In Memory: Neil Landsberg

On a sad note, I lost one of my beloved students recently. Neil Landsberg decided to take up the violin about one year ago. Lessons with Neil were always full of jokes and laughter, and he had a real enthusiasm for learning. I learned a lot from Neil, including how to be a more humble, compassionate, generous, and kind person. He touched the lives of so many, including my own. I don't think what I've described here is even close to adequate, but the world has lost a really special person. If you have a moment, this article in Time features Neil, and is an important read.

A Busy Spring

It's been a very packed spring here at the violin studio! Some of the highlights included my very first Adult Student Music Hour for my more mature students. Three of my adult students and their spouses came over to the house for a small get-together. Each student performed a solo while I accompanied on piano.  It was a lovely afternoon and a more relaxed way for my adult students to get a taste of performing (and all the excitement and jitters that come with it)! My band, The Beanstalk Library has wrapped up the recording of our newest album, The View From Here. It will be available for purchase in a couple of weeks. We played a show at the very cozy and intimate Galaxy Hut on Memorial Day to celebrate the completion of the record. Here's a pic from that show:

TBL Galaxy Hut

 

Studio Class!

Violin Quartet

This weekend, I hosted a small studio class for some of my younger students. We worked on playing a couple of tunes as a violin quartet, which each student playing his or her very own harmony or melody line.  Next, each of the students performed a short piece for the others and the listening students practiced giving positive feedback to the performers. it was an excellent way for them to prepare for the upcoming recital. The kids had a great time listening to each other play and learning to play in a small ensemble. It was a blast,  and I can't wait to schedule the next group lesson!

Kate on Violin I!

Tuning Your Violin

It's a daunting task. [Insert sigh of frustration here.] At this chilly time of year, especially with our constantly changing weather in the DC area, violins and violas have a tough time staying in tune.  For the inexperienced player or parent of a string player, you run the risk of breaking a string when you tune the instrument. This site provides tuning pitches for each of your strings. If you can use your fine tuners to get the strings in tune, use them. If the string is so far out of tune that you must use the pegs to tighten them, proceed with caution. Starting with the A string, pluck or bow to hear its pitch and compare it to the tuning pitch on this website. Chances are, you will need to tighten the peg. The strings are wrapped snugly around each peg so they don't typically tighten on their own -- they're more likely to slip out of tune. Gently turn the peg - gently! While you do so, push the peg into the peg hole a little bit to help it stay in place. Listen to the tuning pitch, pluck the string, and turn the peg again if necessary.

I could write pages on the tuning process, and this is just a start. If you're unsure of how to tune, ask your teacher. It takes years of practice to become proficient at tuning your instrument, so be patient!

Welcome, 2013!

What a fun December! It was filled with tons of fun performances. My students all did a wonderful job at my studio Holiday Violin & Viola Recital. It was a festive occasion with lots of carols and other fun tunes, and was a great learning experience for the kids. Everyone played their pieces by heart while I accompanied them on piano. Below is a post-recital photo of me with one of my very littlest students!

2012 Holiday Recital

The Cherry Blossom String Quartet was honored to be a part of some very beautiful holiday weddings, including a gorgeous wedding on New Year's Eve at Memorial Baptist Church in Arlington, VA. And later that evening, I capped off 2012 with a super-fun New Year's Eve show with The Beanstalk Library at a very packed, very sold-out IOTA Club & Cafe in Arlington, VA.

What's in store for 2013? Stay tuned for new events in my teaching studio, as well as new musical collaborations and performances. Onward!

Deck the Halls!

I'm in the midst of a music-filled December. My quartet, the Cherry Blossom String Quartet has had a banner year, and we are finishing it off with our busiest holiday season ever! All kinds of lovely company holiday parties and beautiful holiday weddings are on the horizon for CBSQ. Check us out at our annual performance at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Alexandria, VA for their Lessons & Carols Service on December 16, and their Midnight Mass on December 24. In the teaching studio, I have been helping many of my students prepare for my first-ever Holiday Recital next weekend. Twenty-five students ranging in age from 6 to 15 will perform a mix of Christmas tunes and classical pieces. Judging from what I've been hearing in their lessons this past week, parents are in store for some lovely performances!

To round what has been an amazing year for me, I'll again join The Beanstalk Library at their 3rd Annual New Year's Eve Throwdown on December 31, 2012 at IOTA Club & Cafe in Arlington, VA. Sweetening the bill will be bands Ugly Purple Sweater and Alex Vans & The Hide Away. This is guaranteed to be a great night. Tickets are on sale now at IOTA for $18.00.

Lesson Slots: Get'em While They're Hot!

Hope everyone has had a wonderful summer! As Summer 2012 comes to a close and the temperatures are becoming (ever-so-slightly!) cooler, parents are looking ahead to get their kids back into lessons for the fall. Now is the time sign your son or daughter up for music lessons! This is a very busy time of year for private music teachers. Continuing students return from vacation ready to resume lessons and prepare for the upcoming school year.  Brand-spanking-new students, eager to have a head-start on their school strings program, are also signing on for lessons. I currently have just a couple of spaces available for new violin and viola students, so if you are considering it, please do email me asap! A few performances coming up:

Welcome to Summer!

Ah, summer. One of my favorite things about working with kids is being a part of all of the adventure of each school year.  For most kids, the first day of summer is the highlight of that year! Over here at my violin studio, we kicked it off with a end-of the year recital last weekend.  All of my students were excited and nervous to perform... and I think a little relieved when it  was all over. I'm excited to continue working with them over the summer in between all the camps and fun vacations! On the performance front, I'll have a couple shows coming up this week. On Wednesday, June 20, I'll perform with The Beanstalk Library at The Evening Star Cafe as part of the Del Ray Music Festival. Can't wait!

 

The Hills Are Alive...

The hills of Alexandria, that is. With the sounds of sweet violin music. Lots and lots of performances lately! My piano trio recital on March 25 with friends C.J. Capen (pianist) and Emily Greget (cello) was well-received and well-attended. It was a very satisfying performance to cap off many months of rehearsal! The Last Monarchs had the pleasure of performing 4 shows during the month of March, including the one below at the Rock n Roll Hotel, opening for Aunt Martha.

I also had a great time sitting in on violin with my friends The Beanstalk Library at the Black Cat on April 4.  D.C. Music Download featured TBL in a nice little review of that show.

So what's next? I'll be performing with The Maret School's pit orchestra next week for their production of "Legally Blonde" on April 19-21. I've been working with the amazing musicians in the country/folk/jazz/bluegrass group East of Monroe, and we will be scheduling a show very soon. And The Last Monarchs will return to the Velvet Lounge on Friday May 4!

On the classical front, my quartet, the Cherry Blossom String Quartet is keeping busy with many weddings on the horizon for spring, as well as an exciting re-design of our quartet website!

New Shows coming up!

Exciting news: I'll be appearing onstage in the following performances! 1.) Saturday, March 3, 2012, 10:00 pm

IOTA Club and Music Cafe

Guesting on 2 songs with The Beanstalk Library, Arlington, VA

2) Tuesday, March 13, 2012, 9:00 pm

IOTA Club and Music Cafe, Arlington, VA

Violin and backup vocals with The Last Monarchs

3) Sunday, March 25, 2012, 7:00 pm

St. John Neumann Catholic Church, Reston, VA

Chamber recital: Mendelssohn Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor & Brahms Piano Trio in B major, Op. 8

 

Hope to see you there!

Student Recital: Mission Accomplished!

This past weekend, I held my Winter Recital at the Sanctuary at Convergence for 20 of my young students. It was a wonderful opportunity to have them show off to their friends and family all that they had learned in their lessons. Each student performed one or two solos (by memory) while I accompanied them on the piano. At the end of the recital, I even performed a movement of the Mendelssohn Piano Trio I've been working on with my friends CJ (piano) and Emily (cello) - this time with me on violin of course. :) I believe that it is so important that students become comfortable with performing -it's certainly one of those things that becomes easier with practice. Sure, there were lots of  butterflies and shaky knees on Saturday, but the sense of accomplishment after a performance well-done surely outweighs the nervousness beforehand.

Looking forward to the Spring Recital!

Take a Bow

Last fall, I offered some advice for parents and students on where to get a quality student-level violin. But in addition to the violin, one must consider the other "half" of the instrument: the bow. Most folks would argue that a good sounding violin is more important than a quality bow, and I would agree, but only to a certain point. That is, once a student reaches a certain playing level, say after a year or two of solid work on the violin, he or she will really notice that their bow might be holding him back. As a student learns new types of bow strokes and attempts to do various nuanced things with their sound, a junky bow can really get in the way. The fiberglass (read: junky) bows that come with today's rental instruments can feel like you are trying to play the violin with a wooden club: they feel heavy, unwielding, and dead in your bow hand. Richard Ward offers a nice summary of the various types of violin bows and what to look for when upgrading your bow.

Students with a bit of experience will really notice the improved sound of an upgraded bow. A new bow, if one is not ready for a new fiddle, would be a great way to start off the new school year. Again, you can try any of the local violin shops mentioned in previous posts (Brobst or Potters), or Shar offers trial periods on bows as well.

...dear old golden rule days

That's right...school days are right around the corner. It's time for violin students across the area to return from their practicing sabbaticals and crack open their cases again. This is a busy time of year for music teachers and music stores such as Alexandria Music Company, Foxes Music and Brobst Violin Shop, as families flock to rent instruments and sign up for lessons. If you or your child are planning on learning an instrument this fall, I highly recommend signing up for some private lessons. (And not just because I'm a music teacher!) Individual lessons offer a source of motivation, inspiration, and challenge, particularly for students who are just starting out on their musical journey. Contact me for more information!