Ruby is the name of my Eastman violin. She’s a hefty $798! Thing is, I played on a $2000 handmade violin few weeks ago. It definitely sounded better when the owner played on it! hahaha! I had requested he play Canon in D. It was awesome! He gave me a copy of the score and I am practising it on my own without Mrs White.

I’ve learnt violin for years though no where near being competent yet. However I noticed that learning a skill requires incubation. At least for me, I learn better if I have a period of incubation. Learning by rote will only frustrate me. A period of rest is paramount to me as I sit on it and reflect the strokes, the fingering, the bowing.

My former violin teacher used to say I don’t feel the soul of the music and it shows up in my playing. I can feel the soul of the music if I am not the one playing it mah! If I wasn’t trying so hard to think of the technical aspect of it mah. Lately I am beginning to feel the music and not think of it in terms of notes and rests, and how much my right arm and jaw are aching. I stopped thinking about the colour of the tone, stopped counting so religiously, stopped checking my bow till I am cross-eyed. I just surrender myself to the music.

I suppose sometimes we look too closely at life and miss out on the big picture. What is the big picture in each aspect of your life? Have you lost sight of it?