And so. The thing that has happened.

Peggy II: the Resurrection

Inspired by some of the music related posts on my aunt's blog (she's a Suzuki violin teacher and mother to some astonishly hard working violinists/violists/pianists), I got out my violin this afternoon, intending to burnish off a wee bit of the rust that has developed on my former repertoire. Almost immediately thereafter I made a startling discovery: I apparently left all my violin music in Ontario. The sad reality that it has taken me 1.25 years to discover this is indicative of the fact that I feel uncomfortable playing my violin 1)in a far-from-soundproof apartment and 2)in the presence of a hater of classical music. One of these difficulties having been dispensed with at a conference in Washington, my usual reluctance was overpowered by the need to play again.

I decided to go ahead, despite being severely disappointed at having no music whatsoever. I last had a lesson in June 2001, and have spent probably no more than 4 hours playing Suzuki repertoire in as many years, though I have certainly kept up with my Largely Musically Bereft Contemporary Worship Music repertoire. In 2001 I was a jumped-up Suzuki Book 4, musical, expressive, and good at improvisation, but seriously lacking in technique and a good practice ethic. Jane gave me songs from books 5, 6, and 7 during my last year, cherrypicking exciting ones that played to my strengths, rather than trying to get me to develop a lot of new technique, knowing that I would be going to university and definitely not able to afford lessons any more. Since then I have played almost exclusively in various church/religious functions, and naturally what technique I did have has gone right down the toilet.

And yet! When I started playing, I remembered songs I didn't know I knew anymore! Like Witches Dance, which is a really fun, fast little piece from book...2, I think? The Bach Minuets 1-3, including the minor part from Book 3. I may sound pretty crappy on the difficult parts of the Vivaldi Concerto in A Minor (1st mvmt), but I can still get a nice tone on the opening and closing bars, and remember just about all the positions and fingering. Gossec Gavotte, the third Seitz, part of Meditation from Thais (not Suzuki, and probably not recognizable as I play it now, but still...), Dvorak's Humoresque, which was always one of my favourites because I got to exaggerate CRAZILY in a way that I doubt Dvorak intended, The Happy Farmer.

Now my wrist hurts, which suggests that at least I was trying to correct my left arm position, even if I was doing it wrongly.

This is maybe one reason that I would want to become a homeowner rather than renting for the rest of my life.

posted by annika fox @ 4:17 p.m.