Good lessons today could be made great by good practice during the week! Just sayin. And, for those who have a relative ‘break’ during Spring Break, please use this freed-up time to delve more into musical machinations!!!
Mazin
Your musical understanding and abilities just keep getting better and better. This has been your best year of progress with me yet! Remember, correct finger articulation is key — this drastically effects the story you are telling through sound, so pay attention to what’s on the page and how your fingers articulate!! And a reminder, because you are ‘owning’ your pianistic development now, and because your technical and musical understanding has reached a high enough level, choose what you want to practice, then attempt to master it. Quality (getting one piece really right) is better than quantity (playing a lot of pieces poorly).
Leah
Good practice this past week! It showed. Remember to lead with your elbow when shifting, NOT your fingers or hand. Your left hand should ALWAYS retain pretty much the same angle to the fingerboard when shifting and articulating (below thumb position). Practice your older exercises first pizz and then with bow, and focus on proper shifting pizz’ing your newer exercises.
Jiwon
You’re a fast leaner, but you must practice more if you want to advance in your cello playing and understanding. Please put in at least 30 minutes per day, if you can. Remember to keep your bow straight for each string that you are on, and to keep your 2nd and 3rd finger in your left hand equidistant from each other as your other fingers are.
Olivia
Dear, I sincerely wish you would one day realize the wonderful benefits of self-discipline. You may be more musically-talented than me in many respects, but if one doesn’t put the work and focus into what they are trying to improve, no matter how talented they are, if they do not honor that talent with hard work, it’s as if that talent never existed in the first place.