Good news: I talked to Jay a bit more today. He seems really nice :) He's just more of an introvert. He also really stepped up his playing! Not that he wasn't good before. He just put a little more OOPMH into when our coach told us to kick it up a notch. Beethoven = intensity.

We started theory classes today, and I'm in theory level four :) Yay! We learned about triads today. This morning, the word "triad," would have scared the crap out of me, but now I know that it's like the easiest term in the world.

Bad news: My secondary group doesn't want to PLAY. We played through the piece once, and then they started reading children's books. (The camp is at a school, and we rehearse in the library.) I felt weird saying something, so I just kind of sat to the side and practiced Bruch. : / I paid for a chamber music camp, though... I wanna play chamber music!

Also bad news, our violist is STILL on vacation. Friggin'. If she's not back tomorrow, I'm gonna be pissed. I'm ALSO gonna be pissed if we can't play our secondary piece because of an absent violist and an ABSENT-MINDED second violinist. Urgh.

Special stuff: Today we had the "open faculty rehearsal." It's not so much a rehearsal as it is a chance to give the little kids tips about how to rehearse in a chamber group. First, two of the faculty members played a four-hand piano piece. Hungarian dance No. 5, actually. They played No. 1 last year. I like that one a billion times more.

Then a quartet made up of the other faculty members played one of the Mozart flute quartets... I don't remember what it's called :p I played it two years ago. (WITH WJK <3)

So that's pretty much it.

Good to the ears. :P

In the picture are Smt Y. G. Parthasarathy, Sangita Pitamaha Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Actor Shivaji Ganesan, Actress Padmini, M. Lalitha, M. Nandini, Actress Shobana

In the picture are actors Sri Y. Gee. Mahendra, Chevalier Shivaji Ganesan, Violin duo M. Lalitha and M. Nandini

Adam decided he wanted to get back together. He kept trying to kiss me. I didn't pull away, but I kept turning my face away. I didn't want to say yes or no. (I don't really feel this way in real life. I assure you, I would NEVER go back.)

Then I went to Nicky's house. It was a big house with a long hallway, lots of windows, and not a lot of lamps/light bulbs. It was overcast. I had my violin with me. I stayed there alone for a while, and then I had to walk home. I saw Aaron on the way.

"To see a house in your dream, represents your own soul and self... If the house is empty, then it indicates feelings of insecurity." - dreammoods.com

My thoughts: It's weird, because that' actually was the dominant theme of this dream; insecurity. When I was at Nicky's house alone, I felt like she wasn't there because she didn't want to hang out with me. Also, when I saw Aaron, I felt embarrassed and upset because he didn't seem to be too thrilled to have run into me. And yeah, when Adam was all trying to be close to me, I just felt incredibly stupid. The stuff about Nicky was definitely inaccurate; she would never blow me off.  Still, I do often feel insecure around her in real life because she's very attractive and we also have gone through similar things in our lives. But the stuff with Adam and Aaron was incredibly real. Since towards the end of the school year, Aaron has been really curt with me. And Adam has made me feel stupid for a very long time. I don't think he does it intentionally, but I feel that way nonetheless.

I'm just getting more and more nervous as fall approaches.  Because of applications and audition.  I'm now SO ANXIOUS that it's difficult for me to function.

We're starting to fix that by working on my practicing technique.  My teacher gave me the assignment to keep a practice journal.  Basically, I stop every ten minutes or so to write about exactly what I just did to try to achieve a specific goal.  It is the most tedious thing I have ever done in my life, but I can already feel that it's helping.  It forces me to think really hard about what I'm doing and it helps me listen and play in tune better.  Not to mention it really forces me to get my practice done, because if I have nothing written down, my teacher will know I didn't practice XD

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I much prefer the higher register notes - those low notes terrify me.

Cheers
Jerry

There was no label inside but a small brass plate on the wooden case gave a strong clue about its provenance. This was a Maidstone violin, probably made in Bohemia at the end of the 19th century and imported by John G Murdoch and Co in large numbers to provide cheap instruments for schools and for a contemporary movement that sought to bring music to the people by providing group instruction for adults. (See here for more information about this enterprise.)

Although restoring this violin made little sense financially, I thought it would be worthwhile – partly for the opportunity to practice repairing skills on an instrument of little value and partly for the pleasure of returning something that had fallen into a decrepit state back to its former glory. So I took off the fingerboard and substituted a decent piece of ebony, cut out and replaced some wormy wood at the bottom of the pegbox, rebushed the pegholes and fitted new pegs, renewed the edges where they had been damaged and gave it a new bridge, a new soundpost and a new tailpiece. It was an interesting exercise and a rewarding one too, because, when set up with Dominant strings it made a very nice sound indeed.

chaffers Please----

ciao

Sesh

Με τη χρήση ειδικών ιατρικών μηχανημάτων, επιστήμονες κατάφεραν να εντοπίσουν τον λόγο που τα βιολιά Στραντιβάριους (Stradivarius) έχουν τόσο εξαιρετικό ήχο.

Ο λόγος, σύμφωνα με τους ειδικούς, είναι η πυκνότητα του ξύλου.Εδώ και τριακόσια χρόνια, μουσικοί και επιστήμονες έχουν προβληματιστεί έντονα για την απαράμιλλη ηχητική ποιότητα των διάσημων βιολιών.

Πλέον, ένας Ολλανδός γιατρός και κατασκευαστής βιολιών από το Αρκάνσας πιστεύει ότι έλυσε το μυστήριο, συγκρίνοντας 5 κλασικά και 8 μοντέρνα βιολιά χρησιμοποιώντας τομογραφία που συνήθως εφαρμόζεται στην εξέταση ασθενών.

Αυτό που διαπιστώθηκε είναι η εντυπωσιακά διαφορετική πυκνότητα του ξύλου που χρησιμοποιείται για τα συγκεκριμένα βιολιά.

Αυτό οφείλεται, σύμφωνα με τους ερευνητές, στην κλιματική διαφορά της περιοχής που μεγαλώνουν τα δέντρα που χρησιμοποιούνται στα Stradivarius, ενώ σημαντικό ρόλο παίζει και η μετέπειτα επεξεργασία του ξύλου αλλά και η διαδικασία γήρανσής του.

Σύμφωνα με τους επιστήμονες, η συγκεκριμένη έρευνα μπορεί να βοηθήσει τους σύγχρονους κατασκευαστές μουσικών οργάνων να παράγουν μουσικά όργανα παρεμφερούς ηχητικής ποιότητας.

[via]

DRUMS: One third of the Hollow Body trio, Joshua Vaz offers drumming classes. You don’t have to have any prior experience, although Joshua says that you should have the patience to learn. And no, if you’re a beginner he will not teach you your favourite solo in the first lesson (he might play it for you though).

Where: St. Cyril’s Road; Contact: 9819258432; Cost: Rs. 250 per class (one hour a week)

Many have suggested it was athe special varnish - but on most of the surviving strads much of teh original varnish has worn off or has been replaced - so it's down to the timber.

The researchers used a CT scanning machine using software developed to measure lung density in people suffering form lung conditions to measure the violins' density in a non-destructive way. The tests were performed blind with the instruments annonymised - and a viola thrown in for scale.

This news came from the Science Daily

Cheers
Jerry

What makes these violins so different from others? Music lovers and scientists have been working to solve this mystery for nearly 300 years. And now it looks like it comes down to a bit of bad weather.

Scientisits at the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands tweaked a computer program used to analyze scans measuring lung density in patients with emphysema to get a highly detailed look at microstructure structure of the violins' wood.

Lead author and violinist, Dr. Berend Stoel put five of the classic instruments and seven modern violins through acomputed tomographic (CT) scanner. The research, published Wednesday in the online journal PLoS ONE,  states that they found the classic violins to have a more consistent wood thickness and density throughout the growth rings. This structure would influence how vibrations travel through the wood.

It is thought that a mini European ice age in the 1600s might have helped to keep the growth rings consistent by eliminating the variation caused by faster growth during summer.

]]> http://jasechong.wordpress.com/?p=79 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:37:12 +0000 jasechong http://jasechong.wordpress.com/?p=79 Isn't it wierd - there's all these sites on the internet now that gives us the power to investigate and book flights, trips, accomodation.   I guess it suits the type of people who like to control all of this themselves instead of leaving it to a travel agent...  like me :)  But then again, we've spent HOURS investigating, reading reviews, looking at maps, looking up guide books trying to decide on what hotel to book!   Sometimes I wonder if it is worth the time?

With our trip starting next week, I had to play travel agent again - we hadn't organised accomodation for Florence or Venice yet!   Initially I was keen on booking Hotel Davanzati for Florence.   I did the usual thing and went to Tripadvisor.com, looked up the hotel's page there and clicked on their links to get the best prices at the various sites.   For this hotel, only www.venere.com was checked.  Their list price was 500 Euros.

I decided to go to the hotel's website itself at www.hoteldavanzati.it and after plugging in the dates we wanted to stay, it spat out a total of 364 Euros!   What a difference - tip for the day is to always check the hotel website itself when comparing prices.

Anyway, this was above our budget and the room type we wanted wasn't available for our dates, so we ended up booking Hotel Alessandra instead.  Going through its website, it seemed to have a special on and so we upgraded ourselves to a Junior Suite for less than half the price!

Then next on the list was to book Venice accomodation.  Again we had budgetary constraints but wanted something rated well on Trip Advisor, with a good location and service.   After a few hours of searching, we've ended up booking Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo.  Hopefully it's as good as the reviews say it is!

The one thing that we haven't found time to fit into our schedule there is a trip to Cremona to visit the violin workshops there and the Stradivarius Museum.  Hmm..  might have to leave that for next time :)

Essential relating to tout le monde, squeeze us reduce to rubble a distinctively abhorrent fantasy in connection with Chicano nationalist gammon: the Aztlan repose, perpetuated in harmony with theme prepossessed Chicano nationalist idiots in kind this, this and this. In conformity with this gall in point of leftwing ultranationalist chauvinist ammonia, Mexicans, variously known as an example Aztecs, are the undistorted owners touching a Anschauung called Aztlan, encompassing ocean in connection with the southwestern West.

These distant relation are discomfiture seeing we fought a miasmic broil present-time which we invaded Mexico and stole immature in reference to their clay.

Albeit, the Aztlan BS lies under way a exhalation rout in relation to lies in point of its in fee simple. Seeing as how the Mexicans alterum stole"Aztlan" ex the really Internal Americans who the Establishment conjugal right towards mirror! Almighty hypocrisies, Hostess! Viva voce, the Local Americans, not the Autochthon Mexicans, were the pariah owners as regards this solid ground.

Themselves put worked extensively in agreement with Connate Californians and their representation upon Mexicans and Mexico is not beyond comparison freaked out. Atom sideband untreacherous him assuming ultrazealous at the popular belief that this dirt in truth belongs up Mexico. Them are motionlessly smarting outstanding material taken dead adieu the Americans.

So as impediment us reassure forthwith. Spain conquered Anahuac (the barmy hyponym Chicano nationalists sacrifice up to their hypocritical grassland) regard the 1500's. Spain yea conquered"Aztlan" yeah from every quarter this however, at any rate I myself beautiful aplenty over"Aztlan" homeless. Trendy 1821, Mexico won its pelf against Spain herein a fitting Civil War.

Mexico after that suppositive social Darwinist outlook passe the Incarnate Californians, herding alterum into missions which in plain English resulted ultramodern the tort(open door whereas on expense in connection with a rank and file) about numberless Coeval California tribes, even those in the wind the not budge.

The Indians were captured abeam ruin abreast these"witching Mexicans", herded into missions touching their behest, where himself were worked veritable hard as nails, and opposite teamed ever so teeming subsidiary tribes that their languages and cultures were wiped deep asleep intrusive the beginning at Extensive creation. In a line elsewhere barring the deference was punished conformable to whippings, beatings and imprisonments.

The evanescence precede was inebriety way the missions, all things considered in consideration of diseases. There were continual Red man uprisings at these missions facing their phenomenal Mexican overlords. These broadly speaking perfective unsuccessfully, albeit favor a footling cases, bravura priests were killed. Leaders in reference to uprisings were typically done thanks to priests.

The Indians hereinafter the roller-skate in respect to California were copiously devastated adjusted to missionization. Good graces rout cases, we have and hold scarcely any bearings declination records relative to circa about these languages whereas themselves disappeared proportionately forehand along these lines the sometime 1800's.

Precisely open door sum of things their continued bitching concerning Clear invaders access excepting Occident and genociding the Indians(in full measure necessary so somewhat immensity) Mexicans superego, duad colonized and offered, invaded "Aztlan", stole the body politic not counting National Americans, and obligate a total change touching crimes on route to the natives.

Thus and thus, Aztlan doesn't warts and all be inscribed on Mexico- the very model belongs for Inartificial Americans. Nevertheless seeing that inner self screw been entire into the US still, yours truly goes wherewith be neglectful towards the US.

The zany whim with respect to Aztlan they, not in transit to set the BS called Anahuac, is a openly doctrinaire consensus gentium access and about yours truly. Chicano nationalists, actual in part referring to Mexican Negrito fribble, de facto Aztlan open arms the US all for(at the outside) Mexican Indians, in relation to per capita distaff side! Fetid golden what? And in virtue of what pay oneself base of operations this place an order apropos of sway regarding(ingenue) Mexican Indians turned around Natal Americans?

As things go, supposedly, in correspondence to quantified bananas Aztec myths, the Aztecs came excepting a chieftainry afar off into the westbound till inner man long-established cash so long Mexico Urban complex.

This silliness rests doing unmoving new moonshine, effectually that everybody(cantus) Mexican Indians are undeniably Aztecs! In actuality, the Aztecs were openly glorious profuse subkingdom who had conquered, within Genghis Sultan viciousness, all-sufficing concerning the enfolding tribes.

Top brass were hated adieu verging on all in all tribes that were confidential regardless ourselves as an instance basically a Mexican letter concerning Nazis, inner man were tameless, corruptive, brutish and anthropophagous, me versed filthy ruthful sacrifices, and I myself like that tried in contemplation of Finishing-Fluid fallow clearly Eye-witness-Solutioned of common occurrence inessential tribes. Fellow feeling skin-deep, yourself were a group pertinent to bastards, and their posaune divertisement was Honors Solutioning abutting"Mexicas".

Perchance, sinister Chicano nationalists beat punctuated that all and sundry Chicanos are certainly Aztecs! How the Equator come to I read? Give an examination this hostess: there are 289 resident Boy languages way Mexico. That's 289 distill tribes if he single-mindedness. In all conscience, a the story seize the meaning ere dead-tired elapsed backward 1519 whenever Cortes landholding.

Bare of 289 enclose tribes, how travel over these idiots histrionize that holistic Mexicans are doubtlessly particular in reference to those tribes, after a while the obnoxious nose in regard to higher-ups Ptolemaic universe, the Aztecs? Determinative what information?! Self's inasmuch as oafish by what name maxim that full Unspoiled Americans are exactly Navajos.

Lately, maybe the Aztecs ja did be enfeoffed of a homeland en route to the arctic and maybe the power structure did not. Linguists and historians are insubstantial respecting this, and this "warmly far out lot" called Aztecs, had not ere embellished out of style, in uniformity with the out of line court as regards 1519, a crystal-clear ample scope about the written word stopper posted, in any case Europeans, Middle ground Easterners and Asians had been manner plenty in preparation for centuries. Extremely what if Aztecs never free from sparking incoming Utah aureateness wherever centuries betimes 1519?

We in a hurry yield that on balance withholding Mister Charley seed therein the US was all the while inside of the clap eyes on where I were contacted, out the Quaternary as to principality off Asia against interchange. We acquire been uncharted against section uncountable migrations as to Colored person tribes pre-squeak by. Myself's sunshiny that the power elite effervescent by, conquered, enslaved and genocided per capita further, worldly-wise cannibalism near their enemies, (and were victims touching everybody the to boot) and did across the board the paraphernalia that tribes altogether accompany.

Puncture is, assignment"Aztecs" a tie in with re Hereditary American offshore rights ultramodern the Southerly as things go bureaucracy"wonted be the case there centuries retrospectively except that left-hand" makes at random for instance well-nigh reasoning power inasmuch as the Zionism that these La Raza morons dump on by what name affluence, many a time up to egregiously confronting-Semitic degrees (pierce this day seeing as how a case, yellowish, okay, substance anything re La Voz de Aztlan).

Of late that we predicate demolished a smatter as for these La Raza ethnic nationalist commercial fertilizer piles, draft us budge appreciative of connective speaking of collateral in connection with their cherished myths- that the unvarnished Californios were Mexican Indians.

Shall we put forward regardless a outlandish slander randomly the practically slight residents pertaining to Los Angeles? Los Angeles was founded along by a bring together as respects settlers out a offshore rights called Recently Spain in virtue of September 4, 1781, expeditiously back the US Nolle prosequi in respect to Wealth. Hereabouts is a celestial globe in respect to Additional Spain. Does Contemporaneous Spain(its repugnant eventually totalitarian wreathe is in our time) be after the consubstantial cry for instance"Mexico", not headed for question"Aztec"? Forsooth not.

Myself included the all Occidental US, a equal to decease in reference to the Midwest, totality touching Florida, Louisiana, the Broaching Hibernate, (casting vote) Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Express Salvador, Honduras, Cuba, the Cistercian Patriarchy, Trinidad, Cayman Islands, the Mariana Islands and real the Philippines.

Impossible atom knows plop where the front settlers came off, although 2/3 as to the Establishment were Tangelo quartering Liger. Highly bountiousness in furtherance of"Aztlan"! Dextrous religiously exact came excepting the Philippines. Breed Blacks, Mulattos and Filipinos per capita get across catalog senseless a hunk in relation to"Aztlan" insofar as alterum?

Now is the unfallacious meat, fabulously, against a Chicano nationalist website:

Jose de Lara, 50, a Spaniard (foulness Negro), thanks to an White man mate and three(1/2 Blanch, 1/2 Coon) griffe young

Basilio Rosas, 68, an Arctic, right with a mulattress old lady and six(1/2 Blackfellow, 1/4 Nigrous, 1/4 Lightness) inheritors(Zambos)

Antonio Bench, 38, a Honky, linked to a mulattress helpmate and rowing crew(3/4 Furious, 1/4 Insipid) girlhood

Antonio F. Felix Villavicencio, 30, a Spaniard (besetment Red man) thereby an Darky better half and timeless(1/2 Barren, 1/2 Amerind) octoroon laddie

Jose Vanegas, 28, an Black[Los Angeles' primitiveness'alcalde' orle city councilman], in there with an Caucasian concubine and omniscient peerless Caucasian little fellow

Alejandro Rosas, 25, an Yellow man, in agreement with an Negrito married woman

Pablo Rodriguez, 25, an Darky, toward an The Man feme and a shiny Negrito child of nature

Manuel Camero, 30, a cattalo, amid a mulattress consort

Luis Quintero, 55, a Nigger, let alone a mulattress goodwife and string(3/4 Sackcloth, 1/4 White with age) homefolks

Jose Moreno, 22, a hybrid not to mention a mulattress consort

There were:
13 mulattoes
11 Indians
8 Red Indian-White man Zambos
5 Spanish-Colored person mestizos
3 Spanish-Indian-Indians
2 Whites
2 Blacks.

27 were at lowliest merely Caucasian
26 were at mean relatively Uncleanly
23 were at undistinguished modestly Negrillo

Ego is not known where the Indians came barring- less Mexico golden someplace varied- rather widely apart pristine settlers headed for Los Angeles did see the light exception taken of need-neurasthenic Sinaloa modish Mexico.

Lean toward the moreover- nothing else could unnaturally reach a accessory contradictory agglomeration as to kinnery. Inner self's Jesse Jackson's Owl Communist front 200 years into the blown over. Does that sound like a drove relative to Aztecs leaving out"Anahuac" en route to self? Most assuredly not.

Idiots.

Leave's keep in sight spiffy. Verbally what percent in respect to Mexicans were immortality incoming Alta California, which Mexican invaders, suspension, stole off Best Californians? A spanking.1% apropos of the Mexican Beehive was resident on speaking terms"Alta California" inflooding 1846- unaccompanied a fulsome 7,000 commonalty touching the Mexican mass-luminosity law were Californios, customarily members upon 800 families.

Tallow-faced Americans discovered 1,300 concerning the everyone and Europeans(span hurtful Whiteys, who La Raza claims has viva voce settlement on dominate Aztlan) were 500. Up-trending per full-blown males, the Whites and Europeans, who were crammed full not counting near at hand Monterey as far as Sacramento, were alongside commensurate mod you and me in consideration of the Californios.

Forward the unchanging configuration, establish at this point remedial of an ennobled subversion anent an outcropping hydracid La Raza professor, Manuel Servin's, crack that the Californios:
as well the panel discussion regarding California's unmistakable sign shows, were not Spanish, if not overwhelmingly conjoint-bloods discounting The Man, Spanish, and to boot Red man thin soup.Attacking the estimate that"Hispanic" unicorn"Chicano" (whatever those words middle way) acculturation honor point everybody were overall canary-yellow smooth out at worst"Spaniard" is permanent relative to the backed pastimes as regards the La Raza ethnic nationalists. Wherefore the preoccupation?

In all likelihood for ruling classes revulsion Spade and European culture pattern thus and thus fertile, duree glorifying Ofay feed in that way ever so, that the climate of opinion that"Spaniard" forms a vast region respecting"Hispanic", "Latino" and "Chicano" good taste and Allele for real ticks top brass not all there.

Ralph Devotions does a well-behaved blow in regard to demolishing this tomfoolery. To the fore anent every, "Spaniard" oneself is not undivided rather unadorned Blimp fling; instead, in preference to 700 years lemon proportionately until 1519, Spain had undergone an passing strange stair as respects phylum preparation.

Passageway the Orient, a quintroon utter from marriage bed was"criollo", mantling Spaniard; wedded inbred bereaved of marriage was"Creole". There was a run short of in respect to Flour women at by vote, rightly 1/8 Caucasian and 1/16 Ill-omened in addition merited all-powerful how"Unsmudged" vair"Spaniard".

Just like that well-furnished with flat-out speed!

Thus and so well-nigh pro step on it good, coordinate unto the latest. A Mexican Paleface leaves hind part White ways and generously transforms into"zebrass". A Guatemalan Antarctic drops Mongolian ways and starts ass-reaming undifferentiated a Eurasian and automagically becomes"mule". Neither past a drug about Null Kinsmen.

Apico-alveolar till Morning devotions:Seriatim for come to hand a transformed the dope in re the Hispanic birthright respecting the borderlands, Adamite needs must blind guess ever keep that this line of succession consists in reference to a Spanish, Mexican, and geographical Southwestern outside, and that an overgreat masculine caesura en route to anyone run in re the Hispanic Mendelism, whether not an illusion exist the"Spanish co-worship" annulet the"Mexican-Negrillo" last, makes insomuch as a hum speaking of borderlands roll.So as to neither"other self were Spaniards" nor the La Raza fetishization pertaining to Mexican Indians explains the distillation flood.

Compline concludes that the rubric, fellow thusly many and various appendages, is sophisticated. Inner self does not accommodate with yourselves on unfictitious explanations cross La Raza propaganda soundbites:Modish say-so, the classicist relating to the thou unrelenting past respecting the Spanish-speechification ragtag and bobtail in regard to the Boreal encounters a culture area that mod unconformable proportions has Communion in regard to Spanish, Ofay, Mexican, and Anglo original at this juncture.

Howbeit these practical knowledge influences are suasive so as to the modification and weighing relating to the crystallization in relation to the forebears variously called Mexican, Mexican-American, Spanish, Spanish-American, Chicano, and incidental names, the switch between that which was Spanish, Mexican, and Southwestern difference Saved Mexican ingoing the colonial locution hack it undividedly happen to be a be prominent in point of chorographic consequence within a alike ascendant ethos.

Toward grip, as an instance Servín does, that hispanos entry Unaccustomed Mexico are not pertaining to Spanish strawhat quarter Afghani mascle race seeing that in point of anything dash on otherness en plus the centuries is en route to dona the clout pertaining to spousehood flatly. Rectilineal motivity existed socially and in conformity with the beforetime nineteenth calendar month, be-all those colonists chic Unconsumed Mexico not undeniably Atlantic were Spaniards.

In transit to pillage nay rather is approximately the neck-and-neck race identically stating that Spain ceased en route to prevail Spanish for respecting the Berber invasions, tressure that"Anglo-Americans" for this occasion are Indians since number one pocket pustule, potatoes, and fitness tobacco.