Learning to Embrace a Challenge Playing the viola allows my emotions to weave their way into my music. Shaping a discordant sound into expressive music has been a lengthy, laborious, but ultimately rewarding process. I was switched from violin to viola by Melba Sandberg, a brusque, no-nonsense conductor at the New England Conservatory. During my violin seating audition, in what I thought was polite conversation, she remarked that my hands were large enough to play viola; had I ever thought of doing so? I replied that I hadn't, smiled, and played my piece. The following Saturday, nervous but excited, I brought my violin to the first rehearsal. When I walked in the door, Mrs. Sandberg accosted me and demanded, "Where's your viola?" Under her pressure I switched, but the challenges of reading a new clef and adjusting my fingers were frustrating. It had taken me six years playing the violin to get into this orchestra. Now I was expected to play a new instrument at high performance standards. This created enormous tension at home over the next few months. I would avoid practicing and complain about my "insensitive conductor" all week. This displeasure reached its climax every Saturday morning as my mother drove me into Boston for rehearsal. During the ride home, however, a marked change was often evident. After playing the viola for three hours in the company of other musicians and discovering how wonderfully the viola combined with the entire spectrum of orchestral sound, I would soften. I wouldn't admit it, but I was beginning to like the viola. The next spring I auditioned for and won a seat in the NEC Youth Symphony. Comfortable with my instrument and my place in the orchestra, I started to play with confidence. I also discovered the advantages of the viola. The viola doesn't need the pyrotechnical passages given to the violins; instead, it has resonance and depth. I began to enjoy the indispensable role of the viola in string quartets. Now, I love the viola. Without Melba Sandberg's prodding I never would have risked playing the viola. Her persistence, which upset my comfortable world, was really a challenge to believe in myself. Before this experience I had often shrouded myself in the security of the familiar. Mrs. Sandberg's enduring, sometimes obstinate confidence forced me to confront the boundaries I had placed on myself. She taught me to embrace a challenge rather than shrink from it. I learned to trust those who believe in me, and I learned to trust myself.
age eleven, Clara received real life training as a nurse when one of her brothers
I played well in the game. And I haven't touched the violin since because of that. " i. (Wiesel 93).
According to, Franco Cavazzi, a current accredited unprejudiced Roman Historian, Sulla’s first major achievement was becoming Marius’s Lieutenant. Marius was not a Roman nor patrician but still managed to be elected 7 times, he lead the army to many victories and was well recognised for them. (Gill, N.S. 2014) (Cavazzi, F. 2002) It was during Sulla’s service under Marius’s command in the military, that many of Sulla’s character traits were cultivated that contributed to the way he ruled.
Sulla’s first major appearance in Roman history can be considered as Marius’ quaestor during the campaign against Jugurtha in 107. He served under Marius in Africa and against tribes from Germany. Sulla served
For any young female, this would be a devastating situation to be thrown into, and viola was no exception. Apart from having to deal with the loss of her brother, she also had to find a way to survive in illyria. Perhaps this is where the resilience in viola's nature is first shown instead of breaking down and mourning bitterly the death of her loved one, she immediately devises a plan to disguise herself as a male and serve duke orsino.
On Tuesday, October 17, 2017, I attended a musical concert. This was the first time I had ever been to a concert and did not play. The concert was not what I expected. I assumed I was going to a symphony that featured a soloist clarinet; however, upon arrival I quickly realized that my previous assumptions were false. My experience was sort of a rollercoaster. One minute I was down and almost asleep; next I was laughing; then I was up and intrigued.
The pyramids of Ancient Egypt are as fascinating and intriguing, as they are breathtaking. Egyptologists and historians have long debated the question of who built the pyramids, and for what reason. There are many different and often conflicting theories in regard to the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza. When turning back the pages of history, it is discovered that a number of theories have been developed to explain the presence of such a significant historical landmark. "Theories vary from a tomb for a king, to a special chemical factory, a beacon for extraterrestrial aircraft's, a stone form of the Bible, a possible way to contact a Higher Being and a stone announcement of the second coming of Christ..." (Schillings, M. : 1999 : Sheet 1). Such examples of varying controversial theories have sparked a number of speculations to the mystery of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
There are two theories about how we think Egyptians leveled the ground to build the Great Pyramid. Flinders Petrie proposed that the ground was leveled for the Great Pyramid by cutting a grid of shallow trenches into the bedrock, flooding t...
After he became quaestor, he served under the consul Gaius Marius in the war against king Jugurtha of Numidia. Before Sulla's involvement most of Rome's efforts had failed, but Sulla brought an advantage to the Romans. Even though Rome defeated Jugurtha tensions between Sulla and Marius began to grow. Sulla believed he was the real reason for Rome's victory.
Learn at your very own momentum and unlock to the realm of violin music using this newbie's publication and/or DVD. Play Today! Then keep in mind learning any musical instruments and specialy the violin require a lot of determination, practice and motivation. All you have to do is follow along with the tips, lessons and music supplied as you listen to the CD or watch the
isn't to write a paper that will get a good grade. Now, my goal is to
The viola is slightly bigger than the violin, and therefore deeper in sound. Since the viola is bigger, you must place your fingers slightly farther apart when playing viola than on the violin. It is also heavier and requires thicker strings and heftier bows to produce sound. Viola bows typically weigh 10 more grams than violin bows do. It actually takes a bit longer to hear its sound from the time the bow touches the string because viola bows are thicker. That is often a problem in orchestras when the violins end up being ahead of the lower stringed instruments. Vibrato is also harder to achieve on viola due to the size and thickness of the string. The violas body is usually 2-3 inches bigger than the violin and weighs more. Because of the size of the viola, it is advised to only pick
So, the third grader who just started playing and isn’t completely sure how to properly care for the instrument gets the instrument that’s been at the school for thirty years. The high schoolers, on the other hand, get the instruments of higher quality. As the years go by instruments that used to be in excellent quality aren’t functioning as well as they did in the past. When I started playing viola in fifth grade I got one of the better school violas, a viola made in Germany in 1921. By the time my parents knew I was serious enough about viola to make the investment for my own instrument worth while, the viola was in bad condition. It had chips in the wood, the body was scratched, and part of the instrument had worn down so much that we had to put a piece of folded up paper underneath the string to prevent the instrument from buzzing every time I played. This made me embarrassed when I would go to play in other orchestras, and I would get very self-conscious about playing loudly because I was afraid people would see the paper holding up my strings. This isn’t the only instrument with patchwork fixes, other instruments can be seen with paper propping other parts up, or some with gaping holes in the body of the instrument. With one orchestra teacher, there isn’t the time to be making big fixes on these instruments every
I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest as I walked over to where I would perform my solo. My accompanist, Helen Griffin, nodded her head and smiled at me in assurance that we would sound great. I smiled back, and gained confidence that the solo would indeed be wonderful. The judge acknowledged me, and I stated my name and the title of the piece. After taking a few deep breaths, I raised the instrument to my mouth and began to play.
When one thinks of Egypt, he is transported to an arid and sandy terrain. In the distance, grand pyramids loom, Egypt’s most famous, astounding architecture. Ancient Egyptian civilization first came to be around 3,100 B.C., when King Menes united the people. In the years to come, Egyptians would become known for their astounding architectural achievements. But one question is always present: how did they build the pyramids and the sphinx? It seems nearly impossible for a civilization to achieve these architectural feats in ancient times with limited tools. But, there is an answer: they adapted tools and invented ways to advance their architecture. Not only was Ancient Egyptian architecture intricate