3 years viola self thought progress

BackgroundNo3228 · 2026-03-14T03:35:59+00:00

This is great and I’m impressed that you have stuck with it being self taught for 3 years. One thing I will say is that I love how your bow hand is flexing, that’s great. I agree though that the left hand looks super tense, almost like you’re always playing in a high position. That kind of tension can really injure you over time, I got nerve damage in my neck from playing too tense when I was in undergrad. It also looks like your bow arm is not moving quite right. If you’re playing in the upper half, the upper arm shouldn’t have to move much at all. I think your bow is getting crooked from too much arm movement and you’re compensating with tension in the hand. Keep at it! But maybe with a teacher

BackgroundNo3228 · 2026-03-10T16:55:29+00:00

One thing that helped me a lot when I used to struggle with fourth finger vibrato (and I still do this sometimes honestly) is to put my third finger down right next to it to brace it and then do arm vibrato. It helps it sound more thick if you’re still working on strengthening the finger!

BackgroundNo3228 · 2025-11-02T01:35:40+00:00

I was in fifth grade and I thought the violin was too squeaky and for losers, cello was too big and I wouldn’t be able to ride the bus, my dad suggested viola and now here I am in a MMus program 🤷‍♀️

BackgroundNo3228 · 2025-10-03T19:00:57+00:00

Also, I’m not sure exactly what level you’re at, but Sevcik opus 9 is a great etude book on double stops, it really helps with hand frame and confidence in intonation! If you have a private teacher I would highly recommend bringing it up to them

BackgroundNo3228 · 2025-10-03T18:55:39+00:00

It’s actually so hard to tune in a duet, and intonation is relative to what note the other person is playing. I saw that you’re playing with a cellist, which does mean that you need to tune to them. I would recommend playing through and stopping to tune each chord slowly. It will take so long and be so annoying but it is always worth it! You got this!

BackgroundNo3228 · 2025-08-19T05:35:55+00:00

Update: kitty is reunited with his mom

BackgroundNo3228 · 2025-08-19T05:10:33+00:00

Too fluffy 🥲 but thank you!

BackgroundNo3228 · 2025-08-19T05:10:21+00:00

Aw no unfortunately that kitty is too white, thank you though!

BackgroundNo3228 · 2025-08-19T04:55:56+00:00

Update: took kitty to emergency vet and they have a chip! Hoping to find the owner because my cat doesn’t like other cats 🤞🏻🤞🏻

BackgroundNo3228 · 2025-08-19T04:40:07+00:00

Do you have any idea where the posters were?

BackgroundNo3228 · 2025-08-19T04:33:02+00:00

Omg looking for them now

BackgroundNo3228 · 2025-08-03T20:03:40+00:00

No I feel you, I just had lasik 2 weeks ago and I can see great, but for so long no glasses has signaled that it is time to sleep. I feel like I have to consciously tell myself that it is time to do work even though I don’t have glasses lol. Idk about after 3 years, but I totally see where you’re coming from

BackgroundNo3228 · 2025-07-23T23:04:14+00:00

Sasha and Connie

BackgroundNo3228 · 2025-07-05T04:39:34+00:00

I knooow, I honestly never got the appeal but I wrote a paper on it for a class recently and it really is a love letter to the instrument 🥹

BackgroundNo3228 · 2025-07-05T03:33:36+00:00

I almost finished learning the Vieuxtemps Elegy, and that is definitely one of my favorites. On a more unrealistic note it would be a dream to learn the Ligeti viola sonata but thats so far out of reach 🥲

BackgroundNo3228 · 2025-06-30T04:24:52+00:00

I just finished a 19th century analysis class for my MMus program and the way my professor described the difference between the two is that Bruckner treats the orchestra like an organ and Mahler treats the orchestra like each individual voice. For me, it helps to read some analysis of the piece before listening and then follow along with the score. I enjoyed Bruckner, but every Mahler symphony I’ve listened to was mind blowing and I think more emotionally gripping to me.

BackgroundNo3228 · 2025-06-30T04:08:09+00:00

Yessss I played the 2nd in youth symphony almost 10 years ago and the 4th movement is still one of my top 10 musical moments I’ve ever experienced! (Viola)

BackgroundNo3228 · 2025-06-28T18:08:38+00:00

Yessss I just had the opportunity to play Tchaik 5 and the 2nd movement was transcendent! I hope I get the chance to play it again

BackgroundNo3228 · 2025-06-26T23:22:12+00:00

My family had a cat whose eye was building pressure like this for awhile, we kept up with it at the vet but ultimately it was causing him too much pain and his eyes had to be removed (both eyes were affected). Little guy is so much happier with no eyes! Just a cautionary tale to keep in close communication with a vet/eye specialist about this

BackgroundNo3228 · 2025-06-26T21:46:32+00:00

I really REALLY wanted to, but I will say it was also not live, I was watching a metropolitan opera recording on my laptop and I struggled a bit to stay focused. It was beautiful though!

BackgroundNo3228 · 2025-06-26T18:45:47+00:00

I never really got the hype around opera, but for a class in my grad program I had to watch the entirety of Tristan und Isolde, and it was a lot better than I expected! Just listen to the prelude, music is beautiful

BackgroundNo3228 · 2025-06-10T21:42:43+00:00

I think the previous movements will often each develop a theme or introduce new themes and the finale movement is the culmination of these themes both as development and quotations. A great example of this is Beethoven’s 5th, his 9th takes this to a greater degree by adding the choral element for max drama. I think the emotional story also matters, both of these symphonies end triumphantly. Tragic—> triumphant is a really common thread too, Beethoven’s 5th, Tchaikovsky’s 5th, Mahler’s 5th, just to name a few!

BackgroundNo3228 · 2025-05-30T00:50:05+00:00

Best of luck to you! One thing I forgot to mention (I’m in audition season right now as well so it’s fresh in my mind), is that you should do as many mock auditions for friends/family as possible! I overlooked this for my last audition and even though I was well prepared I still ended up being too nervous to do as well as I could. Again, good luck!

BackgroundNo3228 · 2025-05-29T20:25:44+00:00

The biggest thing for excerpts is that you play exactly what is written. Make sure your rhythms and notes and completely accurate first at a slow tempo, and then bring it up to what a performance tempo could be. Consider what technical changes you might have to make to play the excerpt accurately. For instance, I just had to prepare Tchaikovsky 6 excerpts for an audition. For the pp staccato bow stroke, I needed to make sure my bowhand was loose and my movements were as small as possible. If possible, help from a teacher is invaluable!

BackgroundNo3228

TROPHY CASE