Simple message today. If you're training vibrato this Spring... keep going. Here’s the Reader’s Digest version of how to do that effectively and without going crazy. To keep going: spend the first and last 5 minutes of every practice playing reps in the sweet spot of your training process. To not go crazy: add one fun, slightly challenging song to your practice. --- Here’s a bit more on how to keep going on your main goal (vibrato if you’re following the current Dojo focus), and why reps are where the magic happens. Quick reminder of the steps: White Belt: prep for movement Blue Belt: lock in one technique Purple Belt: reps Brown Belt: formed brain pathways Resist the temptation to try vibrato in songs (that's a black belt activity) until brown belt is feeling easy, or keep it to a minimum. Since I’ve been working with adult learners for over a decade, all my best tips have come straight from you. One student said something I love: It helps if I change from thinking- “I’m practicing violin” to “I’m training my brain to play violin.” Ok if I get a little nerdy? When we do reps, we’re building new matter and connections to the cerebellum, the part of the brain responsible for automatic movement. It's crazy - it's a small mini brain looking thing way at the back of our head. (Take a look at the brain diagram attached.) Meanwhile, the parts of the brain we rely on for everyday life like planning, logic, memory... don’t help much here. Which is why this can feel so frustrating. It’s like we’ve spent our whole lives building a beautiful boat… and suddenly we’re dropped on dry land. 🥴 Everything we usually rely on doesn’t help us here. The cool part is, this is exactly why playing violin is so good for the brain, no matter where it leads. One more thought: Remember texting on flip phones with T9? Or pressing the 2 three times to get a C? Then smartphones came along with full touch screen keyboards, and it felt awkward at first. Now look at us go! 😅

OK, Once I got past the "eye candy factor" (which,believe me, took awhile🫤) I noticed the oldest daughter's bow hold . Not sure if all French Canadian Quebecois fiddlers hold their bows like this or not. She's definately got her own thing going on here.ttps://youtu.be/AF3TgdBIGMk?si=sPnsvlBBNHdHNoIq

Goodbye conventional bow hold. It's been 6 months and I just can't get acclimated to your standards. Im fed up with not being able to mange bow bounce, straight longbowing and overall bow control so i think i shant persist in struggling with you any longer. You leave me no alternative but to switch over to the Charlotte Le Blanc/Quebecouis fiddler bow hold. The conventional bow hold might work for some violinists but not for this "non-conformist/wierd artist grouchy old Hollander". I'm going to have to "breakaway" (because ,as the late,great Gary Richrath put it: "What's right for them may be wrong for you"). Ill keep working on all the rest of the WAD foundation stuff though. Pardon the torn up kitchen folks. I'm knee deep in a "DIY kitchen cabinet, house renovation".

Another violinist sent this to me today. We agreed we hadn’t thought much about Hot Cross Buns being an actual food item. Happy Easter! 😋🎻

I apologise to your ears first !! This was a much harder than I remember . I know I’m flat in some spots but honestly, this was my best take in about a 1000. Last week, when I was playing and recording, it sounded like I never held a fiddle before !!!!!