, or the instructor to give you a tip or assignment within short time. But music lessons are set for individual, private lessons. Music skill take time to progress and very detail learning in person there is nothing a friend or assignment can catch it up like a make-up lesson will do. Plus in a group lesson the instructor already spend his time with other students, of course it’s not fair for him to spend extra time with single student. But for private music lesson, the teacher won’t need to do anything if the student is not there, so make-up lesson is just move the same amount of time he spend on teaching to different spot. He doesn’t lose anything.

what a contrast, the music professors teaching for free to change lives, and a rich parent want the teacher enjoy his free time when his kid missed a lesson. My family struggle financially, even my kids have some talent and they need a good teacher I can’t afford to pay a lesson not taught. I think the professor in the movie know that and he won’t ask for money from the landfill orchestra. Music teachers need the tuition for living, but get paid even their student is sick or can’t make it to the lesson, umm. I know I want my children to be the music teachers who give to make a change.

Nanny Music #30 – I want that gold

Tags

aladdin, Arts, Bowed Strings, Cello, competition, Jasmine, Lia, Music, Stringed, Violin

Even I just tell her to do her best, this was what Lia told me before the classical violin competition. Turn out she got two gold medals, a bursary and one trophy proves she is the best in the division and the other one to show she had the best quality of performance in the whole competition. And she got invited to the Honours Concert and a chance to compete in the provincial competition. It all start with a ridiculous competition which let cellist compete with violinist judged by an adjudicator knows nothing about cello. No matter how good the cellist is the violin music always sounds harder and more appealing. Lia played cello that time and lost to a violin player who seems not handle the music piece well. She didn’t gave up, and determine to do better in violin competition after that.

The mind power drive her to reach far, not only winning. When she played you can see how the determination pull her whole strength and concentration into the music. You can also see her close her eyes to put her whole mind in the beautiful world of music.

Same mind power get her the first trumpet position in school honor band and the academic honor roll and lead actress in biennial musical play. The perfection she try to reach is much more meaningful to her than all the honors she got. after she got all A’s on the report card she still work very hard on the test. I asked, don’t you get an A on that subject already. She replied,”I want to be better.” Yes, her thirst for perfection is always pushing her forward.

Nanny Music #26 – learn to be a leader

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Arts, conductor, Fiddle, Jam session, Kai, leader, Lia, Music, practice fiddle club, Sight reading, Stringed, Teacher, teaching leader, Violin

Kai joined one of the fiddle club practice without Lia, the club president asked him to lead some tunes. Count in, arrange the pick up, show other member how to play when they are not familiar with the arrangement. Even play harmony for most of the tunes. And there is a moment let my heart skipped a little. She asked Kai to record a tune so others can take it home and learn. The song is not very hard but Kai never heard it before, all he have is the sheet music he get a few minutes before the request. He played perfectly with vibrato just by sight-reading right after the request, the recording is once through. And when he plays harmony by request he make it up on spot too. Hmm, the only other fiddlers who done it before are either teachers or being play like mature player for a long time. Kai is only 14. And no, he is not genius, he learned how to do it from jam session in the fiddle camp, his fiddle buddies.

Sometime, experience come from trying, like Kai learned composition from the camp workshop, and figure things out when he have brain storm jamming with friends., even just doodling around. And you will never know when or where any request will pop out. Like in the club, he need to be a teacher, leader and conductor or composer. I am happy he took the challenge with an ease and enjoyed it too. The main hing is that he is ready, and all the effort worth it.

Nanny Music #22-count your blessing, and pay forward

Tags

Arts, Education, Educators, Facebook, K through 12, Student, Taiwan, Teacher

Here is a comment I posted to a fiddle group in Facebook while people discussing about musicians charging for teaching.

–I never asked music teachers to teach for free, matter of fact i hate some of those event organizers don’t pay my children because they are younger, even they are performing in a professional level as all adults. But some teacher offer cheaper or free lessons because they admired the desire of learning, like my guitar teacher, I had offer to pay many times, he just said if you pay I won’t teach you. He do charge fair amount to teach in college and performance and still the best teacher in Taiwan. We have to respect those masters. On the other hand there are musicians count every minute they teach even charge extra for a emergency earlier leaving because they are short of money. The main thing is not how much you charge, but how you treat your students. My son is teaching fiddle now, he don’t charge much but according to the student’s guardian he is a great teacher, patient, connect with the kid, really bring the kid’s attention to the music, is that all what we expect from the teacher, a great mentor.—

Truly, everyday we are learning from someone, paying or not. Are you appreciated what you get from people? Are you going to pass it on and give the blessing to others? At the end of the year this is what we all need to think about.

Nanny Music # 19 – Believe in yourself

Tags

Arts, Fiddle, grand master competition, Lia, Music, National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest, Stringed, Violin

There are times judges in the contest don’t like Kai and Lia music style, or give other young fiddler more points because of her smile. But when they join the contest that has best fiddlers from the whole country and best judges who are in the hall of fame. you know it’s the real test. This summer they went through one of this kind of fiddle contest. Kai was the youngest in his category and there are some fiddlers in the same group who are almost winning every contest and were invited to compete in Canadian Grand Master Fiddle Competition. We were not keeping any extra hope or giving up, just wish him do his best. After a year of practice and analyzed the songs, there is not much they can do in a couple of nights except listen to the original recording one more time and double check every equipments. The result, both Kai and Lia won first in all categories they joined.
Despite how good they played, we found that because they were not nervous and able to perform at their best. They were not over pride of themselves, nor intimidated by the other fiddlers. And there you go, they proved what they really can do. Never take one lost too serious is the key to get them going. And always review after contests give them content to improve. Nothing is impossible.

Nanny Music # 17 – the kid’s view

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Arts, Cello, Education, Educators, K through 12, Lia, Star War, Star Wars, Teacher, United States, Violin

When we drive by piles of logs, Lia show her sympathy, “poor dead trees” I reminded her, “Your violin and cello are made of dead trees.” She replied, “That’s different, my instruments can be used many times. Making papers is waste.” “So we need to recycle them.”

Her cello teacher usually good at teaching kids in kids words, he would pretend using the sword from Star Wars ‘zoom, zoom’ cutting the thumb stick out the cello neck so she won’t choke the cello. Or tell her don’t ruin Mrs. Smith’s garden when she put her bow too close to the finger board. Her violin teacher would tell her and Kai, it’s just like the Canucks always go to the gym when they don’t have games, practice scales is violinists’ work out.

Doesn’t matter how good the teachers can play or teach, if they talk in the kid’s language, the youngster usually accept better and show more interest what they are learning. That usually the way we choose their teacher. They might not have most famous teachers. But a teacher fit their taste and able to fix their problems in a kid friendly way is the best for them. And we are lucky to find some around.

Nanny Music #16- double blast

Tags

Art, Arts, Au pair, Cello, Childcare, Daniel Lapp, Family, Fiddle, Lia, Music, Nanny, Stringed, Violin

Image via Wikipedia

Lia‘s teacher email us an exciting email said, “Lia is really starting to blossom on the cello! She looks like a little pro, which means she is starting to sound like a little pro.” And there is a famous fiddler Daniel Lapp comment on her score sheet in a fiddle contest with one word, ‘Wow!’ Sometime people think she should concentrate learning one instrument, but why? If she can handle both violin and cello and do both in the pro level, why not continue both. quit anyone will be a lost for her. There is time we need to be forced to make choice but do you really want to if you don’t need to?

Even violin and cello are quite different in playing method, the two instruments have some similarities. And Lia is not just manage the differences well, she is also able to take advantage from each instrument to make both sound better. While playing cello make her fingers stronger to play on violin, the lilt style she got from fiddling make her cello playing really stand out. So have double skills isn’t a bad thing, is it?

Nanny Music #14- An Everyday Thing

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Arts, Bowed Strings, Canada, Fiddle, Lia, Music, Nanny, Stringed

Here is what they do before bed. While try to learn a song from Calvin Vollrath (Olympic composer, Canadian fiddle master) video, arguing who got the right notes and who plays the right style, and Kai added:” I am so see Jane jams this with us.” The other day when i asked Kai to practice violin, he replied, ” I want to play Calvin’s tunes.” There is many other days, you would hear Kai or Lia called from the room they practice very excitedly, ” Hear this, I made a new song.” Wherever they saw an instrument they want to try it, no matter it’s in the store or at the green room or even in front of the festival crowd. You will hear Lia plays some classical pieces randomly when she is taking a break between the performance sets, you will see Kai banging on a guitar from friend’s house, or watch them singing in harmony during a car ride even they never get training of it. So how to keep them going? It’s an everyday thing, would be my answer.

Nanny Music #12 – musicians and fans

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Arts, Arts and Entertainment, Bands and Artists, bluegrass, celtic, country, Festival, Fiddle, Jackson Five, Lia, Michael Jackson, Music, Musical ensemble, Musician, Vancouver

Image via Wikipedia

Happy to know there are some people come to the festivals every year at certain time to just see Fiddlin’ Frenzy perform and others bought their second CD simply because they like the first one. These royal fans witness their growing and improving. Once they heard the band plays, they start loving their music and offer endless support.

On the other hand, We are also thrilled the Vancouver Celtic Festival and other venues listed Kai and Lia as musicians not family band. This recognition of their music achievement also show on the newspapers. I never understand why there is such category as family band, does it mean a lower standard of their skills? Musician is musician, if your performance is good enough to stand on the big stage, you are musicians. I remember after Michael Jackson passed away, some talk show bring out a history about him when he still with the Jackson Five, he create songs and insist do everything professionally. Even he was the youngest one in the band, he is definitely a leader. Family or not, it’s the music that matters. Kai and Lia don’t have parents back them up, from create songs, making the set list and the choreography for the shows they do them all by themselves, they deserve to be call musicians.