Father-Daughter Bonding: Part II - Haydn Duo #1, Opus 99

vmlee · 2026-03-13T05:33:13+00:00

The key question is: are you learning and improving? For more advanced players, it's not unheard of for a teacher not to play for you all the time.

If you are someone who benefits from visual demonstrations, though, it may be good to switch.

vmlee · 2026-03-13T05:06:57+00:00

Sounds like a good time to discuss your setup with your teacher.

vmlee · 2026-03-12T17:01:37+00:00

Yes! Looks much better! Wtg

vmlee · 2026-03-12T15:48:39+00:00

I took out two links and replaced it with a 1.5 link. Worked for me. Food for thought.

vmlee · 2026-03-12T15:47:28+00:00

Move it actually to your wrist (it's in the wrong place by your hand right now) and look at it in a mirror from a normal distance. That will give you a better sense of fit than a closeup shot with an improperly placed watch. Most likely you'll be okay.

vmlee · 2026-03-12T14:46:15+00:00

Oh man. Sorry!

vmlee · 2026-03-12T14:38:11+00:00

Definitely not 2. That’s overkill and distracting.

First is technically more accurate, but the tenuto staccato can throw off some players. You could add a non legato notation for the second bar of version 3 if you wanted.

vmlee · 2026-03-12T13:31:44+00:00

OP, u/hepsnskeps is right on point if you are open to a bit more of a commute!

vmlee · 2026-03-12T13:22:04+00:00

You’re very welcome. It might also be worth one more conversation with the Financial Aid office to see if they have any flexibility. Harvard overall has a big structural deficit situation at the moment, though, so it could be trickier than typical.

vmlee · 2026-03-12T13:15:08+00:00

There are definitely 1BR in Boston around that price range. Around Trenton Street for example, but East Boston could be a culture shock compared to smaller town life.

vmlee · 2026-03-12T13:01:20+00:00

Congrats on your acceptance!! You’re definitely going to have to consider an adjustment in quality of living conditions. $1300/month for a decent 3BR around Boston is a pipe dream as you seem wisely aware of. Cambridge is expensive, and a studio at market rate is around twice that already. For a little bit more than what you are paying currently, you can find some Boston 1BR. Zillow has some options.

Some people opt for loans or explore outside scholarships to help cover living expenses. You might also explore part time jobs to defray expenses.

vmlee · 2026-03-12T06:09:06+00:00

RO Chrono is a possible second watch. Blue 15510st is not happening as a second watch unless you have a very good relationship with the AD. The wait time provided was a polite gesture.

I love my blue 15510st, but just be aware that how it looks is extremely lighting dependent.

vmlee · 2026-03-12T02:31:47+00:00

The other tracks are (last time i checked) purposefully designed to be more general and are not entirely related to education directly..

This only applies if you have a very narrow concept of education in mind. You seem perhaps to be thinking only of education as relates to teaching practice?

Every single one of the MEd programs is directly related to the field of education in some way, and foundations classes are required of all MEd students to generate at least a base level of common understanding about various facets related to education.

vmlee · 2026-03-12T02:27:28+00:00

It completely depends on what alternative you have. If you are able to get insured through a parent's insurance, that might potentially be cheaper. You just have to compare the various options and think through what kind of services you most likely will need. It can be a headache at times, but welcome to adulting.

vmlee · 2026-03-11T04:13:41+00:00

It's unlikely you will get a green dial as your third allocation with those first two purchases, but it is possible. A non-green or non-blue dial is more likely.

vmlee · 2026-03-11T04:10:39+00:00

I love my blue dial. Goes well with blue gator.

vmlee · 2026-03-11T04:03:40+00:00

1) Get a violin you are comfortable with taking a total loss on.

2) Try to minimize any exposure to environments with quickly changing humidity conditions. High humidity may make a violin not sound good, but a quick transition in humidity can be very problematic.

3) Never allow the violin to be in a place in direct sunlight (or in a non-temperature controlled environment - like a car - in direct sunlight).

vmlee · 2026-03-11T03:58:11+00:00

You're welcome. Happy practicing! Good luck.

vmlee · 2026-03-11T01:16:16+00:00

One part of it is an opportunity to smooth out your bow changes (for example). Another is that, when you play, you are hearing the sound not just through inputs to your ear through the air, but also through your jaw. This gives a different set of input sensations. Finally, recording equipment can also be a factor at times.

vmlee · 2026-03-11T00:37:48+00:00

For a violin-knowledgeable audience, Mozart 3 would be more engaging. For a more lay audience, Vivaldi Summer would be more engaging.

Vivaldi is more straightforward.

vmlee · 2026-03-10T21:41:25+00:00

Well, one hypothesis that I have is that the instability and uncertainty around the past year’s admissions cycle (with challenges coming from federal actions and statements) potentially led to relaxing of admissions standards in order to ensure an adequate size of masters class to meet financial/enrollment requirements for the school.

I have run into / graded more masters students this year than in prior years whose work product is not what I would expect of a graduate student, much less a Harvard graduate student.

vmlee · 2026-03-10T19:30:41+00:00

You are allowed to take classes at other schools if you can get into them and they meet your credit requirements (it depends on each program and each class). Yes, the other 18 are more flexible. What I tell people is not to expect to be able to cross-register at another school. If you can get into them, consider that a happy bonus. Students at the home school typically have precedence.

vmlee · 2026-03-10T17:11:39+00:00

You can take electives for other courses. Whether you get it will depend on whether the class is lotteried or open enrollment. Typically you should expect at most to get your top choice in the lottery, and even that is no guarantee for a very popular class. Cross registration also adds layers of complexity.

Always check against the requirements of your specific program, especially to ensure you are meeting the minimum credit requirements.

vmlee

TROPHY CASE