Violin Upgrade

God is amazing!

I remembered at the start of this year, I asked him for a better violin. It wasn't that the current one was lousy but naturally as one progresses on learning to play the violin, one becomes more "Critical" of it. Even though I had no budget for it, I asked anyway for a better violin, I meant a non Chinese violin with a better tone.

Towards the end of August, I found myself praying often for a violin since my teacher, an avid violin collector herself, with some 20 over violins including antique italian ones, EXHORT me to upgrade mine.

SUDDENLY, a rare opportunity came. A cash-strapped violin dealer asked my violin teacher to help sell a 100 over year old German copy of the double purfling Maggini. The old instrument sounded good and mellow and despite the many repaired cracks and scratches, it was going for half its estimated worth. I sold my unit trusts and bought it immediately and a light-weight case as well. What attracted me was the deep mellow singing VOICE that both my teacher and I liked. Its so much more enjoyable to practise on this old fellow than the 2004 also German made Sandner.

Other than upgrading the violin, I need to upgrade the bow one day. The current Chinese bow being weak and too light, (it was bought to help me recover from a shoulder injury-rotar cuff tendonitis, GOD had completely healed me since then) the weak bow just did not draw out the rich tones as effortlessly as my teacher's $1500 German bow. Anyway, my current budget was sufficient for the new violin and bag and I prayed that God will help me sell the first beginner model complete with accessories so I may upgrade my bow and perhaps get another one of those BABIES with 4 strings. I believe the God who supplied the violin will surely bless me with a suitable buyer for this current violin as well. Of course, I am going to tithe the proceeds with gratitude.

Already I am eyeing another American violin with a saccharine sweet sound and it seems to complement the German Maggini copy. They are like a pair of twins that I could not decide which to keep, so I decided to buy BOTH. So far, the mellow one was paid up in full and the next will be paid in instalments, in time for my next birthday. Thank you Lord!!!

This is so fun!!!! I commit to my Lord the dream of being a avid violin collector myself and I really would like to loan these expensive instruments to top musicians and help them and the violins stay in top form.

God humoured me with a dream. In it I was holding, examining in my own hands, a 1741 Guarneri del Gesu. I tried to played it in the dream. It was so surreal. The next day I found out from the internet that this violin, was once played by Yehudi and Vieuxtemp was not played for some 70 years until a wealthy Russian lawyer 35 years old bid for it for a staggering US$3.9 million in March 2008 and had its debut concert played by Phinas Zuckermann. WOW...imagine owning this one day. GASP!!!!!!!!

My teacher Amy, was surprised that my dream was so "exact". She prefers the 1742 model by the same maker known as the Canone. Anyway, nothing is impossible with God, my passion is in music and the art of making music and I want to contribute to the world one day, instruments and music.