Annual Contest 2012

Win a $30 gift card!!

It is simple, easy, and free.

Just follow the steps below:

1- Click on this link http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/573ZFF7

2- Answer 3 easy questions and be creative on your sentence

3- That's it, you are done! Now wait to know who is going to be the winner.

The best sentence will win the $30 gift card.

The deadline to participate is November 30, 2012 and the result will come up on December 1.

Remember, it is only one sentence. Writing more then one sentence will disqualify you.

Good Luck,

Dr. Silva 

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!

BRYAN CHONG 

1st PLACE/WINNER OF THE BACH COMPETITION 2012

Thanks everyone who participated in the Fall recital. 

You were FANTASTIC. Great playing.

I hope you liked it too.

Thanks to the ones that came to watch and support your fellow musicians. You will be next.
All of you that did not play on this one will play in the next one in March or in the AMA recital in April.

Studio Recital

Dear Students, our studio recital is this Saturday, October 6 at 4:30PM. Isn't that exciting?
The program with the names of the students who will be playing and the order in which they will play has already been posted in the AMA bulletin board. Although I first programed it to have my students only playing, we will have a few cello and piano students from other teacher's studios.
Your presence is very important to all of us, teachers and students, so, come see your friends. Come meet more friends and other parents. I encourage all of you to attend, even if you are not playing. Let us support our colleagues as some of them are preparing for auditions and competitions.

I am looking forward to seeing all of you there.

Know Your Bow

Your instrument’s bow is deceptively simple: a stick of wood and a frog to hold the hair. The bow reached its final form much later than the violin; it was not until the beginning of the 19th century, in Paris, that François Tourte perfected the design (his bows, like the instruments of Stradivari, are still considered to be without equal). The stick, for anything better than the cheapest grade of bow, is almost always made from a tropical hardwood called pernambuco, so called because it comes from the valley of the Pernambuco River in Brazil. It is an extremely dense wood—like ebony, it sinks in water—but it combines flexibility with great strength and durability.

Posted September 26, 2012 By James N. McKean on String Notes
 <http://notes.allthingsstrings.com/More-Notes/Know-Your-Bow>

Make Stage Fright Work For You

“I encourage musicians to either play for a friend, a teacher, a colleague, or to simply put a tape recorder on or set up a video camera,” says Dr. Don Greene. “Having a person there or a camera or a tape recorder puts pressure on you, and you realize that, and that’s beautiful, because then you’re practicing performing.”
The whole idea is to apply as much stress as possible, so that it mimics, as closely as possible, the conditions of being in a performance.

By David Templeton
Posted August 28, 2012 on String Notes
http://notes.allthingsstrings.com/More-Notes/Make-Stage-Fright-Work-For-You

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

To:

Nicholas Chang (violin) and Michael Lee (viola) for making the audition to the Gwinnett County Youth Symphony.

Steven Kim for making the audition to the Kendal Orchestra.

Rachel Kim (viola), who made 3rd chair at Johns Creek HS orchestra.

Grace Kang, Lilian Guerreiro, Steven Kim (violins), Michael Lee, Austin and Alvin Kim (violas) for making the audition to the Honors Orchestra.


This is awesome folks, lets keep the hard work. For those who tried and didn't make this time, there will be always a second chance. 

Go practice even more!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All State and Bach Competition are coming soon.

Develop a Natural Bow Hold

What Is a Natural Bow Hold?
Rest your right arm at your side. Notice how your fingers curl slightly. That’s your first clue. Keeping this relaxation in your fingers, and your wrist floppy, bend your elbow and bring your hand up to shoul­der height. Notice the spread of your top four fingers. That’s your second clue. Even if your thumb is already curling in toward the other fingers, turn your hand over so the palm faces up and let your thumb curl inward, most likely to touch the middle fin­ger at the joint closest to the middle finger’s tip (Fig. 4a).

Now turn your hand back over, but keep your thumb curling inward (Fig. 4b). That’s your natural bow hold!


By Laurel Thomsen

Article taken from the Stringsweek email sent on January 20, 2012. Too see it online click on the link below:
Stringsweek website

January 18, 2012

Healthy String Playing: 5 Dos

1. Do warm up. Warm muscles are more efficient, strong, and resilient. Muscles that are overused, fatigued, and under-conditioned are more tense and require more work for a demanding task. Start with several slow and smooth stretches away from the instrument. Start slowly and easily at the instrument. Long, slow shifts are good, and then slow scales. If it is cold outside, warm yourself before playing.

2. Do take breaks. Ten minutes per hour minimum is a good guide. Let your arms hang down for a few seconds after a difficult passage. After tremolo or fortissimo passages, move your right thumb in circles or stretch it out gently to release any tension.

3. Do keep your shoulders down and your back straight. Lifting shoulders, turning or twisting your torso, or leaning to the left or right contributes to muscle strain and may lead to injury. 

4. Do sit with good posture. Keep your weight forward and on your feet, and your feet on the floor. Keep your head upright and in a neutral position. Dropping your head forward or turning to either side tightens neck and shoulder muscles and could also compress surrounding nerve ends, causing headaches, disc problems, and eye strain.

5. Do some stress-reducing relaxation activity and get regular exercise. Yoga, stretching, swimming, Alexander Technique, and massage are all good preventative activities. These can help to keep tension from building up. Muscles that are tight, weak, and untoned are more injury-prone than strong, flexible, and resilient muscles
.
By Janet Horvath

Dear Michael,

This is a link of a youtube video of the G.P. Telemann Concerto in G you are working on now.
Please, listen to it several times. Just don't take the second movement and last movement very fast.

The first link has the 1st and 2nd movements. The 3rd and 4th movements are on the other link.

Hope you enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noibWWqyNzs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNd_JbOigqM&feature=plcp 

Dear Parents and Students,

Our Fall Studio Recital will be on October 6 at 4:30pm. Please, mark the dates on your calendar/schedule.

As we get closer to the date I will let you know who are going to play and what they will play.

Not all of the students will be able to play at the Fall Recital due to the length of the recital. Although it is not mandatory that you attend the recital, it is advised that you do so. I want to encourage all students there are not playing and their parents to attend. 

Here are some of the reasons of why you should attend even though you are not playing:

• Support your colleagues. One day you will be there and will like to have some support from your colleagues too.
• See what other students (your colleagues and friends) are playing.
• See how they are playing.
• Listen to live performance.
• Get acquainted with the repertoire you will eventually be practicing and playing.
• Get to know new people and get together with the other students of our studio.

The list goes on and on. But most important, be supportive of others. They will be your audience of tomorrow.

Keep checking our blog ofr the list of students that will be performing and the repertoire.

Best,

Dr. Silva

Congratulations to Judy Park (violin, 6th grade), Lucy Ku (viola, 7th grade), and Grace Kang (violin, 7th grade) for making the audition to the KSA Church Orchestra.

These are all the students who joined our studio this summer:

Mike Kim - Violin - 6th grade - April/2012

Joey Jin - Violin - 6th grade - June/2012

Steven Kim - Violin - 7th grade - June/2012

Diane Moon - Violin - 5th grade - June/2012

Benjamin Moon - Violin - 1st grade - July/2012

Judy Park -  Violin - 6th grade - June/2012

Eunice Park - Violin - 6th grade - July/2012

Grace Kang - Violin - 7th grade - July/2012

Yuri Ahn - Violin - 9th grade - July/2012

Nicholas Chang - 9th grade - August/2012

Let's WELCOME all of them. If you meet them at AMA or at your school, please, say hello and let them know how we appreciate them being part of our studio.

Dr. Silva

Dear students and parents,

First of all, WELCOME to my blog, an online resource for the students of my studio. Here you will find articles about violin and viola, their techniques, history, proper maintenance, and more, written by violin and viola experts of international recognition. You will also find videos and audios of the music you are current working on, so you can refer to during your practice. I will also post events such as studio recitals, competitions, participants, winners, as well as welcome posts of the new members of our studio, and much more.

Second of all, WELCOME back to my AMA Studio, I am sure you all had a great summer and are ready to start another exciting semester. This year we will have more events to boost the students playing and interaction. In addition to the end-of-year AMA’s recital, we are going to have two studio recitals in which my students will have the opportunity to show and expose themselves to the real world of performing. Students who are preparing themselves for auditions and competitions, such as ALL STATE and the Bach Competition, are expected to perform on those recitals, as well as those who are ready to perform the music they are practicing. We will try to put some duos and trios to perform as well. Both recitals will be at AMA’s next door building and piano accompaniment will be provided. That said, let’s root and cheer for the students that are taking these competitions and auditions. 

Concluding, this semester promises to be a great, busy and exciting one with lots of events to happen. For all students: GO PRACTICE, PRACTICE, AND PRACTICE. To the parents, please, be supportive of your precious ones; give them all they need to succeed. So, good luck to all of us and let us have a wonderful start.

Sincerely,

Dr. Silva