Encouragement & Advice for Advancing Amateur Orchestral Musicians
Playing in a community orchestra can be one of the great joys in life
August 2018
How to Start An Adult Chamber-Music Ensemble
If you’re wondering how to get a new chamber ensemble together, there are numerous programs and services that can help get you started.
It’s Never Too Late to Pick Up an Instrument—Here are 5 Tips for Adult Beginners
It takes bravery to start taking music lessons, but according to the mature beginners I interviewed, no one is ever too old.
Developing Structure and Flexibility in Your Bow Hold
Awareness of the bow arm is key to improving tone and technique—and it all begins with the bow hold. Here's how to develop structure and flexibility in your bow hold.
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Joshua Bell’s New Recording with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields Pairs Bruch’s Ever-popular Violin Concerto No. 1 with his Lesser Known ‘Scottish Fantasy’
By Inge Kjemtrup Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 always lands in the top ten of any list of the most popular and frequently performed classical pieces. That’s why it’s a cornerstone of the repertory for concert violinists such as…
String Players & Makers on Their Most Sentimental String-Related Items
When someone asks you about your most prized possession, something immediately comes to mind, right? An autographed Itzhak Perlman record, your favorite stuffed animal, ticket stubs from your first concert—personal treasures often mean the most. We’ve asked players and violin…
Exploring Leonard Bernstein’s Love for Strings
For Leonard Bernstein himself, two string-related works represent his most-cherished accomplishments as conductor and composer, respectively.
On the Benefits of Starting Cello Lessons at Age 63
By Judy Pollard Smith A wave of musical words has washed over me during the past seven years. They are lovely words that swoop like a charm of goldfinches, words that hush and lull, words that turn me inside out. I…
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Violinist Elena Urioste on Her 1706 Alessandro Gagliano
Ask violinist Elena Urioste what’s in her case and she’ll practically unearth a treasure trove. There are various tools that complement Urioste’s busy touring life: a chin-rest tightener, flyers for her Intermission music-and-yoga retreats, a spare bridge (a must ever…
Violinist Cassandra Sotos on Touring India & South Africa with Bollywood Star Arijit Singh
By Cassandra Sotos I have been a full-time professional musician for several years—fortunate to have enough opportunities to keep my head spinning, but still growing both as an artist and as a person. I’ve been blessed to see most of the…
Songwriting Advice from Carrie Rodriguez, Amanda Shires & Carla Kihlstedt
By Patrick Sullivan For some young string players, the first steps into songwriting can feel terrifyingly akin to walking off a cliff. Carrie Rodriguez remembers it well. After the Austin-born singer-songwriter begged her mom for a violin at age five,…
A Well-Made Peg Is a Thing of Beauty, Not Just Function
By James N. McKean There is very little that can be as pleasurable as opening a box from one of my suppliers and taking out a set of finely made pegs and a matching tailpiece. It’s one of those things,…