Teacher Kendall's Music Studio

Check the link at the top of the page for the most recent Fall 2008 Schedule. It's almost the same as the earlier edition, with the addition of most ROOM assignments.

For those of you that don't know my situation, I'm still trying to convince my 4-year-old that violin is something he really wants to do. So, recognizing that I can't give him anything I don't have myself, I've been concentrating on overcoming my own long-held practice demons. As a kid I took piano for three years without much practicing, and I played trumpet for 5 years with a bit more practicing, but I'm sure nothing consistent. So now, spurred on by Teacher Kendall's infamous letter, I'm on a good solid one-month streak of daily practice in front of the kids.

If you are purchasing a violin case, this may be a big savings, as shipping oversized items usually costs extra.
(So, I took advantage of this offer and bought an inexpensive 1/32 case for Satoko's foamalin.)

As you can see, this is a blog entry from Hayley's account. You can now post a blog entry to the site that will show up on the front page. Others can leave comments for you, and post their own stories and insights as well!

After you log in, click "My blog" on the left side of the page. Then click "post new blog entry". You can then type your Title and Body - select Preview to see what your entry looks like before it's submitted to the front page, or Submit to publish it right away.

I'm hoping some of you will come to the studio website to share your practicing and motivation ideas or to get ideas from others. We don't have much on here yet, but the "forums" on the left column is where you want to go. There is even a category for practice & motivation. Happy practicing!

This Saturday (February 2) at 3:00 p.m. in Kilworth Chapel, Hayley will be performing 6 solo pieces and 2 ensemble pieces in her first ever solo recital. She will perform a Mendelssohn trio (piano, violin and cello), a Shostakovich string quartet, concertos by De Beriot, Vieuxtemps, Bruch and Wieniawski, and a partita by Bach.

Please come support Hayley as she tries to raise money for her trip to Washington D.C. with the Tacoma Youth Symphony. There is no admission charge, but donations are greatly appreciated.

Hope to see everyone there!

Hayley now has a website up and running (with a little help from her sister): http://hayleyjoann.com. She's up to 6 students and would still like a couple more, and she's also enjoying performing in ensembles (quartets especially) for special events. Just though I'd let everyone know!

Wow! "I can't believe how much everyone's improved!" was the most frequently heard phrase tonight. Congratulations everyone on 2 wonderful fall concerts. All of your hard work has paid off. Happy Holiday!

The Saturday recital was wonderful. Everyone played beautifully and confidently... I'm looking forward to Tuesday night's concert. Remember, it's in Schneebeck Concert Hall - come at 7:15 for tuning!
Also, there ARE group and theory classes on Tuesday still (in addition to the concert!). :)

Kate's mom, Melissa Thompson, has been kind enough to share her recently acquired knowledge about violin quality and sound. Please visit her article, What's in a Price Tag?, to read about why expensive violins don't equal beautiful sound.
Thanks, Melissa!