Next Level Violinist promo

a variety of genres. It’s simply the way the
profession is headed! The uses of these
skills include having fun with friends who
play a little jazz all the way up to making
arrangements for a chamber music gig
- all different ways to make your career
more fulfilling and visible. There are so
many occasions where having knowledge
beyond playing the notes the composer
wrote can be useful. Your imagination
finds the creative space within the markings
on the page - you can still be faithful
to the music and make decisions for how
to execute it.
You can be so much more creative and
interesting as an artist if you free your
imagination with other kinds of activities.
If you can find 10 minutes a day, play
along to your favorite song on the radio,
learn a fiddle tune, write your own
piece (even if you’re too embarrassed
to ever play it for anyone). Find time to
be outside the box, not thinking about
perfect straight bow, intonation, playing
the right notes, every day. That’s just as
important to your daily practice session
as all that Sevcik and trying to master the
Tchaikovsky. I find that these days, some
people are totally on the bandwagon
while others are absolutely not. The world
is shifting and there’s a much greater
percentage of players and teachers who
are open and even encouraging students
to explore beyond the classical and how
that can positively impact your straight
classical playing. There are still some
people to whom that’s a very novel idea.
It’s important to spread the word. ■
SUMMER 2014 NEXT LEVEL VIOLINIST 23