MythBusters: The Violin is Just NOT Neat

“The violin is stupid! No person performs the violin any more! I never want to participate in the violin! Violin is just not amazing!”

The dad or mum of just about every violin pupil has most likely read most, if not all of people traces. I have listened to . . . No, I’ve Utilized just about every 1 of these lines.

I walked into the auditorium of a Fort Worth center faculty and observed a guy playing an instrument that seemed vaguely familiar on the stage. The new music was loud. The Led Zeppelin music becoming played had the youngsters bobbing their heads, clapping their palms and stomping their feet.

Mark Wooden is a rock n roll violinist. He and his brothers toured the Northeast United States enjoying Beethoven string quartets when Mark was young. Just after high university Mark attended the Juilliard University of Audio to review viola. He remaining when his teacher wouldn’t train him to “engage in like Jimi Hendrix.”

Mark preaches a gospel of excellent method, diligent follow, knowledge of essential audio theory and possessing pleasurable. And I never know any person who would accuse Mark of not becoming great. His group, the Trans Siberian Orchestra, has traveled the entire world and frequently sells out venues seating 12,000 individuals.

Mark claims that violin is the “last frontier.” He points out that we’ve moved just about every family of devices into the well known songs highlight other than for orchestral strings. And his passion is to do for the violin what Leo Fender and his followers did for the guitar. And like Leo Fender, Mark has produced his personal instrument. The Viper is a radical self-supporting violin that is capable of playing everything from vintage Paganini to, very well, Jimi Hendrix!

And Mark is not alone.

Regina Carter is a jazz musician. Influenced by Stephan Grappelli, she was so devoted to jazz that she remaining the New England Conservatory (which experienced no jazz department) to analyze at Oakland University. There she uncovered by sitting down in the brass part of the band and listening. Then she would transpose the saxophone pieces she heard so she could engage in them on violin.

Barrage is a group of younger musicians based mostly in Canada. Their phase covers additional versions of fiddle music than you can shake a stick at. And shake their bowsticks they do! And sing. And dance. And even tumble. And by the time they leave the stage the audience is clapping and stomping alongside with them.

Additional than a quarter of a century immediately after fiddler Charlie Daniels and his band recorded The Devil Went Down to Georgia, the track can continue to get a group hooting and hollering! And the band just retains on likely robust with the grasp showman/fiddler at the helm. I you should not know about you, but I am not about to convey to a bunch of superior aged Southern boys that what receives their enthusiasts so enthusiastic just ain’t interesting!

Rachel Barton Pine is a phenomenon! A classical violinist, she is also a fan of heavy metal audio. She’s even recorded an album of rock transposed for string quartet. Far from the stereotypical trapped-up classical violinist, she’s conquer much more road blocks in her 20-in addition decades than most people do in a lifetime. Now her pet tasks involve cataloging classical audio composed by Black composers and creating sure by way of her Rachel Elizabeth Barton Foundation that talented young violinists don’t confront the exact financial troubles she did.

I do not know about you, but I won’t be able to come across an un-cool human staying in the bunch! And each and every 1 of them can give you a record of great violinists that is as lengthy as their bow!

The dilemma is not the instrument. The problem is not the pedagogy. As extensive as superior procedure is taught it won’t genuinely make any difference how we go about imparting that awareness and talent established.

What does make a difference is the repertoire. (A 14-12 months aged boy, when requested about Mark Wood’s new music, explained to me, “Of system it can be interesting – it really is rock!) What does subject is the frame of mind with which we approach the instrument and instruction – attitude. What does matter is the charisma and communication techniques of the person advertising and marketing the instrument.

In summary, the proposition (the fantasy if you will) is:
The violin is just not great.
As television’s Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman would say, “Myth BUSTED.”