Amazing Grace on Violin - Music to listen to

Here is a somewhat dreamed version of Amazing Grace. Totally "improvised," it came out of what would be called jam sessions with my friend, the extraordinary pianist, Denny Hahn.

Denny and I had discover a few years ago that we really could "sinc" and connect musically. One day, we just started to play ... just play some great well-known Gospel hymns. We just let ourselves be directed by the Spirit, and... wow, it was good. Later we polished and defined how many times we would play the verse, chorus, etc. and how we would shape the mood. That was it. A totally impro-arrangement, nothing written down except for the song's sequence.

This is part of a Medley of hymns we did and played in a concert. Amazing Grace was the last piece.

Click on this link to listen to it (it's a wma file):

http://violinsong.com/audio/Amazing-Grace.wma

Youth Concert at the Meyerson - May 21, 2006 - 7:30 PM

Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra
34th Season 2005-2006
Richard Giangiulio, Artistic Director & Conductor

Sunday, May 21, 2006, 7:30pm
Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center

The Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra presents a concert on May 21st at the Meyerson Symphony Center beginning at 7:30pm. The concert will feature violinist, Jun Iwasaki. The Meyerson is located at Flora and Pearl.

Season Finale Featuring Jun Iwasaki, violin

Mozart - Marriage of Figaro
Brahms - Violin Concerto in D Major
Shostakovich - Symphony No. 5

Featuring Jun Iwasaki, violin

Call the GDYO office at 214-528-7747 to order season tickets or single tickets, or for more information
For ticket information and directions to the Meyerson, click here.

Violin Technique: Fast Playing

My teacher, Sergei Gorbenko (from the Russian violin school) always had a quite simple solution to most problems with fast passages: Schradick. It is like his antidote for all dexterity problems. I always though that sounded very simplistic. BUT IT WORKS. Schradick exercises, practiced properly, work in many diferent levels. It can train the hand muscles for akward passages, increase accuracy of intonation, promote dexterity, and even bow control under difficult left hand difficulties.

I also have a very effective way to get warmed-up quickly and get my fingers in shape for fast violin virtuoso passages(for me, at least). I play a series of trills with all fingers in all possible finger patterns, with increasing speed on all strings. I do this at least in first, second, and third position. It will take you a few minutes and may be boring, but at the end, you will be ready to face those dreaded passages.

Rigo.