Wiolins, wiolins, and more..!

Yesterday we went to the Sound Post (Canadian and slightly-over priced as it may be) and selected two violins for trial period.
The first, Matt (the guy who usually helps us) said we should be profoundly interested in (not those exact words, but pretty darn close). It's a German violin, made this year, by a man named Bonsch. Apparently, he doesn't usually sell under some certain conditions- I fail to recall what they were- but the Sound Post is special and got a few of them in. Point taken; we're lucky, sound post reigns supreme, we pledge allegiance, &co &co. (I love tSP, really, and I love their selection of wiolins, and their staff are really quite friendly, and hold an infinitious cup to the knowledge of the staff of Long & McQuade. But. Pretty much anyone does.
The second violin was just found in their workshop and one of the co-owners happened to be stringing it, whether or not it was for us, and suggested we try it out (talk about service. I wouldn't have thought to go searching through wood shavings to look for a violin I'd be forced to string on the spot.) This violin was also German made, by a Wilhelm Thomas Laura. They bought it at an auction, though they spent more on it than they're actually getting back, due to the required repairs. It was made in 1912. And it's German, which I am really liking. (I'm sensing a tendency towards German violins and Aryan philosophy. Lately, all good things come from Germany)

Violin one had an appealing sound at first. In fact, the vibrations seemed to permeate the entire room so that your fillers would rattle.. not that I HAVE fillers.. or at the very least, your eardrum, which I suppose isn't the BEST thing? Playing in the lower positions on this violin is perfect, especially on the G String. However, as I start to move up, I find like a lot of it's promise kind of disappears. Not to mention, the sound actually comes out as being constricted at some points.

The second violin, which is really the point of comparison to the first, has a huge ringing quality- I almost wonder, too much? When doing string crossings (Bach unaccompanied style) on the lower strings, I sensed a lot of ringing Gs that I didn't appreciate. Hopefully they can alter or change the bridge to fix that, as I feel that the strings are very close together. At least a fifth of a mm :p. In comparison to the other violin, however, the sound volume makes no qualms about getting out there; all the strings are ringing, and the sound quality itself is actually quite pleasant for classical and baroque pieces. Brahms sounds all right, but I haven't played enough romantic pieces to get a good grip on it's..er.. sap quality? This one is 3,300... compared to the first one, at 4,500. I'm worried that 3,300 isn't enough to spend. Because the German violin maker doesn't have any history or background, they couldn't mark up the price reasonably.

What would Jerzcy say? Pft. What is he, God?

I said wiolins and more, so here's the rest:

More..!

Movies: Absurdity

I was just thinking about film companies. I've usually had trouble saying "this company is pretty much guaranteed to offer GOOD films", or "this company is crap". That was before I discovered TH!NK films. TH!NK? I TH!NK not.
There are two options: 1) either their films are just too far above me in their deep spiritual content and social commentary OR 2) they think a shot or two of voyeurism is healthy for the sinews, and also makes you... "TH!INK". Not likely. I didn't think I'd ever see a film with Edward Norton that -didn't- make me think, until Down in the Valley. I see no point in the films other than the directors desire to trash any good mood or sense of security you might have had- which makes sense, considering that indie films and western comfort and consumerism MUST be in direct combat.

So if you ever TH!NK about watching one of their films. TH!NK again.

(I apologize deeply for the cheesiness. haw haw.)

on a brighter note, I watched Rudy again today. It depresses me that they play the most exciting orchestral parts when Rudy ISN'T playing, but when he finally gets on the field, it seems like, I dunno, a bit of a let-down. Then again, compared to the part where Rudy comes back to the football practice, anything is a let down. (And yes, I'm still trying to eradicate associations with Angels in the Outfield and that score.)

Now I'm going to pull something out of my repertoire and practice like I'm supposed to be. But this snow makes me feel like reading Tolkien and eating gingerbread. I'll settle for Mozart and coffee.

getting my life in order is one "F-ed" up business..

I got an urge to run around the basement jumping from pieces of furniture to... other pieces of furniture. Carrying out the urge lasted about 3 minutes, after which I did stretches on the ground. Or tried. My lungs blazed and my heart throbbed... ok, so it was a bad day. But more and more my days become like that. My body is unfit and so my mind follows. I think it can explain, in part, my recent bouts of quasi-depression.
Unlike a lot of music followers, I can't find significant reasoning to resort to Eastern mysticism and holistic medicine (well... some) in order to put the pieces of my health into something resemblant of "good". (that's a long way of saying "good health")

I tend to abuse things that take maintenance. I dislike maintenance. I don't mind talking about it. It's like prayer. But if it's a full-time commitment, "I'd rather not".

Another thing that's buggering the hell out of me is my practice time. A) I have a harmony exam coming up in a few weeks... I $#@%ing hate diminished 7ths. B) I have no immediate deadlines for violin and I'm developing a parent-child relationship with my teacher, so naturally, I tend to disagree with her. C) Time flies like a banana, or so the pun doesn't go. I don't have enough time in my day and I have to stop realizing it and do something about it. Me being the undisciplined person that I am... I don't foresee this happening. I begrudge the days where I am so busy I haven't the time to practice, and I despise the days where I have all day to practice until 4:30. I hate having to set time limits. And the truth is, somehow, I'm unable to fit three hours of practice into ANY of these days. I'm lucky if I get one hour. My other problem is on the days where I have actually got time to do what I WANT to do, I take what I want to do out of hand. = I'm just being a bitch, and if I really wanted to get my life in order I'd spend time praying about it every morning and then make myself into a freaking GOD and do everything right.

At this stage, I hate being human and alive and flawed. (All that seems rather unnecessary beside being "human")

I've started a violin journal, by the way. Maybe I can record how effing mad it makes me that my students don't freaking do what I say when I'm there. And they do the opposite of what I say when I'm gone, I'm sure... God, if I have to pray for all my students (yes. prayers is a gargantuan commitment, and I am the equivalent of a negative atom to a positive commitment)

I... am going to listen to old school Jars of Clay, in abstract hope that it'll draw me from my... vast inner turmoil.

Swift to Fly

taking a cue from Avery...
Stranger In This World- Azam Ali
I have dust under my eyelids.

Everything I see is dust.
The rent ground and electrocuted trees at my feet compose a landscape of dirt, and it is all dust in the air.

I have to change my life, to change my destiny. All my family has walked these desert paths: since the first child was born, since the first mother died.
The tread of their footprints would have worn a trench a thousand fathoms deep, if not for the shifting dust.
waves and billows; of dead trees that turn to dust with the rushing brush of air.
The path is the same underneath.
But the dust..
The dust is new every morning.

I have to change my life. But the counselors have decided. The dust will always stay. The dust hunts me and teaches me the way of the hunted.