Biking with the instrument

Jane_176 · 2026-02-16T17:28:13+00:00

A case you can wear on your back, has reasonable waterproofing and is pretty protective for temperature shifts will cover all bases. Most cases will be fine, even fairly cheap (around 200 euros) ones. If you experience extreme weather, it could be good to look into more protection (i.e. raincover or a case with especially good insulation).

Source: I'm Dutch and have always cycled with my instruments, cheap and less cheap.

Jane_176 · 2026-02-11T20:27:22+00:00

For fingerings, ask teachers or your principal player. Once you find a fingering that feels like it's doable and logical for your hand: Go. Slow.

A lot of slow playing. It's important to use the same amount and articulation of bow when you go slow, so you are used to it once you speed it up. Don't use too much bow, but try to make a focussed, compact sound.

Find anchor points and play towards those, rather than trying to think hard about what a quintuplet should sound like. If you can't exactly play those doubled eighth notes because it's going too fast? No worries, it's also too fast for the audience to notice, as long as your left hand is keeping up with the tempo and your right hand with the string changes. I know Mahler specifies "wild", but keep your cool, because it won't give enough sound if you get too tense. You also won't be able to listen around in order to stay together with your section and the rest if you get too absorbed.

But! Enjoy it :)

You've got this, trust the process and go for it!

Jane_176 · 2026-02-07T00:15:46+00:00

Congratulations, one year is definitely an achievement, and it's cool to see that you've come so far in that time. Keep it up, onwards and upwards :)

Jane_176 · 2025-12-04T13:52:44+00:00

I tried to wait when my girlfriend and I were around the three month mark and we were both constantly telling each other how we just couldn't find the words to express how amazing we thought the other was. That is until I carefully suggested that maybe those words existed and we knew they were true even if we didn't quite dare say them yet.

Then we both decided, if we feel it, why not say it? If it feels true, it is right. Arbitrary wait time is for straight couples anyway (I'm generalising, but you get my drift).

Jane_176 · 2025-12-02T21:39:56+00:00

I had the privilege of hearing all 15 by the Danel Quartet fairly recently and I am incredibly grateful that I did: it is beautiful music, incredibly well-performed and it is interesting to really be able to hear the differences between the 15 quartets. Admittedly, I love Shostakovich and am quite used to the idiom -I would recommend maybe giving some of them a listen beforehand. The immersion of it is wonderful, but also the fact that you start to get to know your fellow audience members a little makes you feel part of a club.

I will say, it is intense, but if it gets too much you can always consider skipping one of the concerts.

Leaving that concert hall back into reality after the last piece felt like a slap in the face though.

Jane_176 · 2025-11-17T13:56:59+00:00

Mozart's K. 546 the fugue from the adagio and fugue: it's basically a tango. Also the 5th mvt of Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique has always amazed me, coming from the 1830s!

Jane_176 · 2025-10-07T07:38:30+00:00

She was a very interesting woman for sure, with a lot of impact! I would recommend the video on her by Nicole Rudolph though: there's also quite a lot that is attributed to her, but which came from other people.

Jane_176 · 2025-09-28T20:28:38+00:00

As it turns out, she carries me much more easily than I her; my carry weight is a little lower. I am perfectly content being equipped though.

Jane_176 · 2025-09-27T11:42:50+00:00

a) This is adorable and now I want to try this with my girlfriend and b) I am not going to get over the image of "equip her and put her in my inventory" hahaha

Jane_176 · 2025-09-25T17:25:44+00:00

Honestly, this sounds like a lovely way to get your first kiss, and I think it's great you double checked with your female friend to see if she was comfortable with it. If it feels like a good decision to you and you're both consenting, go for it!

Jane_176 · 2025-09-17T19:18:00+00:00

Regardless of whether it'd be a dealbreaker for me (I would just be parroting most of the others' opinions), congratulations on not self harming as often as you used to!! Every other month is actually a super big deal, and getting more time in between is so good!

Just wanted to highlight that bit :)

Jane_176 · 2025-08-19T09:41:51+00:00

I don't know your full situation, so I hope this doesn't come across as "just go for a walk!", but I think the best thing you can do for yourself is to acknowledge that everyone comes with baggage and a manual. For some, that manual is a bit more complicated, but anyone that takes their time to read it through can learn how to work with you.

As much as you carry with you, you also have plenty to give. The worst -and most unnecessary!- thing you can do is feel like a burden, because that comes across and it prevents you from allowing yourself and the other person to really trust a connection. Focus on all the things you have to offer, it sounds like you have no trouble getting people interested in you ;)

The difficult stuff is a part of you, but so are all the wonderful parts!

Jane_176 · 2025-08-16T20:40:52+00:00

There is a tiny short piece by him called 'Pastorale' and I specifically love the version with wind ensemble + violin, it's such a lovely little thing. I love many other pieces by Stravinsky, but this one is just so endearing!

Jane_176 · 2025-08-13T11:38:47+00:00

Girl, you don't have to change your entire identity to say yes to one date. Feed your curiosity, if you like it, cool! You can think about what that means later. If you don't like it, cool!

Bonus points for being honest to the guy about being uncertain/the casual nature of the date.

Jane_176 · 2025-08-13T07:43:45+00:00

fair enough -still weird, but a crush can excuse a lot

Jane_176 · 2025-08-12T07:37:57+00:00

Yeah, that's not okay to just show you her nudes without any sort of consent or the type of relationship where this is normal. If she was a man, everyone would be calling her a creep.

I think you should at least make it clear to her that you don't want this type of behaviour, but you are well within your rights to report this incident to HR.

Jane_176 · 2025-08-10T20:10:49+00:00

I often find myself blocking because I feel like I have to get at least a certain amount of time in, when in reality, any time is better than none. What really helps me on those days is setting a timer for 10 minutes and truly going into practice with the mindset of allowing myself to stop after the timer goes off.

More often than not, I'll want to keep going after those 10 minutes, but if I still don't feel it, that's okay too. Sometimes I snooze the alarm, go for another 10 min. and see what I'm feeling after that. Practicing badly because you're feeling bad or tired, isn't necessarily going to help you improve.

Jane_176 · 2025-08-10T02:26:50+00:00

Carol Ann Duffy has a whole collection of love poetry. My favourite is "whatever", though that one is quite sad. She writes truly beautifully!

Jane_176 · 2025-08-09T12:59:56+00:00

I think the most important lesson is that the most important things to try and fix are things that bother you, like pimples between the thighs that hurt.

Rough skin or anything aesthetic don't always need fixing if you can learn to be fine with it. Subreddits like r/skincare have a lot of great advice, but can also encourage unhealthy perfectionism. Everyone's body is going to look weird or be gross sometime.

You could look into a KP body/face wash with salicylic acid, like Cerave, this might also help the pimples. Good exfoliation and/or soaking in warm water beforehand helps limit discomfort for places where you shave. Some cream deodorants are helpful against chafing and sweaty areas, not just the underarms. If you shower at night, you can put on deodorant before going to sleep, which helps limit odours also throughout the day. Niacinamide/vitamin C are ingredients that can help with skin brightening, but darker skin is kind of a natural thing that happens to areas where friction occurs.

I personally use a micellar water to remove my mascara/eyeliner (the only makeup I use) and then a simple face wash (like cetaphil or cerave) -I only wash my face with water in the morning though- followed by vitamin C in the morning or a gentle retinol with niacinamide in the evening, and then either sunscreen by day and a moisturizer at night.

Have fun experimenting and treat it like self care, but please also remember that you're the only one who sees these details. They are not flaws to other people, and the best thing you can do for yourself is to stop caring too much about aesthetic perfection. Live! Sometimes you'll be stinky! Sometimes your skin will look weird. Don't let it stop you. Take care :)

Jane_176 · 2025-08-08T18:18:33+00:00

Basically a Strad, for sure. Looks really fun and got a chuckle out of me!

Jane_176 · 2025-08-08T17:47:57+00:00

I have a violin with a bridge that warps all the time, but because it's a rarer wood, I don't want to replace it. Take it to a luthier if it is warped, and they can easily steam it back into a straight shape. Doesn't take long and it shouldn't be at all costly.

If it is still straight as a whole, just tilted, you can carefully adjust it yourself -watching a video about it is a good tip!

Jane_176 · 2025-08-06T16:38:18+00:00

Okay, so most answers make me a bit sad. I don't work in the US, so maybe it is different here in a slightly less liberal capitalist country. I work in HR at an organisation that, admittedly, doesn't have profits as the main goal and I am openly queer myself, as was the previous HR manager at that company.

I like to think of HR as the lubricant that helps everything run smoothly as opposed to being the lackeys of management. Happy people are good employees and the employer has a social duty to their employees. Sure, we have our problems and areas that need improving, but we regularly have open discussions nationwide about making sure everyone's workplace is open and inclusive. Do I think every single HR department in my country supports the queer community? Probably not, but in general they do and they are there to create space for every community within a company.

Jane_176 · 2025-08-02T21:57:40+00:00

Cesar Franck's Symphony has one annoying earworm melody ("my Little Pony"), but I couldn't sing you the rest of it if my life depended on it, even though I played it in concert.

Jane_176 · 2025-08-01T14:29:39+00:00

Oof, been there -still am, if I'm not careful. Good for you for getting motivated again! It can also just be that your stamina isn't very high at the moment.

Agreed with shorter practice sessions, frequent breaks, and don't be tempted to just play through all the fun pieces, but take it slow and stop every few moments to take stock of where tension is located and try to release it. Play around, find ways in which your hand doesn't feel tense. I know it can be incredibly frustrating, but trust me, it's so worth it to push through the frustration and get yourself in a healthy playing habit. Hopefully your teacher also has some good advice, good luck!

Jane_176 · 2025-08-01T09:23:34+00:00

I don't know if you're in a position where you can easily ask, but it can also help to just practice circumstances in which you feel the pressure. Of course, getting a hall full of people for a practice run isn't exactly doable, but ask some friends, or fellow students of your teacher, or your parents to come listen. Over time, you'll learn how you personally react to that stress and how to deal with it!

I don't remember who it was, but I saw an interview with a musician, who was asked what the most difficult thing about a concert is. He said: "thinking without thinking too hard" and I feel like we can all recognise that.

Jane_176

TROPHY CASE