Is your bowing arm tired, shaky, sore, tensed, not doing what it's supposed to? It could be that your bowing arm needs a break. Overuse injuries are nothing to scoff at. At best, they are uncomfortable and make practicing or…
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How Sheltering-in-Place Can Improve Your Musicianship
You’d think the absence of regular music classes and private lessons would constrain developing your musicianship. Instead, many string musicians are finding that sheltering-in-place is helping them progress in unexpected ways.
There’s never been a better time to hone your…
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Muscle Memory: What Is It and Why It's Important for String Musicians
The ultimate goal of a string musician is to perform an exquisite piece without mistakes. Muscle memory is required to let go of obsessing over “where the notes are,” freeing you to focus on telling a story with the music…
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5 Songs to Celebrate Springtime for Viola, Violin, and Cello
Spring is the season known for the return of the sun and the giver of new life. Those themes are especially inspiring after a winter of social distancing and increased shutdowns.
To honor this energetic vibration of spring, we’ve put…
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The 5 Key Roles in an Orchestra That You Never Heard of
When young string musicians envision a future in the orchestra, they most likely think of themselves as professional musicians or the conductor. Yet it takes far more than the players and the conductor to keep a large orchestra together, rehearsing…
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What Makes the Cello So Special?
We don’t feel it is hyperbole to say that string musicians fall in love with their instruments. The physical and energetic resonance between a professional musician and the instrument is both visible and palpable on stage.
And yet, among all…
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2021's Summertime Reads for Music Students
Students deserve to strike a balance of more play than work during their summer break. That's why we've posted articles such as How to Create a Balanced Practice Schedule for Your Child this Summer (which is excellent advice for older…
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2021's Best Summer Classical Music Concerts in the US
Things are finally starting to open up again, which is fantastic news for we string musicians who love to attend live music concerts. And, we have to admit, a silver lining of this past year is that major symphonies worldwide…
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7 Tips for Composing Songs
Are you ready to take your musical interests to the next level with composition? Composers have another level of musical understanding of music that continues to develop with each song they write.
The following tips will help you to compose…
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The Classical Period of Music
The Classical Period of music may have given its name as the popular descriptor for all of Western sophisticated instrumental composition, but its actual timeline is relatively short. All of the other delineated musical eras get at least a full…
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Adult Learning Groups for Violin, Part 2: How to Form Your Own and Get Members
5 Steps for Forming a Learning Group for Adult Violinists
You may be familiar with the adage, “if you build it, they will come.” With a little vision and initiation on your part, you’ll be able to gather two or…
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Adult Learning Groups for Violin: Part 1 - Where to Find Them
Learning to play the violin as an adult string player is more inspiring when you have a group of fellow learners to play along with.
Playing with others not only reinforces the techniques you’re learning via further practice and instruction…
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What are the Characteristics of an Excellent Bow?
String instrument bows, like the instruments themselves, come in a range of different qualities and price points. As a beginner, you are best off renting an instrument and bow from a reputable shop as you determine whether the string musician’s…
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5 Famous Female Film Composers
Film scores are instrumental (pun intended) to creating emotion and feeling in a movie. For example, imagine the iconic Jaws films without the famously haunting “Duh-nuh. Duh-nuh, duh-nuh,” film score riff. It simply wouldn’t be the same.
We consider film…
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7 Amazing Facts About Claude Debussy
Claude Debussy is a famous French composer, well-known for works such as Clair de Lune (Moonlight) and Prélude à l'Après-Midi d'un Faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun). A quick listen to either of those works is an aural…
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Artist Spotlight: Composer Rebecca Clarke
Composer Rebecca Clarke (1886 - 1979) was a trailblazer for proficient female musicians and composers of the Victorian era. Despite living when professional musicianship, particularly the realm of composition, was largely considered the male domain, the UK-native and professional violist…
Read moreGreat Songs on the Violin for Sing-Alongs
T he most successful concerts or performances typically balance two things from the audience: their listening and their active engagement. Playing songs that are easy to dance to, or that audience members can sing along to, is a wonderful way…
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Muscle Memory: What Is It and Why It's Important for String Musicians
The ultimate goal of a string musician is to perform an exquisite piece without mistakes. Muscle memory is required to let go of obsessing over “where the notes are,” freeing you to focus on telling a story with the music…
Read more
5 Tips to Cultivating a Poised On-Stage Presence
If you suffer from stage fright or are reluctant to play in front of others, continuing to develop your courage to perform in public is important if you want a career as a string player.
At some point, in-person symphonic…
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Classroom Tips for Substitute Music Teachers
The daily life of a substitute teacher is ever-changing. Without the rapport of day-to-day interactions with students, you’re bound to be met with a range of experiences, from the well-behaved and delightful to the unruly and challenging.
Here are few…
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