Congratulations to Anna Victoria for her Suzuki Violin Book 3 Graduation. Anna Victoria is a very dedicated violin student and we’re so proud of her. Congratulations to her mother, Patricia, for helping her with daily home practice. Here she is smiling with her book certificate. Way to go, Anna Victoria!
I’m excited to have all our young violinists learn and play more Fiddle and non-classical repertoire!
I have posted MUSIC, VIDEO & AUDIO PRACTICE RESOURCES here (below).
We will play our Fiddle, Broadway, Movie, and Pop repertoire:
Twinkle Variations and Theme (Yes, we will play them, too) —
Twinkle Rock — Practice Music MP3 Below —
Boil’em Cabbage Down – Easy (Murillo) — Download Sheet Music — Practice Video Below —
Boil’em Cabbage Down – Advanced — Download Sheet Music — Practice Video Below —
Cripple Creek – Easy — Download Sheet Music — Practice Video Below —
Cripple Creek – Intermediate — Download Sheet Music —
Cotton Eyed Joe – Advanced — Download Sheet Music — Practice Video Below —
Red Wing (Fiddle Club) — Download Sheet Music —
The Frost Is All Over — Download Sheet Music —
Liza Jane/Bubble Gum Polka — Download Sheet Music — MP3 Below
The Little Pickle/Highlander’s Jig (Scottish Tunes) — Download Sheet Music — Practice Music MP3 Below —
The Irish Washerwoman — Download Sheet Music — Practice MP3 Below
Saint Anne’s Reel — Download Sheet Music — Practice MP3 Below
John Ryan’s Polka — Download Sheet Music — Practice MP3 Below
Cattle Call — Download Sheet Music —
Cuckoo’s Nest — Download Sheet Music —
Star Spangled Banner — Download Sheet Music —
Star Spangled Banner (High Octave) — Download Sheet Music —
Dayenu — Download Sheet Music — Practice Video Below
Millionaire’s Hoedown — Download Sheet Music —
Star Wars — Download Sheet Music — Goofy Video Below —
Tomorrow (Annie) — Download Sheet Music —
Fiddler On The Roof (Broadway) — Download Sheet Music —
My Heart Will Go On (Titanic) — Download Sheet Music —
At performances, your child can participate by playing whichever tunes are mastered. I will be working with the students on this repertoire over these weeks.
Click here to download Twinkle Rock MP3
Click here to download Boil’em Cabbage Down FiddleBlast! Music Soundtrack MP3
Click Here to Download Music MP3
Click Here to Download Music MP3
Congratulations to everybody who came to our workshop! Frances, Alondra, Ailyn, and Alejandro did a great job performing in the recital. Next time, we will be glad to have others who are prepared perform, as well. Well done!
The problem with review is NOT that students don’t want to do it. It is that it’s difficult to do it consistently throughout the Suzuki repertoire.
“Bucket” Review Technique:
Write all the pieces’ names on separate pieces of paper (or better yet, ping-pong balls), put them in a “bucket”. Everyday, have your violinist draw a few pieces of paper (or ping-pong balls) one at a time, reviewing each one, then, put the ones played in a second bucket.
When you’re through, change buckets and go through them again. When your child learns a new piece, add a new paper or ball with its name to the bucket. You can also include all of the pieces in the current book, and have your child LISTEN to it when it comes in the drawing.
This is the easiest way to “hit” all of the pieces before the “favorites” get played more, letting the others get relegated.
Happy practicing!
Rigo Murillo
This a great example of great phrasing, and that TONE! I like it at this speed. Those who want to “show off” at 1.5X the printed speed can’t come up with the marvelous depth of this interpretation, which needs this tempo and much more. Zukerman gives it all here in this truly beautiful rendition of such a popular concerto.
By Rigo Murillo
General Advise On Choosing a Violin:
Young students’ sizes should be determined by the individual teacher. If you are shopping for a violin for a Suzuki student, my personal recommendation is to ALWAYS check with your teacher before you head out shopping for an instrument. Make sure the dealer will let you take it to the teacher for approval as conditional to continue your commitment to rent or buy. Show the violin to your child’s teacher to check on size and playability. Since violin makers don’t have a “standard” set of fractional sizes, there can be a 1/8 violin that is the same size, or even smaller than a 1/10 of another maker. You want your child to have the most ease of playing and a pleasant learning experience.
For the older student, the best option is to take time visiting the shops personally and try several instruments. The shop owners know it’s a crucial decision for the student and parent to get a good fit. They will let you try several models and price ranges, and usually explain the instrument’s origin, construction, and possible usability. The violins should be easy to play, have a well-round sound (they have different character), pleasant to the ear.
It may take more than one visit to a shop to come up with a satisfactory decision. Though all these shops carry good quality instruments, it will take some shopping around to get the best fit for the student.
Rigo Murillo, Suzuki Strings Specialist
Here is a list of the local violin/string shops in the Dallas/Plano/Richardson area that I personally know to have good quality instruments:
2201 Moseley Road
Cross Roads, TX 76227-8017
(940) 365-2309
SELL: YES (~$400 – $11,00)
RENT: YES ($30-40/Mo.)
This is the place I have been going for the last 9 years to have work on my violins. Stephen Cundall is a master violin maker and also works on repairs. He carries very good, professional-line instruments at reasonable prices. Highly honest and great reputation. Rentals are also available.
1251 S. Sherman St., Suite 105
Richardson, TX 75081
(469) 330-9998
SELL: YES (~$300 – $11,00)
RENT: NO
Jay Rury has been serving the Dallas are for quite some time. They have provided service and instruments for our school’s student families and many of the Dallas Symphony musicians. They now carry an array of good instruments in a wide price range. Very friendly and punctual work.
209A W Main Street
Richardson, TX 75081
(469) 329-1040
SELL: YES (~$300 – $11,00)
RENT: YES (~$20-35/Mo.)
I have have known Rozanne, the owner of the shop for quite some time. She has a variety of student instruments. Several of my young students rent or own instruments from this shop. Rozanne usually has all small-size instruments in stock. They have a renting program, as well.
Aug. 7, 2013 — Listening to music activates large networks in the brain, but different kinds of music are processed differently. A team of researchers from Finland, Denmark and the UK has developed a new method for studying music processing in the brain during a realistic listening situation. Using a combination of brain imaging and computer modeling, they found areas in the auditory, motor, and limbic regions to be activated during free listening to music. They were furthermore able to pinpoint differences in the processing between vocal and instrumental music.
The new method helps us to understand better the complex brain dynamics of brain networks and the processing of lyrics in music. The study was published in the journal NeuroImage.
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the research team, led by Dr. Vinoo Alluri from the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, recorded the brain responses of individuals while they were listening to music from different genres, including pieces by Antonio Vivaldi, Miles Davis, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, The Shadows, Astor Piazzolla, and The Beatles. Following this, they analyzed the musical content of the pieces using sophisticated computer algorithms to extract musical features related to timbre, rhythm and tonality. Using a novel cross-validation method, they subsequently located activated brain areas that were common across the different musical stimuli.
The study revealed that activations in several areas in the brain belonging to the auditory, limbic, and motor regions were activated by all musical pieces. Notable, areas in the medial orbitofrontal region and the anterior cingulate cortex, which are relevant for self-referential appraisal and aesthetic judgments, were found to be activated during the listening. A further interesting finding was that vocal and instrumental music were processed differently. In particular, the presence of lyrics was found to shift the processing of musical features towards the right auditory cortex, which suggests a left-hemispheric dominance in the processing of the lyrics. This result is in line with previous research, but now for the first time observed during continuous listening to music.
“The new method provides a powerful means to predict brain responses to music, speech, and soundscapes across a variety of contexts,” says Dr. Vinoo Alluri.
The above story is based on materials provided by Suomen Akatemia (Academy of Finland), via AlphaGalileo.
Journal Reference: Vinoo Alluri, Petri Toiviainen, Torben E. Lund, Mikkel Wallentin, Peter Vuust, Asoke K. Nandi, Tapani Ristaniemi, Elvira Brattico. From Vivaldi to Beatles and back: Predicting lateralized brain responses to music. NeuroImage, 2013; 83: 627 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.06.064
Credit: Image courtesy of Suomen Akatemia (Academy of Finland)
By Rigo Murillo
I often see that successful music students and parents always manage to be well prepared for performances, auditions, and weekly lessons. They always have what they need when it comes to books, accessories, and all that’s needed to have a nice lesson time. But even the best well-intentioned student and parent may forget a thing or two that should be in their music tote bag. Even Yehudi Menuhin, the famous violinist of the twentieth century wrote in one of his books about what every violinist should have in his/her violin case.
For starters, here is a “musician’s tote bag kit” for you to think about:
String players, please add these:
I am sure that getting all these applicable accessories and necessities will make your practicing more consistent, successful and pleasant. It will at least impless your music teacher when an emergency comes up.
Happy practicing!
Rigo Murillo
Back in the days when I was younger, a budding violinist, touring across Mexico playing concerts and recitals, here is a picture that my parents have in what used to be my home. I had forgotten about it. This time in my trip to visit my family, I “snatched” it and… here it is:
Young violinist, Rigo Murillo
My mother used to put this picture on an easel at the front of the venue where I was performing, when concert attendees were walking into the concert hall. Not much of a smiling picture, but I certainly was happy playing my violin!
Now, I am trying to give my students the best experience so that they, too can enjoy playing the violin and succeed. No, I’m not saying that I want ALL my students to be professional musicians. Whether they decide to be musicians, my goal for them is that they can rip the benefits and enjoyment of playing music, as well as a great work ethic and perseverance toward a task that many consider difficult. Every child can play!, as Shinichi Suzuki said.
Until next time!
Rigo
