Nanny Music #32 – What do you do

Tags

Classical music, Compact Disc, Fiddle, Lia, Music, Music education, Teacher, Violin

After the kids won the talent show, someone approach to me and asked who is their teacher. He assumed I will say the names well-known locally. Well, one of their teacher, Calvin Dyck, teaches Lia classical music is a famous musician who owned a doctor degree. But that’s not the reason I chose him for the lessons. He has a very powerful colorful style and uses a fun method to teach. And he loves fiddle music. I was amazed by the detail and expression he brought into music and surely he made a big change to the kids performance. I understands why others always want to know who is the kids’ teacher, most parents want the best for their children and if they can get the same teacher as my kids, they will give their children a jump-start.

My children might be lucky to have different teacher to help them through different stages. Their second classical teacher force them to read music instead of copy him. He also took out the tape on their violin from the previous teacher to train them get in tone by ears and it really open another chapter. Their third teacher speed up their path by introduce fun pieces. And their last teacher is like a martial art master bring them into power and style which are not on the paper. When they were 8 and 9, fiddle master Calvin Vollrath took them in his own class in the fiddle camp, a pioneer step no one else dare to do. he gave them a chance to learn in professional level at very young age.

Yes those good teachers make significant changes. Buy when my son start to teach as charity, Dr Dyck told him, he can’t just teach anyone, but only the one who want to learn. I found out later it is true. But not just about the kid but also the parents. Kai has a couple brilliant students who learn fast. We helped them get a donated violin and drove Kai to their place to teach for free. We suggested them to join the local fiddle club to get in camp free. When all sounded good, their parents kept cancelling lessons because they are busy and they never show up in the camp or club. Why they were asking help and not cooperate with the teacher?

I also heard a friend said her son got MVP but she can’t let him be in the baseball game that summer because they HAVE TO go to their share-time cabin for vacation. What? Anything special happened to my kids maybe the only chance to make a change to their life, what are those parents thinking?

It bothers me when I see kids stand like statures in a fiddle group while others perform because they only know a few songs. The first time my children join the local fiddle club they are just beginners in playing violin. I didn’t let them sit there to watch other’s play. I told them picking up their little violins and follow others’ fingers. in a half year they are winning in contest, getting paid gigs and even recorded with the club in the CD. Do you dare to let your kids try?

To find a good teacher is important but more important is your input for your children. When you complain your kids don’t practice enough, please play some music to let them fall in love with it. When you envy with other kids play better, maybe work with the music teacher a little close, not just drop the kids off for lessons and take off. My daughter heard a Beethoven piece played in the movie, she said it’s so beautiful, I want to play it. So I searched all night on-line to find the sheet music. Do you ever do that? When you kids want to play something harder than the level they are learning, do you encourage them or say you can’t do it? Do you ever let your kids holding a pretend violin to mimic the musician? Do you play music for your kids since they still in the womb? So don’t blame the kids or teacher, check how much did you do.

 

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

Tags

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 #21-Just Do It

Tags

camp, chance, classical, donation, Fiddle, Music, vibrato, Violin

Lia enjoys to play violin

Here is what Lia’s new classical violin teacher comment on her playing when she’s 12. Lia has a beautiful vibrato. Many would give their right arm for such vibrato. No one knows actually she learn how to do vibrato in a little workshop at fiddle camp the summer when she turn 6. Back then, her classical teacher refused to teach little kids vibrato, even other kids in same level already try it out. One of the violin teacher told me, it will take years to develop the skill. I believes what Mr Suzuki said, everyone can learn music and it’s never too young to start. So when I saw the worksop on the list of the program I encourage her to join. All I hope is she could grasp a slim concept of the technique.There was a lady walked toward me excitedly after the workshop and told me in disbelieve, “She got it. She is only 6 and she got it.” Over these years, her technique developed nicely. And her new teachers were willing to help her to polish it at younger age. But without that specific workshop, she won’t have the chance to learn it early and has the longer time to polish. So When you have the chance grab it

P. S. Please help us. http://www.gofundme.com/9meds our violins have cracks but they are not worth to fix. Please help us get a couple better violins. Spread the words to get sponsors for us

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 #18 – different approach

Tags

Cello, Fiddle, Russia, Violin

Changing the kids violin teacher again because Lia really want to play violin in the orchestra but not just cello, and we think they need a little boost by the recitals, camp, exam and the bigger environment with their peers. Since their first violin teacher retired, this is the third time we are looking for a violin teacher. According to the teacher to be, they are well-trained, so we are not looking for a “better”‘ teacher. Besides, Lia is with the same cello teacher since the beginning. So why?

The second violin teacher they have is from Russia, he is a nice and experienced teacher with super playing skill. During the years with him, Kai and Lia got very solid foundation but lost interest and slow down the progress because of his strict training style a few years later. He hates fiddlers and think the bad posture some fiddlers have would ruin the kids. We found a local teacher later on who is younger and won’t mind Kai and Lia play fiddle. She get along with the kids and bring them to advanced level, but Kai and Lia lost chance to participate in the recitals because she don’t have many students.  Their learning slow down again because lack of stimulation. And Kai is even thinking of quitting. So here we go again.  In different phrase of learning we found they need different approach, either bring more interest or need more polish on detail or just a little push with recital or competition. A good teacher is not exactly the one with the best reputation but the one fit their learning phrase in the moment. Lia is lucky to have a cello teacher willing and able to bend his teaching to grow with her. All the encouragement when she is younger and long-term personalized planning really pay off. All their violin teachers also help them a step a time in different way. Change or not is not the main point but to keep them going to reach the top need both parents and teachers work together and find what the students really need.

Nanny Music # 17 – the kid’s view

Tags

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 #11- Deeper understanding

Tags

Arts, Bowed Strings, Classical music, Fiddle, Folk music, Music, Stringed, Violin

Ashley MacIsaac‘s fiddling gave me a vivid image of a Scottish hornpipe player dancing with his kilt. And you certainly will shuffle your feet with Andy De Jalis metis bouncing music. Fiddle music can have so many varieties of style. It is not just some simple folk songs like some classical musician think it is. There are classical players think they can play fiddle by just play fast and smooth, for the people in the fiddle world, this is just wrong. The accent, lilt and jiggedy take some knowledge and experience to figure out. And most important, you have to feel it. When you put the accent on the wrong spot, it might still sound amazing to ordinary audience, but sure would get the fiddle lovers plug their ears.  Many music teachers hate to have kids learn fiddle music. In they imagination, all fiddlers have bad posture, never wipe their fiddle and scratch as hell. Well, once a while I saw fiddlers like that, but most good fiddlers know the good posture and care of their fiddle can make the music sounds better. Who won’t like more pleasant sound? One professional violinist commend on our myspace page, she tried to play fiddle and she can’t manage it well and she wish she know fiddle music as early as Kai and Lia. I am sure to normal people she can play the fiddle songs very good, deep down she knew it is not as easy as it sounds. Fiddle Frenzy take their classical and fiddle training equal serious. I hope this crossover experience teach them not to bias on anything before complete understanding.

Nanny Music #10- secret weapon

Tags

Antonio Vivaldi, Arts, Bruce Lee, Cello, Fiddle, Lia, Music, Piano, Sonata, Violin, Vivaldi

Image via Wikipedia

When the piano adjudicator Murray Nichol asked Lia if she like the piece she played because she got the rhythm well, and how amazing she can manage her chords with her little hands. Or the violin master Robert Skelton said, when listened her cello playing, that she has lilt in the allegro of Vivaldi‘s Sonata and how she has flexible wrist on the bow arm to make beautiful sound. I want to tell them badly that those feeling all come from fiddle training. Yes, fiddle music give her the sense of expression, lilt, danceable style, etc. When other music players concentrate the intonation, technique stuff, her music went flying with her feeling. I am not saying the technique stuff is not important, they are essential. But what is the real music, does it come from what you feel in your heart, and not just the notes in the paper? No matter how good a robot has been programed, it is far from to be a good musician. The crazy excitement bursts out from a musician’s brain is what music touches us. Lia’s teacher is right, fiddle is her secret weapon. I would say the cello and piano training also bolder her fiddle playing. It just like Bruce Lee combined and adjusted all the best elements from different martial Arts to be his own style. All she learned help her enriches her music, maybe one day she will narrow down and concentrate on one kind of music or create a new style. I am happy gave her chance to explore.