I’m not here to say that everyone should learn to learn to play an instrument.
Some people just want to listen, so if playing isn’t your thing, more power to you.
As my pal Jay used to say about things like this, “That’s why they make more than one kind of breakfast cereal.”
I’m just sayin’ if you want to… you’ve gotta try it!
One of my students, Minni, never had the chance to learn music as a kid. She grew up in Northern Italy where classical music is the big thing.
At age 55 she decided to go for it.
She lives in Cremona, where the violin-as-we-know-it was literally invented a few hundred years ago by Mr. Stradivari and his pals.
Today there’s a skyscraper of a violin sculpture that welcomes you into the city, and you can find luthiers carrying on the tradition in just about every other store-front.
Pizza shop, violin shop, gelato shop, violin shop, farmacia, violin shop.
Children and teens with violin cases on their backs infest the piazza like cockroaches scurrying in every direction.
The heartland!
She bought a decent locally made violin, and called a few teachers.
They didn’t want to take her on.
My theory is that these teachers are more interested in a child who may make a name for them by becoming the next big thing. Or maybe they just don’t know how to teach adults- I admit it is way different.
When she finally found a teacher, he loaded her up with sheet music and etudes. Barely showed her how to hold the bow.
Great!! She found someone who didn’t know how to teach adults, BUT WAS WILLING TO DO IT ANYWAY. YAY!!!
Not yay.
It was frustrating, of course. She easily could have concluded she has no musical talent and deemed the whole project a huge disappointing waste of money and time.
Thankfully she did a YouTube search and found me!
😀
I’m not trying to brag.
I want to show you by Minni’s example that there’s power in seeking and trying different things when one thing isn’t working. I’m also gonna tell you in a minute where she has ended up with violin.
But meanwhile I am pretty dang proud.
She searched a bunch of videos on how to hold the bow and found mine easier to understand than the others she had seen in her native language of Italian.
Anyway that’s how we found each other and the rest is history.
I’ll never forget when she started to make her first truly beautiful sounds on the violin with long steady full resonant bow strokes. I get goose bumps every time one of my students feels that for the first time.
We were smiling at each other, big toothy ones, and she said,
“People are depressed. Because they don’t play the violin.”
I jotted that down in my notebook right when she said it.
I thought it was true. And important. Even if it’s just a metaphor and violin isn’t necessarily your thing.
So I did what every socially responsible truth seeking person would do…
And posted it as a meme on my Instagram!
I believe the ability to play music is one of the basic human functions that we all share. And that our world will change for the better if everyone who wants to play gets to, regardless of age or social background.
Better families.
More understanding and awareness among different cultures.
Less violence.
The way I see it, right now, some of our most creative minds, the ones that are born to make art and solve problems, have had to shut down their playful creative sides due to obligation or social pressure. It’s depressing.
I believe this is the # 1 cause of otherwise nice people slowly turning into ass holes.
(Pardon my French!)
In certain tribes in Africa there is not even a word for musician or dancer. It’s just understood that everyone is included.
“Only relatively recently, five hundred years or so ago, did a distinction arise that cut society in two, forming separate classes of music performers and music listeners.,”
writes Daniel Levitin,
“Throughout most of the world and for most of human history, music making was as natural an activity as breathing and walking, and everyone participated.”
That’s from his book, This is Your Brain on Music.
Civilization has brought about some comfortable perks, like hobbit movies and turtleneck sweaters, but we’ve also put our musicians up on stages at a distance above us.
If you wanna start playing the instrument you’ve always dreamed of to enhance your life and happiness, but have no idea where to start…
Check out this video!
Your assignment for today is…..
Create a comment below, and answer me these 3 questions from today’s class:
My top instrument I’d like to start (or explore more) in 2017 is _________.
The top three pieces or musical vibes I’d like to master are _____________.
I want to play _________________ because _________________________________.
There are a lot of things out of your control in life, but deciding to learn a musical instrument and get good at it, is in your control.
“There is only one reason that you ever fail at anything…and that is because you eventually change your mind. That’s it!…anything and everything you have ever decided to do, you have succeeded, or will succeed, at doing.”
-Victor L. Wooten, The Music Lesson
fiddle on king of the fairies song works well
grate tune fun 2 play
1) Guitar
2) a. Love Story by Taylor Swift, b. Hungarian Dance No. 5, Kiss the Rain by Yiruma
3) The Last Mohican .because Jenny plays it so well.
Nice list Jack! I have heard a really cool version of LotM on guitar. It can totally work.
violin, of course
classical, folk (jigs and square dancing styles), gypsy – lol
violin next, in particular, as it’s portable, great for jams, and it’s been years since I’ve studied music 😀
Hi Joeg, Looks like you and I have some similar taste in music. 🙂
My top instrument Id like to start this year is the guitar (and get more experience on my violin). My top three musical vibes id like to master are rock, mariachi, and pop.
Nice! I learned guitar first and then added violin.
My top instrument I’d like to start (or explore more) in 2017 is _________.
Violin, love the sound and it is quite versatile.
Viola. I am a little deaf and the lower range is more in my hearing range.
Cello, just watch or listen to Apocalyptica!
The top three pieces or musical vibes I’d like to master are _____________.
Speaking in styles:
Gypsy. The soulful sounds ripe me apart.
Irish. “The Victor writes the history, the vanquished the music. You have to pay attention to both.”
Western. Again true western is bluesy and soulful. Listen to Waylon Jennings and you will get it. Remember the “coffee” comment. That is me.
I want to play _________________ because _________________________________
Honestly, I think I answered this above. Let me know if I missed something.
Whoa where did you get that quote about the victor and the vanquished??? Yep, sounds like you like the darker side of things.
Winston Churchill said “The victor writes the history”. I added the second sentence about the music, but it is true. And yes, pay attention to both.
Wow good one!
The violin.
Bach BWV 1006, Orange Blossom, Nuages
Because making music is what makes me happy.
Violin! Classical, Celtic and Gypsy styles. I really enjoy the sound of the violin and it is very portable. Too hard to lug a pipe organ around.
When you buy a violin whats the best way to pick one? Since i have no real experiance on buying one of these. I wouldn’t want to buy something that’s beyond my years or experience. Any suggestions is very welcome.
Be careful when you buy a violin if this is all new to you! I purchased a violin that looked pretty good though I knew it was used by a woman who played in an orchestra (and who my violin teacher was familiar with). The dealer thought it was made in the 30’s so had some charm and a few small signs of character. Bought it from a local dealer who thought it was a good instrument and helped me “to afford it” by taking a cut on his consignment fee. About a year after I made the purchase, I found a tiny crack in the top, almost obscured by the tailpiece. He tried to secure it within and apologized (this is a very reputable man – I am certain he was truthful with me) that he had not seen the crack when he took it on consignment. Soon after the repair, he retired and closed his shop. That was a couple of years ago and I am still playing it, being very careful not to damage it further. Have found a violin shop where the owner has many year experience in violin repair as well as training from reputable places and plan to take it to him this summer. He has looked at it and told me of and showed me interior issues which necessitate taking the top off and replacing some “innards.” That, of course, will be expensive. My choice is to play it as is until it falls apart and then replace it – or have it repaired and hope that it hasn’t lost the qualities that I liked when I bought it. So, my counsel is to have someone who does have experience with violins to look at anything you buy – new or used – and help you through the tedious process of making a decision.
My top instrument I’d like to start (or explore more) in 2017 is guitar (but also harmonica). I’m getting tolerable at it, and it’s really helping with music reading, too. Which will be important for violin/fiddle, I think.
The top three pieces or musical vibes I’d like to master are:
— Irish folk (see Stephen Wake on YouTube)
— Piedmont Blues
— Pachelbel’s Canon, because it’s a great piece of music
I want to play Irish and Blues because they are so full of story and feeling, and really help me to bring that out of myself.
Thanks for the advice
My top instrument to explore more for 2017 is rhythm guitar.
The top 3 tunes to work on this year are:
Elzic’s Farewell
Shikee Shikee Ba Ba
Kashmir
I want to play guitar as a hobby, to unwind in the evenings.
My top instrument I’d like to explore more in 2017 is Violin.
When I was younger I loved the opening of the Angel tv show and started to like me the violin, in that time I didn’t know if this was played on cello or violin but still there were be another pieces from violin that excited the curiosity from a gamer like me as a themes of Zelda or Mario games.
I want to play violin because it is a good way to get chicks haha and another good way of distraction.
Top Instrument: Fiddle.
Top Pieces or Vibes: Game of Thrones theme, Last of the Mohicans, and anything Irish/ Scottish/ Cape Breton.
I want to play because if makes me happy. I also feel smarter and more focused when I try new things.
Top instrument: Acoustic guitar
What vibe? to become a better, more consistent player and to make the guitar work towards the song and the soul of the people (sometimes I play a bit too many notes if you know what I mean).
I want to play more because it’s what makes me happiest and because I want to start having steady gigs this year, playing and singing along with my wife.
My top instrument I’d like to start (or explore more) in 2017 is _____violin____.
The top three pieces or musical vibes I’d like to master are _He’s a Pirate, Theme song from Last of the Mohicans, and My Heart Will Go On_.
I want to play _violin_ because I have this violin that my Mom played in school, it’s German, it had a cracked table, the table was separating from the ribs, and a near destroyed pegbox. I learned how to fix all of that and fixed it. It is only fitting I need to learn to play the instrument so I can tell if my woodworking payed off. Not to mention I’ve fallen in love with the sound of the instrument and need to learn to play music. On top of all that, I was constantly told when I was young, I was tone deaf and could never play an instrument. Well much later in life (now 60) I found out I’m not tone deaf. Which means, there were some people who probably meant well, but really did me no favor with their ignorance. I love music of all kinds, always have, it’s about time I start playing some.
I’m glad you’re back to it! It’s such a shame that anyone told you that, but wonderful that you’re back with your music dream.