Today VN played for some LEA folks. Thought nothing would come out of it as they had gone back on their word on funding her. But I didn't tell VN their u-turn, just said, go on, knock their socks off with your pieces!

I couldn't make it for obvious reasons. To my surprise, the head has subsequently called me to say that she has had her first standing ovation, and what's more? Unknown to her (the head, I mean), in the audience, was a chap from RAM who knows the Head of Junior Academy personally and at the end, he was so impressed with VN's recital that he said he'll vouch for her! He also added that RAM is one place which never turns someone away just because they have no money! Well, she hasn't got a place at ANY of the junior conservatory yet so I do have to contain my excitement but I'm SO glad it's not just her own teacher who has such confidence in her! I am SO happy for her. Hooray for VN! Please, please forgive me for boasting - it's just today, okay?

Wow Tess! Well done to VN!

That's fantastic! You're not boasting by the way. Give VN my congratulations!

That's brilliant

That's brilliant. Say well done to her from me too!

Well done VN!

Car Expert

ps, your inbox is full, Tess...

Thanks, everyone. We have had so much support on this forum (including PMs) that it's wonderful!

She is also very lucky to have an extremely supportive headteacher who suggested junior conservatory in the first place. The headteacher said that the funny thing was, in response to one question she got today, "How much do you practise, (her name)" she just replied, "I don't know, I just play" Apparently, it hadn't occured to her that music teachers and professionals expect her to time her practice. She thought she was "just playing" away whilst going down her violin teacher's long list of little tasks.

Well done Tess & Co! Of course, she would do well, it's clear that she has truely exceptional talent I really hope she gets a place at a Conservatoire.

Great news, Tess!

Congratulations! Was it the Elgar or the Reger?

That's really great!
Well done VN.... and carry on 'just playing'...

Well done, VN. I'm very pleased for you and Tess.

Elgar - she's learning next week for late spring auditions. Elgar is considered to be the most important of the lot! Reger - she absolutely LOVES this tune but will learn this just for fun! What she played was the first movement of Telemann's concerto (which is very very fast which she likes!) plus a slow Dancla which she finds yucky, yucky, yucky! She does love slow pieces especially very sad ones, she said, but this particular composer is neither here nor there. He's not sadly slow. To her, he's sweetly slow (like a slow dance) which seems exasperating! However, her teacher decided that Dancla's compositions are often good for showing off bowing technique and persuaded her to TRY her best to LIKE and ENJOY Dancla. Why? Because "some day should you choose to be a violinist, you'll have to play what they ask, and sometimes it may not be what you like..." And, she was warned albeit with a gentle smile, that it cannot be contrived - your music has to be real never fake or others will see thr' you! So she HAD better LEARN to genuinely like Dancla! Poor girl. Poor poor girl. The last time she won a competition, it was also Dancla!

Well done to Violinutter! Tess you must be absolutely delighted with her achievement.

Fantastic! Well done ViolinNutter - great job.

Well done to VN and you Tess. You are not boasting, you are sharing with us and its wonderful!

Thanks Ayshah and UM. But "great job"? Er, no, not true ACCORDING TO HER. But it really doesn't matter as Steve once said. VN didn't think she did a "great job" at all. She said it was just "good." When she got home, she informed that she slipped and played one wrong note but luckily, recovered very quickly. Maybe it was too sharp or too flat but I didn't ask as it matters not a thing to me . But then she said she's not the worrying sort of person so she's not concerned with what's already past. So that's quite OK, she thought. There were 4 music teachers there, one former music teacher plus a bureaucrat - some of whom MUST have noticed the slip in the first piece but Steve Hopwood was quite right - if you play musically, it doesn't have to be always perfect. Naturally, she told me that she ended doing an encore with the second piece instead. What a fright - for ME if I were there. Not for VN, she's as quiet, cool and calm as a fish. That's what her friends say!

Glad that above all, she gave a performance that she felt good about, with resounding confirmation of that from her audience!

Hope that all goes well in follow-up and that help will be forthcoming for her. Have a great weekend celebrating!

Congrats. Which Elgar piece was it?

Hi Ben,
She's only grade 5 so she will be learning something simple like Salut d'amour for March/April, plus maybe some more simple new pieces, no big deal but I think I would agree with Storini that it's a truly lovely piece even though it's quite common! Very expressive. Her teacher has been/is concentrating on technique and on widening her repertoire within the same level of competence since last autumn. No more exams.

Wonder if anyone know whether Shostakovich's Romance is too hard for a 5th grader? Just curious...

The Romance from The Gadfly?

I *think* that's on the G4 lists for viola.

Yes! Oh, that's wonderful, Sarah. He did say she could try it one day (when there's time, I guess) but I didn't want to ask/remind him unless I know as a matter of fact that it's not too hard for her. Thank you! I heard him say it's from the Gadfly although not being a tv fan, I haven't a clue what "Gadfly" is all about?!

Well done to Violinutter. I love her attitude to practice! You have reason to be proud of her, Tess.

It was on the grade 5 list for Violin in 1997-2000, but this was an arrangement by Fraser (pub Fentone music)

The version I have in the Shostakovich Albumstucke, has a fiendishly tricky double stopped high position section which I reckon is above Grade 5

I didn't know it was in Albumstucke! Cool, I have that.. somewhere...

I just checked the sillyblob, and the G4 viola version does say it's an arrangement, so I presume it must be arranged as well as transcribed to alto clef, as yep, high double stops would be raaaaaaaaaaaaather evil for grade 4...

Thanks, Suepea, what a lovely thing to say!

Jane and Sarah, you are so right about the evil double stops! Yes, Tasmin Little's version which we had from him, has that tricky bit, too but no matter, I did hear him mention "we can do one without" so it must be an arrangement we'll be doing this year. Double stops are killers reserved for grade 8, right?

Tess

I think it's a film, but don't worry I don't know either!


I wish...

I think Elegie has some doesn't it Jane?

And I had triple stops for one of my grade 6 pieces

But I don't think they inflict high and double stops for a while!

Congratulations to VN on her performance .


What a lovely piece, might be simple (although not for me playing it considering I can't play the violin ) but very effective .

Well done VN You deserve it.

Well done to Tess for the support and encouragement she gives VN

Thanks AP and Nicki,
I have some interesting news. Got a phone call out of the blue yesterday evening from a music charity and the adviser said they are interested to help VN? Could I make a detailed application to them as soon as possible? Fingers crossed in prayer please that something will come out of this, for those of you who believe in prayer? Should take a few months yet to know the outcome (maybe, May 1, 2006) but time flies by very quickly and given the wonderful support we've had on this forum, I will definitely keep you folks in the loop!

Thanks, all.

Tess

That's really exciting, Tess: do keep us posted!

Excellent news! fingers are crossed.