This will help keep me predictable with my readers without burdening me with habits I won’t keep.

Second and fourth Sunday of every month.  It’s challenging to practice and blog about it.  An audio or video will be posted on each fourth Sunday.

I was told I was progressing!

Right now though, I’m avoiding practicing because the third octave of G major is proving to be challenging.  I feel lucky if I can get G-A-B right.

Do any scales give you trouble?  Which and where?

Moving up to the current date, my counting is definitely better, although subdividing rhythms remains a challenge.  As for my current lesson, the status looks as follows:

• Scherzo: try memorizing so you can really focus on dynamics.  The dynamics were too level.  Play with bravado, particularly on the sforzando.
• Schroeder: pay attention to drawing a straight bow, particularly on the A string.
• Start practicing more duets!  Today, we worked over a four-voiced holiday song.  My intonation, particularly on the F needs work.  I’m not sure how to manage this sort of thing for a particular note.  I’m supposed to listen for whether a note fit the chords “already in the air”.  It’s still a mystery to me.

It’s been nine years and a couple of days since my first lesson back in 2008.  Biggest highlight of my experience since the accident in 2014 was getting involved with Bloomsburg Preparatory School of Music and joining their New Strings Ensemble program (now called Concert League of Fine Musicians).  I didn’t realize how much I had to learn about basic musicality and staying in tune with others, but it’s also opened up new horizons. I thought I’d be in it for two seasons and most, then progress to the advanced group.   This did not happen, although being in the group has definitely made me a better and more musical player.  Doing simple things in performance is harder than it sounds.  Just staying focused enough to count is a challenge.  But the conductor (and school director) says I’m getting there.

We finished our performance for the fall semester, so now I can get back to focusing on my lesson pieces.

Here’s the update, from the 11/17 lesson

• Scherzo (Webster).  Focus on accenting the first note of four-note group.  Shift as a unit.
• Mooney Position Pieces. Same comment on shifting.  Get used to third position.  Double check where the thumb goes.  Feel generally good about these. but keep checking intonation on 4.
• Schroeder #23:  Do groups of 4 rather than 8, which is what was written.  Be economical in motion, and focus on the gear shifting rather than wrist flicking mode.

Been playing almost 9 years sounds like I’ve been playing for 3.  Time to pay more attention to what I’m doing.  Time to focus, and put all other spare time attractions aside.

So, it went just OK in recital – because I was too nervous at the beginning, but got relaxed and connected with audience towards the middle and end.  It helped me forget myself a little, and I calmed down.  All sorts of thoughts went through me very quickly, but I figured since I’m not playing my best, might as well try to connect instead of being self centered. These people want me to do well, and not feel sorry for me, and if I give them a few good notes they’ll get what they came for.  And that helped.  So, no video, but I may make a YouTube with my instructor next month.  Each time I play it I have more fun with it, and I’ll do this again in recital in November.

And keep in mind this was only my second recital.   I’m really glad this school is pushing performance because I need as much performance opportunity as I can get.  I didn’t have to choose a piece at the edge of my musical abilities.   I realized after I got home I could have knocked out a Suzuki piece and stayed closer to my comfort level.  So, from now on, for the sake of performance, I need to know a piece cold three months before, as opposed to “working on it” three months before.  But I made very good progress. and feel more confident with all my pieces.  In addition, I’m feeling better in that  6th position G-A-Bb area that I also need to know well for Kol Nidre.   Some descending C minor scales might be good for this as well.

As for K-N, I started playing it for the first time in a while; just the first three lines.

Also, the school director, and also my conductor, pointed out that if I’m feeling nervous, I can channel my left hand nervousness into vibrato, up to a point.