Scuttlebutt - May 18, 2022

May 18, 2022

Hello musical friends!

I'm focusing hard on the new Roberto Sierra concerto which I'm premiering week after next. Spending lots of valuable practice time programming digital effects (more on that next week) and still changing fingerings, bowings and the layout of the violin part way closer to a performance than normal, due to the fact that it's a brand new concerto and this kind of work--creative choices plus editing and electronic programming-- just takes forever.

But at some point, (usually quite a while ago,) I have to actually learn it, too--lock it down and drill it in. I'm trying to get some of these passages up to speed without losing accuracy using the time-honored practice technique known as "drilling"--starting slow and getting faster one metronome notch at a time. Not terribly creative but very effective. There are only about 35 of these passages to work on...

Click the image below for video. (Wearing my Casey Driessen shirt for good luck.)

Click for video

By the way, string players--whatdya think about a neck strap for your acoustic? Especially you viola players. Whole lot better on your back and neck. Well, as many of you already know, I've been working on getting this product manufactured and available. And just because I have nothing else to do right now, I'm working with my design guys on the top-secret prototype for it this week as well. (Patent deadline at the worst possible moment...)

A shot from my concert with the Highland High School orchestra last week. Thanks to conductor Rachel Gamin and the Highland Foundation for making this possible!