Since the italian violin maker and restorer Marco Minnozzi is in town this week, I decided to send my only violin for an assessment at Frank Brothers. After an honest analysis, we decided to do the minor repairs (again!) of triming the bridge, altering the nut and adjusting the sound post. For a $100 it seems cheap compared to my previous visit to Per Ovesen at Hillcrest Arcadia the cab fare alone costs much. But seriously, I was taken aback by the casual comments of the middle aged lady manager.
First of all, in front of the violin maker and Melina with whom I just had lunch with and young Rachel. She told me bluntly my bow hold is wrong. Sigh!!! I am still working on perfecting the hold and will never ever let any one comment on this ever!!!! Then the tactless woman asked me if it was my son's violin. God! Do I look so old. I mean to have a kid who can already play a full size violin, surely the kid gotta be already more than 10 years, right????Arghhhhhhhh!
Any way, I can't wait for the day when will walk into another high end violin shop and buy the violin of my dreams and enjoy good service. Basic good service which welcomes a customer be it a beginner, intermediate, advanced or professional string player-local or foreigner.
At the end of the day, I took comfort and thank God that indeed the violin sounded better and more comfortable to play on for a small fee. Its his favour on an anointed instrument. I resolve to play better and when I can play in tune, from memory and in time, in other words when I am ready to move on, God will surely supply a much better instrument for me.
In the mean time, Yan needs a grand piano to practice his exam pieces like the chopin "heroic" polonaise. Lord, we believe you will provide us with the best including a suitable luxurious next home. Jesus Christ our Lord, when he died on the cross and shed his precious blood for us. He alone is the qualification for us to receive and enjoy all of your blessings. Thank you Heavenly Father. Amen
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
Thursday, 2 April 2009
What a God sent neighbour.
In mid 2007 I was asking God for a violin teacher that I could click with and who is able to teach young children. This person preferably a young lady should reside near me since I had to bring rachel then still 2 everywhere being her main care-giver.
Indeed nothing is impossible with God. Amy became an integral part of my life and soon rachel's life as well. She was just a block away in the same Mandarin Gardens estate and that made it a breeze to have violin lessons both personally and some 6 months later-lessons for rachel as well though she was still in diapers and throws occasional tantrums.
After moving to the next door condo, Neptune Court in September last year, every wednesday became quite a chore to me. Its no joke! I had to carry 2 violins and my child and walked some 10 minutes to the estate that we used to live in for lessons. By the time I reached Amy's studio I was sweating and my shoulders ached. It kinda affected my learning as well and I complained much of the rotar cuff tendonities that gave me hell often before it rains. Rheumatism??? Thankfully, through the partaking of Lord's Supper and prayer with anointing oil, the pain was gone and the entire old injury completely healed as Christ had already redeemed our illnesses on the cross to give us perfect health.
Those days, I remembered praying for my violin teacher to move closer to me. Then it happened! At the end of her lease, she moved just a block away from mine in Neptune Court. So last Wednesday was such a breeze again. I was carrying 2 violins in cases and rachel was scooting Darby style as in Winnie the Pooh super sleuths, with her Dora lunch box breakfast in her High School musical plastic tote bag to Amy's place for our lessons. I hardly broke out in sweat despite the warm weather and we could leave home with windows still opened and laundry still being washed. What a perfect blessing!!
Rachel resumed her lessons with much success. In fact it was the best ever. Perhaps she is now fully toilet trained and clearly more mature as a child. It also helps that Amy's studio had a glass door so the apprehensive parent can check out the kid and the fearful children may feel secure that the parents are just waiting outside in the living area. Perhaps Yan is right. We had started her too young a day before she turned 3 for formal one to one violin lessons but indeed nothing is wasted as she who now asked for lessons waste no time remembering all she had learnt in the past.
I feel so blest. That God will go all the way out to bless my family with a good teacher whose studio is proximate and now being neighbours we naturally progressed on in our friendships. In fact, I had the priviledge to lunch with her on tuesday at parkway delifrance after helping her solve her pest problem of unwanted mynah bird nests in her air con condenser unit. Actually not me but my pest control guy that agreed to the ad hoc job for a small fee. Still, the episode of relocating the chicks and witnessing the parent birds anxiety and care for the young excited us much.
I believe by the grace of God, we will both progress well through all the suzuki volumes and perform well soon. In fact, I asked God for a better quality violin since I now understand the importance of a singing voice, bel canto and also a focused sound. I know he will go all the way out to bless me with one that I love and enjoy playing with. Thank you Father GOD.
Indeed nothing is impossible with God. Amy became an integral part of my life and soon rachel's life as well. She was just a block away in the same Mandarin Gardens estate and that made it a breeze to have violin lessons both personally and some 6 months later-lessons for rachel as well though she was still in diapers and throws occasional tantrums.
After moving to the next door condo, Neptune Court in September last year, every wednesday became quite a chore to me. Its no joke! I had to carry 2 violins and my child and walked some 10 minutes to the estate that we used to live in for lessons. By the time I reached Amy's studio I was sweating and my shoulders ached. It kinda affected my learning as well and I complained much of the rotar cuff tendonities that gave me hell often before it rains. Rheumatism??? Thankfully, through the partaking of Lord's Supper and prayer with anointing oil, the pain was gone and the entire old injury completely healed as Christ had already redeemed our illnesses on the cross to give us perfect health.
Those days, I remembered praying for my violin teacher to move closer to me. Then it happened! At the end of her lease, she moved just a block away from mine in Neptune Court. So last Wednesday was such a breeze again. I was carrying 2 violins in cases and rachel was scooting Darby style as in Winnie the Pooh super sleuths, with her Dora lunch box breakfast in her High School musical plastic tote bag to Amy's place for our lessons. I hardly broke out in sweat despite the warm weather and we could leave home with windows still opened and laundry still being washed. What a perfect blessing!!
Rachel resumed her lessons with much success. In fact it was the best ever. Perhaps she is now fully toilet trained and clearly more mature as a child. It also helps that Amy's studio had a glass door so the apprehensive parent can check out the kid and the fearful children may feel secure that the parents are just waiting outside in the living area. Perhaps Yan is right. We had started her too young a day before she turned 3 for formal one to one violin lessons but indeed nothing is wasted as she who now asked for lessons waste no time remembering all she had learnt in the past.
I feel so blest. That God will go all the way out to bless my family with a good teacher whose studio is proximate and now being neighbours we naturally progressed on in our friendships. In fact, I had the priviledge to lunch with her on tuesday at parkway delifrance after helping her solve her pest problem of unwanted mynah bird nests in her air con condenser unit. Actually not me but my pest control guy that agreed to the ad hoc job for a small fee. Still, the episode of relocating the chicks and witnessing the parent birds anxiety and care for the young excited us much.
I believe by the grace of God, we will both progress well through all the suzuki volumes and perform well soon. In fact, I asked God for a better quality violin since I now understand the importance of a singing voice, bel canto and also a focused sound. I know he will go all the way out to bless me with one that I love and enjoy playing with. Thank you Father GOD.
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