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Music has three primary components that, when combined, create the fun and interest in the music we learn to love. They can each be presented and appreciated without the others. But this is not satisfying to most people. Rhythm is possibly the one element that can be enjoyed without the others more readily. You may have heard a drum cadence being marched to by a marching band in a parade or onto a football field. Rhythm is the time structure of music. It consists of a beat, a

If you are out of school and consequently away from your orchestra for the summer, there are some things you can do to keep yourself excited about your music. First, take the opportunity to listen to music. There might be pieces you played arrangements of in your school orchestra. Look up the actual pieces and listen to them. For instance, the theme from the second movement of the New World Symphony is commonly arranged for school orchestra. Listen to the real thing! You will

Although the population of the United States today is a about 4 1/3 times what it was in 1900, there are 100 times more symphony orchestras! So, despite popular and rock music styles, classical music is roaring today! If you decide to play the violin, you will have much more opportunity than 100 years ago to learn to play, to perform, and to enjoy classical music in plenty of company. Additionally, you will be partaking of a refined art form, something that really benefits in

Some believe that no violins made since Stradivari’s time (1644? – 1737) are superior to them. But blind tests have demonstrated that some experienced musicians actually choose modern instruments over those of Stradivari. Nevertheless, Stradivarius violins are among the finest of instruments. They are extremely expensive, some selling for millions of dollars. Some have theorized that perhaps Stradivari used some special ingredient in his varnish, but modern tests have not det