I am about 5'6", I have brown hair and have brown eyes. I like music and doing things on my com...
I am about 5'6", I have brown hair and have brown eyes. I like music and doing things on my computer :P
Member since:10.11.2001
Reviews:9
Members who trust:4
I am one in a long line of a VERY musical family so I count myself lucky that I could have help from my mother (who is a very respected teacher of violin, piano, singing and theory lessons in Basingstoke and surrounding areas). I first started to learn at the age of 3 but after a few lessons of me hiding under a chair and refusing to come out whilst sitting on my hands my mum decided to take matters into her own hands and teach me herself. I have always been encouraged greatly by both my parents, my uncle and aunt and my granparents and my "talents" are still being pursued.
One of the things that parents start to worry about when their child/children start to show a certain "attachment" to playing a musical instrument such as the violin is that every
so often you have to purchase a new one due to the size of your child. I started on the smallest size possible due to being so young. This was a 32nd violin which is 12 inches from the scroll (the top of the violin) to the chin rest (the bottom of the violin). I am now on a full size violin and starting to work for my "performer's certificate". I have achieved grades 1-8 with high marks and have won a large amount of medals, trophies and cups from various music and arts festivals all over the place and awards from the local mayor. I find playing musical instruments fun and exciting and I hugely enjoy performing. Winning all these things has given me a great sense of achievement and it definitely makes it all worth while.
There are several different sizes of violin. There are 32nd, 16th, 10th, 8th, 1/4, 1/2 and full size. Sometimes you can get 7/8 but they are quite rare. It is hugely important that you get the right size otherwise it could make playing rather difficult.
Unfortunately if your child requires a 32nd violin you can only rent them from a certain shop in London. Should you need this the address is:
Most parents worry that they will have to go through the awful screeching sounds when their child starts to learn but this is not always the case. Some people take to it immediately but you should always encourage any musicality that your child may show. They might not always like to practice but it if you take them to see someone in concert such as Nigel Kennedy or Maxim Vengerov then they might see that one day their practice will pay off. I know it has for me! I have been kindly taken by a friend of mine to see Nigel Kennedy twice and I travelled to London to see Maxim Vengerov, with a friend, in the BBC Proms last year.
I feel children/young adults also benefit from playing in orchestras. You can find out which orchestras are close to you by going on a search engine and typing "youth orchestras" and you can also get information from the local education authority. Most areas have a local schools orchestra or a youth orchestra.
I myself also play with two orchestras and used to be in the NCO (National Children Orchestra. I am currently in the Hampshire County Youth Orchestra and have recently returned from a 3 and a half week tour to Chile. When I was in the String Orchestra we went on a tour to Poland. Last year with the local orchestra we went to Paris and Barcelona. These are some of the great opportunities you can get from being in an orchestra.
Costs can be a bit high but you can sometimes get bursaries if your child shows a certain amount of musical ability.
You don't always require a musical background either. I have several musical friends whose parents (and other family members) wouldn't have a clue when it comes to playing an instrument. If you practice regularly and have lessons with a good teacher then you could turn out to be one of the great musicians. Even if you aren't a great musician you can still get a lot of fun out of playing.
I would reccomend playing the violin to anyone who wants to gain a sense of achievement and have fun at the same time.
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wow, i jus no u r a brilll musical family, and definately good review
pennii 04.06.2002 21:48
I've wanted to learn the violin for years and at the grand old age of 25 have decided to go for it. Do you have any advice for me? I'm not really keen on sheep gut strings because I'm veggie, so can you advice me on the next best strings, please? I'm going into town tomorrow to check a few violins out, and am more than willing to pay that little bit extra for something of quality, but not 'too' expensive. Purlease give me some advice, I'd be more than grateful!
Dodger 13.02.2002 22:33
Thanks for a good op, my daughter has been playing in school for a couple of years, I think it gives her confidence in music, which I didn't have at that age.
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