At least two Alpert Studio students will be attending a summer Suzuki institute this summer. Here are some tips to assist your institute experiences.

Tips for the home teacher:

Explain to the student and parent that the purpose of a master class is not to learn new pieces.

Define and help student prepare a polished piece to play for the private lesson/master class. Often a good guideline is a piece four pieces behind the one on which they are currently working. The home teacher should designate this piece before the student leaves for the institute, and the piece must be in the Suzuki repertoire (even for advanced students).

Students should be expected to practice daily for the master class (and other classes, as well) during the Institute. Parents should take careful notes. The home teacher should be given a copy of the notes after the institute for their own reference.

The student may be asked to do something differently at the Institute—this is a good thing!

Make sure the students arrive with proper equipment:

CD and player or iPod to listen to their piece. Suzuki Books.
Piano Accompaniment, especially for any additional piece outside of the Suzuki repertoire. Metronome and Tuner. Rosin. A properly prepared instrument. Put on new strings, consider getting the bow rehaired before the institute. Check over your equipment!

Let students know beforehand whether they are ready for a new instrument or not. Often, vendors will attract students to upgrades that they are not quite ready for.

Let them know whether to accept instrument setup advice from the institute teacher.

Give the student questions to ask the institute teacher, when appropriate, concerning ongoing issues (such as posture, vibrato, set-up, etc).

Be content with ensemble placements. Remember that this is not the most important part of the Institute, and the chamber repertoire will require additional practice time.
Create an institute checklist to ensure that you have everything you need for a productive and fun week!

When accomplished 15 year old violinist Brian Zhang signed up to play for Mimi Zweig, he was probably thinking of Mozart, Bach or Barber. Little did he know he’d soon be taking a 90 minute journey through the A major scale! Ms. Zweig, noted violinist, pedagogue, educator and mentor to many world class musicians (including violin/celeb Joshua Bell) has a way of turning complex problems into simple solutions.

“There’s a Zen to playing scales,” says Zweig, “that can calm even a teenage student who just had a fight with her mother.” Within the scale routine, and its dozens of variant bowings and rhythms, can be found the technical basis for almost any element of violin playing. And today for Brian, the simple act of remembering to play an open D string instead of using his 4th finger, provided a challenge almost as great as the Sarasate showpiece he performed just hours earlier.

Be it playing first base for the Yankees or playing Brahms, the greatest performers and athletes always focus on the fundamentals. The slight over tilting of a head, a bit of tightness in the shoulder joint, a posture that looks a little closed at times: these are among the dozens of subtle elements that never escape Zweig’s eye. She seems to have a certain ESP that brings the most relevant issue into focus within just a few notes of a scale. It’s a pleasure and inspiration for teachers everywhere to see her in action.

So remember, students: If you’d like to get to Carnegie Hall, or even if you just need to polish up your next Suzuki recital, the fastest way might just be playing your scales!

Every summer, string teachers from across the country (myself included) make a pilgrimage to Milwaukee. They’re here to observe what is arguably one of the finest models of string education in the world. For teachers, it’s a four day intense program of immersion simply entitled Teaching the Violin to Children.

The String Academy of Wisconsin, founded in 1990 by well known pedagogue Mimi Zweig, takes its roots from the teaching philosophies of Shinichi Suzuki and Paul Rolland. These two violin luminaries were certainly some of the most influential violin educators of the 20th century. Currently Executive Director Darcy Drexler, along with Zweig form the core faculty of the Workshop. For violin teachers, it’s a rare opportunity to draw upon years of experience distilled by some of the most effective violin teachers in the world.

For me, a trip like this is great fun. Every day is non-stop violin: lecture, demonstration and recitals. It’s inspiring and motivating, exhausting and at the same time exhilarating. For my students: it means.. well they’ll be finding out soon enough

Today, Edwardo and family came together to comfort his wife. Laying in a hospital bed, she was connected to oxygen and faced the end of her life. From their darkened room Edwardo heard strains of violin music floating down the hallway into the open doorway. It so happened he heard me playing selections of music for my mother, as I frequently do when visiting her convalescent home.

And so, a still very handsome 80 year old man appeared at our doorway. He shyly asked if they could listen for a while. Edwardo knew his music, and recognized everything I played, from Bach to Schubert. At one point he recited the Spanish version poem of Schubert’s lovely Serenade, while I played the melody.

It wasn’t long before I found myself down the hall, playing for Edwardo, his wife and company. The request: Monti’s Csardas, the very same piece the young married couple remembered from their honeymoon, more half a century ago. The proprietor of that Mexico City restaurant played it that night for the newly married couple. I had the honor and privilege of recreating that moment, as Edwardo cradled his very weak wife’s head in his arms, as he once again affirmed his love. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room, including mine. It was a tender moment I’ll never forget.

Such is the joy and magic of music. It transcends borders and crosses generations unabated. It’s truly a gift of the spirit and the highest expression of humanity.

The challenge in music like this, indeed when learning anything new, is making it effortless. To that end, it appears that Milstein is barely working during this highly technical selection. Indeed, in this case it is the economy of motion and simplicity in approach that makes lets the music shine.

Playing a string instrument (or any instrument) is frequently about working less, removing tension and preparing the music to a cellular level. When applied diligently, this philosophy can bring about stunning results, as I’m sure you’ll appreciate if you’ll invest three minutes and watch the video. Enjoy!

Downtown Albuquerque, NM
I’d be remiss if I let too much time pass without thanking my FSS students for allowing me the time to visit the recent American String Teachers Association conference in Albuquerque. I made the trip along with my dear friend and orchestra colleague, cellist Kyle Champion. Also making the trip were something like 2000 string teachers and students from across the USA and beyond, including fellow FSS instructor Wendy Waggener, and Redlands Symphony harpist Mary Dropkin.

New Mexico was beautiful and sunny; the workshops and concerts were inspirational as was the camaraderie and spirt surrounding the event. Certainly string teachers are a diverse group, yet within that group one can find a spirit of generosity and dedication to a common purpose.

Of special note: a recital by violinist Joshua Bell and pianist Jeremy Denk. I heard Josh Bell play a the Mendelssohn Concerto with the LA Phil a couple of years ago; it was indeed an impressive concert. But this recital, which included works by Tartini, Prokofiev, Schumann and Saint-Saéns was even more so. Bell and Denk donated their time to ASTA, and were equally generous with the playing. I can’t remember any musician with as much celebrity as Bell putting so much energy into an evening of music, from first note to last. This while the duo needed to pack up and catch a red eye back to the east coast the very same evening. The music was transcendent; one could have heard a pin drop during the quiet moments in the packed full Kiva Auditorium.

Bell made many an ASTA attendant beam when he thanked the organization from the stage. His big break came after winning an ASTA competition in Minneapolis. A year later he was playing with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Another surprise from the stage: Bell dedicated his encore: March from the Love of Three Oranges, to “his idol” Jascha Heifetz, who penned the venerable Prokofiev arrangement. To me it was a surprise comment from a young player whose extroverted approach seems so different than that of Mr. Heifetz.

Another notable concert: that of the Shanghai Quartet. This virtuostic and innovative group didn’t draw the the big crowds of Bell’s recital. Too bad for those who missed another spectacular evening of all out, take-a-lot-of-chances music making. Perhaps string quartets have an undeserved reputation for being a bit cerebral. Certainly that wouldn’t apply to this group of four young musicians, now resident at Montclair State University in New Jersey. Check out a recording of violinist Yi-Wen Jiang’s quartet arrangements of traditional Chinese folk songs; they are gorgeous and ravishing, expertly written.

Dozens of musicians, artists and educators presented workshops. Mark O’Connor talked about (and demonstrated!) his “New American Classical Music.” My own idol, violinist Darol Anger, led several sessions on jazz and alternative styles. He’s every bit the musical genius that Josh Bell is, in his own unique way. Somehow he manages to touch the deepest part of me, every time I hear him play, even if it’s just a simple old fiddle tune. And there were the youth honor orchestras and ensembles; it’s impressive to see these kids playing so well and excelling in their lives. Kudos!

As my friend Kyle pointed out, a recurring theme for me was attending sessions that focussed on Yoga, Alexander Technique, acting exercises, singing, shoulder injuries and custom fitted chin rests. More and more, I’m realizing the skills of using the body properly, releasing tension and being “in the moment” are vitally important to me and my students. Students: you’ll be hearing more about this in the studio soon!

So again, thanks to all my students, as well as my very first teacher violin teacher Marjorie Marth, who covered my Suzuki group classes while I was gone, and of course to the dedicated folks at ASTA, who put on one of the best conferences ever!

Richard Wagner’s epic The Ring is a collection of four operas that have inspired concert goers, film makers, film composers, artists of all manner and even soldiers in combat for 150 years. It’s twenty hours of music that encapsulate legend, love, war, incest, racism and even the creation of the universe.

Productions of this mammoth work are legend in themselves. People plan for years and travel thousands of miles to attend. The mother of all Ring productions can be experienced at a specially built opera house in Bayreuthe, Germany, where Wagner staged his original production. You’ll need to buy your tickets early, maybe a couple of years early. Seats are running about $2000 each, per opera. Yes, a trip for two including air fare should be easily doable for only about $25,000

In case you don’t have the 25K, here’s plan B:

Find a quiet hour, brew a cup of tea, pull up a comfy chair and point your browser to the WNYC public radio podcast The Ring and I. It’s a fabulous production from WNYC’s Radio Lab. I’m a regular listener to this fine series, and this particular podcast is one of the best shows about classical music I’ve ever heard. You can download the mp3 here!

Remembering my music major days in college, solo oppportunities were infrequent, mostly obligatory recitals. Throughout my adult life, I’ve had the chance to speak in public, lead seminars and teach classes. None of that could properly prepare me to play the violin as a soloist. It is often quoted that many people fear public speaking more than death. My nemesis is instead the concert stage.

I made a comittment, not so many years ago, to face this fear head on. For the first time, I performed a solo piece completely from memory. For a seasoned orchestra player like myself, shedding that music stand was a big deal. The result wasn’t exactly my most comfortable effort, but at least it was a goal accomplished. After another year of preparation, I upped the ante and played a full movement and cadenza of a Mozart concerto, also from memory. Though I got through the experience, it was even more uncomfortable. My nerves didn’t settle until I neared the end of the music. My own sense of frustration with that experience drove me to continue the process.

I tried to schedule more concerts, mostly in small, informal venues, and tried everything I could to put some positive performing experiences under my belt. Finally, I had an opportunity to revisit that first short solo, called “Meditation” in a recital situation. For the very first time, I could say I was truly happy with my performance. I walked off the stage smiling, knowing that I had finally come close to my potential. All in all, it was a three year journey; agonizing at times, but never dull!

Last month, I had the opportunity to play an entire concerto, (for violin and oboe) by Bach, with orchestra. I prepared for several months, and wondered what it would be like to stand in front of an orchestra, in a big church, filled with concert goers. The dress rehearsal went well for both me and my colleague, oboist Lynette Kobernik. As the day of the concert came close, I tried to do everything right. I stayed well rested, ate the right foods, and practiced my yoga and deep breathing.

Bill Alpert/Lynette Kobernik, Lyric Symphony • Feb. ‘07

On concert day, I felt that familiar “wired” feeling. I know I wouldn’t be good company, so I sequestered myself from the rest of the family. I did a morning bike ride, more yoga and spent quite a lot of time getting warmed up. The drive to Riverside was uneventful, and I arrived early. I chatted with colleagues, went backstage for more warmup, and soon i heard the orchestra playing the first piece. I had a lot of energy, and happily, I had no feelings of fear or dread.

The concerto went well. There were no surprises; it felt good to actually realize the points of technique and interpretation I had spent weeks and months preparing. For me it was a success on many levels. The audience seemed to enjoy it, and responded with warm enthusiam. I learned to move outside the limits of my own fears.

I hope every music student, with the help of a dedicated teacher, will do his or her best to learn the right notes and play in tune. I hope she will always practice with focus, creativity and dedication. I hope he will attend every lesson and class. I hope they will all share their song with the world. Above all, I hope that music students everywhere also learn to conquer their fears, set and reach worthy goals, and become happy people. After all, that’s what Suzuki is all about!

I recently completed a two day recording session at Capitol Records. It was a film score for an action movie currently in post production, The Rebel. At the session we were all updated about our another project that we completed more than a year ago. At the time I had only an inkling of what this movie would be; it’s a gripping drama, and an important historical document. It’s been winning prizes at film festivals across the globe, and it drew standing ovations at Sundance.
In 1975, when U.S. forces left South Vietnam, a modern day holocaust ensued. Journey from the Fall tells a story that few Americans remember. The producers of the film had a first hand connection to those events some 30 years ago; they knew this is a story that must be told. And though the session was more than a year ago, I can still feel the warmth and heartfelt appreciation that the film makers had for all of us over those days in Studio A.
I feel honored to have been part of this project. Though I have yet to see Journey from the Fall, (it opens in Spring 2007) I hope everyone will take the time to seek out this movie.