When I slow down to reflect on this past year, this past month, these past few days even - I am blown away by how many exciting adventures I have been involved in! Being a young-professional working in the creative sector, a musician, and a teacher is so busy - but SO exciting!! I honestly can't imagine my life without music. It is such a blessing to be able to live life every day creating and/or supporting something that I feel so passionate about. I am thankful I can hear so I can experience a subject matter that can help us express our souls and feelings. Where words fail, music truly does seem to speak. If for some reason I couldn't hear, the people I've met through being involved in music and the connections I have created working in the arts are also incomparable. I just wanted to write this all down. It is fun documenting my adventures on this blog. Looking back through my feed, I have seen so much growth in my own life. Re-living some of my own experiences is a nice reminder. I am so grateful. Sometimes I can't believe how much I have been involved in, how much I have learned, and how many hurdles that at first seemed daunting I was able to overcome.

Speaking of hurdles, one of my students this week was a bit discouraged at learning a daunting piece of music. I encouraged them to continue moving forward. They thought they couldn't play a certain piece, they said it was impossible, "it's too hard!" But one note at a time we walked through the piece together. I would demonstrate one finger at a time and have the student mimic me. It was a slow process, but guess what my student was able to do? They played the entire piece. They had said it would be impossible. It wasn't. That's a bit like a lot of our lives, isn't it? We have goals, we have dreams, we can feel so overwhelmed by situations we think are stressful. But one note at a time, one step at a time - we can learn. We can keep putting one foot in front of the other, and one day we will look back and realize we have accomplished more than we ever could have thought was possible. How encouraging, how exciting, how refreshing. That's what I've been reflecting on tonight.

I hope you are able to reflect and appreciate your own individual accomplishments and life this week. Count your blessings, I bet you've got more than you could imagine. I sure do. You're important. Don't forget it. You are capable of amazing things!

Larissa

I played a wedding last weekend all by myself. It was quite fun! Typically the wedding gigs I play are in ensembles: quartets, trios, duets. So I was excited to do something all by myself. It definitely gives me a bit more freedom to perform pieces I want and have some more creative decisions with the order of ceremony. The bride gave me some general guidelines but apart from that I could play pieces I wanted.

The venue for this wedding was the River Edge Bed and Breakfast in Lowell, MI. What a beautiful outdoor setting! I performed prelude music, Canon in D for the bride, and some recessional/postlude music.

Blessings to the bride and groom!
Today, I am off to perform at another wedding. This one is a violin/cello duet. So be on the look-out for a new blog soon.

:D Larissa

P.S. Below are some samples of different ensembles and what they may sound like if you are interested for an event.
<3

I wanted some new headshots, photoshoots are fun, & I made a new friend who is a photographer. This all to say, enjoy some pics of me and my violin by photographer Naomi Stafford with Radiance Photography.

I have been thinking a lot about teamwork lately - Teamwork In the corporate world as well as in the world of being a musician. Ensemble musicianship has taught me so much about teamwork that is relevant to any career. Below are some bullet points on areas I think being a musician requires teamwork. Do you use any of these tactics in the corporate world or in your workplaces?

Teamwork Necessities - Musicians:

• Knowing your material first. Each performer needs to know their part first before they can fit it in with the rest of the group. Have you practiced? Have you studied? Have you prepared? Knowing your part first can help you analyze complex situations before they arise. This could help you lead a productive meeting.
  
  
• Listening/eye contact. Listening for patterns or harmonic progressions for cues. Listening to co-workers, listening to their concerns or suggestions. You don't know everything and its good to have advisors. Being in sync with other ensemble members by watching. Sometimes facial expressions can even signal a cue for a change in tempo, mood, or be a cue.
  
  
• Not panicking during a mistake. Being able to find your place and/or recover after making a mistake is important.
  
  
• Not being critical when a teammate makes a mistake. Keep going, and try to use eye contact or other cues to help them out with pattern recognition.
  
  
• Common goal? Talking as a group to discuss how you want the piece to sound. How fast, what timbre, what style...etc. What is your vision, what is your mission? Have you taken time to define this as a team?

Successful teams have many other qualities. These are just a few. If you are a musician, the next time your perform in a group think about these. If you are not a musician, have you used any of these techniques? Did you ever think musicians needed so much interpersonal relationship skills to work towards a common goal?

Happy team-building!
Larissa

Here a some pics from a recent wedding I played with cellist Matthew Heyboer. Violin/Cello.

I performed recently with Jordan VanHemert, saxophonist in his recital at Grace Episcopal church. Really cool times, classical/jazz violin in a small ensemble with sax solos. I love branching out a bit from just classical repertoire. Picture of program is below.

Also, here is a YouTube video of Jordan and a project I was involved in a few months back. Not the same music we played in the 'Grace Notes' recital, but of similar nature.

Larissa

This Thursday, June 21st I will be performing with the Holland Symphony in the Pops at the Pier Concert with the Moxie Strings as guest artist. Come check it out!! It's a really fun venue. The concert is in a boat shed. More info at link here.

Recently I took a fun vacation to Ireland! Here are some pics of some great street musicians who were performing in Galway. I bought two of their CDs. One is some music with a spanish flare, the other is acoustic guitar music. Love em! Saw some other wonderful street musicians there as well. When I walked by, this group was playing a tango. Makes me want to take my next vacation to Spain!

On Friday, April 20th, 2018 The Grand Rapids Symphony performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City. I was able to go along. What a fun and memorable experience! Carnegie Hall is one of the most historic venues in the world for Classical Music.

Put all of your superstitions aside, Friday the 13th was a great day for me this month! I was able to go with a great friend and fellow violinist to hear renowned performer Ray Chen and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

Fun Facts:

DSO
The DSO, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, first performed in 1887. In April 2011 the DSO launched 'Live from Orchestra Hall', it is the first free webcast series to be put out by an orchestra & "In 1934, the DSO became the nation's first official radio broadcast orchestra, performing for millions of Americans over the airwaves on the Ford Symphony Hour national radio show until 1942." -DSO website

Ray Chen
Ray Chen was born in Taiwan and raised in Australia. He plays the 1715 “Joachim” Stradivarius violin on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation. 

Apart from this great concert, we were also able to explore Belle Isle and the Detroit Institute of Arts.
The DIA's collection is among the top six of museums in the United States, with about 66,000 works.

After teaching private violin lessons for 5 years now, (It’s been 5 years!?!), I have learned more about time management within a lesson. This is my second blog post in my ‘Studio Sense’ blog series. To read the first article, click this link HERE. I hope to bring some helpful information to aspiring private music instructors, or even those of you interested in learning about what teaching private lessons is like. I know….it’s riveting stuff guys. ; ) This blog is very very general. I could probably write an entire book on time management techniques and what/how I utilize teaching time and why. Frankly, there are probably many books on this subject. So enjoy this surface level look at time management and some of my thoughts.

Time Management Within A Lesson:

For my teaching style I have been sticking to 30min, 45min, and 1 hour lessons. I like to correlate the length of a lesson to the age and/or level of each student. I have taught violin lessons to the following age range: 3 years old – adult. I’ve experienced a lot of different ages & I love the variety of that. I teach beginner to intermediate levels within that age range.  

Apart from the actual length of the lesson, have you ever wondered how a teacher splits up their focus and points in a lesson? I typically start each and every lesson with tuning. Tuning is very important; it sets the standard for everything else done in the lesson. If the violin is not in tune, then a student could get used to playing out of tune. In that case, they would be training their ear incorrectly. Tuning can take between 30 seconds to about 10 minutes. 10 minutes you ask!!?? Yes, there have been times a violin has a string that is broken or because of the weather it is just finicky and does not want to stay in tune. This is especially the case in winter and with smaller student rental violins. So depending on certain factors, sometimes much of a lesson can be spent on just tuning the instrument. Putting that into perspective, 10 minutes of a 30 min lesson is about 33% of the entire lesson. That's a good chunk of time, hopefully a rare occurrence though.

Other focus points in a lesson may be section work within a piece, physical posture, music history, theory, listening, and pure playing time for the student mixed with duet playing (me with each student).

Finally, I like to reserve time at the close of a lesson to discuss constructive criticism on how to further improve as a musician. This could also include practice strategies for the student and their upcoming week.

So there you have it, a brief inside look at time management from a private instructor's perspective.

Each lesson is very different, and I've learned that I need to be prepared to go with the flow as well.

This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

To fully appreciate something, it can be necessary to have the right vocabulary to describe it. Music for example can be a very emotional and abstract concept. Like art, it has a tendency to be very subjective. What one person deems as beautiful or a masterpiece, another person may think mediocre. To gain a greater appreciation for others' perspectives, sometimes it helps to step into their shoes or put on their glasses. Changing your view can change your appreciation.

The book 'What to Listen for in Music' by Aaron Copland may just be the pair of glasses you have been looking for. If you have ever wondered why some music sounds the way it does, or how a composer thinks, this book could open up some new knowledge for you.

Larissa

Excited for this upcoming joint recital with two friends and colleagues. Join us at St. Cecilia Music Center on Monday, January 22, 2018 to hear the students of Larissa Fall - violin, Matthew Heyboer - cello, & Joshua Keller - piano. There will also be chamber music selections performed by the teachers and a small reception to conclude the evening. 7:30pm start.

The Imperfect Christmas Experience
I will be playing in the orchestra for the following services at Central Wesleyan Church in Holland, Michigan. Check it out if you are in the area, or watch the live stream.
Dates/Times:
Friday, December 15 • 6:30 PM
Saturday, December 16 • 6:30 PM
Sunday, December 17 • 10 AM
Location: Worship Center or Central Online
Childcare: Childcare available for the 15th and 16th for 3 months-5 years
Full Central Kids programming on the 17th for birth–5th Grade 
FUEL High School Christmas Party for 9th–12th Grade • 6 PM

I was able to participate in a fabulous jazz recording session with Saxophonist, Jordan VanHemert and other talented musicians. Check out the film from this recording session. It was a blast to play this music!

This is my first 'Studio Sense' blog post. For 4 years now I have been teaching private lessons and have learned a bit about the art of teaching and keeping a studio/business. I hope these articles bring some helpful tips to the table for other teachers.

My first tip is about scheduling. With a full-time job, weekend gigs that pop up, and holidays it can be a bit tricky for teachers and families to keep a consistent private lesson schedule. One thing that has really helped me is Google Docs. This app gives you the ability to co-edit documents via the internet. Rather than asking each and every one of my students/parents separately about their availability for lessons I am able to ask them all at the same time. This limits back and forth trouble shooting and schedule overlap. The document updates in real time. I typically just write out the time blocks I have open, leave a name slot blank, create a  'shareable' link, and send this off with instructions to families. They are able to peruse the times and sign-up on the document. All others who view the document after them should be able to then see their selection and pick from the remaining openings.

Pros: This app is free.
Cons: Not everyone has a Google account so may need to set one up to use.

Larissa

This weekend I will be performing in the violin section for the Holland Symphony Orchestra - Classics II Concert. I hope to see some of you there. It is going to be fantastic!!

More info HERE.

As some of you may know, Music Theory (the explanations and meanings about how music works, and the science and notations that explain it) really interests me. In college, music theory was somewhat of a challenge to me. Because it was such a challenge to me, I ended up taking more of an interest in it after college. I see now how vital this knowledge is for young musicians. I have grown passionate about incorporating music theory into every lesson I teach. No matter what age or level of my students, I try to include theory. To be a fully engaged and educated musician, it is important to understand the language of music. Understanding theory helps one relate to other instrumentalists in any genre or style. It can be so easy to fall into the trap of ‘I’m learning the violin’, and then only think about playing the instrument. In reality, being an instrumentalist is just one part of being a musician. Yes, you need to learn the intricacies of your instrument. But what about rhythm, scales, intervals, harmonies, chords, vocabulary, ear training and notation?

Recently I have found some more great resources to use during lessons. If you have questions about them, please let me know.
For me, there will always be more to learn. This is somewhat intimidating, but also exciting!
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Happy Thursday everyone!!
Larissa