Rolling into Sofia Bulgaria: Spring 2010

Violin Maker Boris in Kanzalak, Bulgaria

The 2006 outreach emails turned up a pocket of violin makers in Bulgaria. We visited them then and again in 2010. They are centered in the small town of Kanzalak which is about an hour’s drive from the Country’s largest city, Sofia. We met several luthiers making violins in their small workshops, but the most interesting was Boris. He bought a forest, some several hundred acres of wood for violin making. We met him in his cold basement, huddled around the hearth of his fire place. He was the former manager at the violin making plant there in Kanzalak. It was Russian controlled until the breakup and then was bought by a private party. He left then and started the workshop style of violin making in his home. He organizes several makers that work in cooperation to build violins that students can afford. He supplies the materials and does the final check of every instrument. He has more violins than he has market for. He said he really needed to travel and find more buyers for them but he was in poor health. He had thousands of violins unvarnished stacked throughout his house! They were along the walls in his hallway, his bedroom, his living room! We very much enjoyed meeting him, his sons, his wife and he dogs. He doesn’t speak any English but we had a translator there with us. We still buy instruments from him.

Teras Rhapsodia Violin from the Master 1 Collection

Featured today is the Teras Rhapsodia violin from our Master 1 collection. A highly flamed golden orangish brown finish, is one of Boris’ premium violins. It features all ebony fittings, a beautiful one piece back, and a warm, sonorous tone. On sale through June 30th 2014 for $1295 normally $2,000.

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Did you know that learning to play a musical instrument has many benefits including the ability to bring down stress, improve memory power and increase confidence levels?

Can you imagine living your life without music? It would be very hard to do so, as music has been hard-wired into our very existence as human beings. While everyone enjoys listening to good music, not many of us are what the world calls ‘musicians’- the ones with the ability to play a musical instrument. This could be due to not having the opportunity to learn as kids or simply due to lack of inclination or proper instruction. However, music is something that is never too late to learn. And here are 10 good reasons as to why everyone should learn to play a musical instrument.

1. Playing a musical instrument relieves stress

Researchers studying the benefits of music have reported that playing a musical instrument on a regular basis can help bring down stress. Studies show that playing an instrument helps in lowering the heart rate and blood pressure, which in turn lowers the stress hormone cortisol, thus making us feel relaxed. While just listening to music also helps, learning to play an instrument brings with it a comforting routine of daily practice that helps in keeping the stress hormones away. Michael Jolkovski, a psychologist who specializes in musicians, feels that music also helps in bringing down stress by helping people connect with others. "It (music) can satisfy the need to unwind from the worries of life, but unlike the other things people often use for this purpose, such as excessive eating, drinking, or TV or aimless web browsing, it makes people more alive and connected with one another."

2. Playing a musical instrument makes you smarter

People who have received a music education are generally smarter than their non-musical counterparts are. Extensive research done in this area has proved that children who learn to play a musical instrument do better in academics. Shaw, Rauscher, Levine, Wright, Dennis and Newcomb, in their research paper titled Music Training Causes Long-Term Enhancement Of Preschool Children's Spatial-Temporal Reasoning, speak about, “a research team exploring the link between music and intelligence reported that music training is far superior to computer instruction in dramatically enhancing children's abstract reasoning skills, the skills necessary for learning math and science."

3. Playing a musical instrument improves your social life

Music helps you connect. Learning an instrument enlarges your social circle since you get to meet more people than you usually would. In children, music can help develop social skills. Maestro Eduardo Marturet, a conductor, composer and musical director for the Miami Symphony Orchestra, who also oversees the MISO Young Artist program in South Florida, has observed the effect that music has on a child’s social skills. "Socially, children who become involved in a musical group or ensemble learn important life skills, such as how to relate to others, how to work as a team and appreciate the rewards that come from working together, and the development of leadership skills and discipline."

4. Playing a musical instrument helps build confidence

Choosing to take music lessons can help build confidence. Once you are aware that you are able to do something well, like play the flute for instance, you naturally become more confident of your skills. Learning to play an instrument can help both children and adults who face confidence issues. Elizabeth Dotson-Westphalen, a music teacher and performer, has found that music has helped many of students develop confidence. "They find that once they can develop a skill by themselves that they can get better and better."

5. Playing a musical instrument teaches patience

Music teachers feel that music can help teach patience. In a world of instant gratification, learning to play an instrument is not something that can happen overnight. It is the daily effort of everyday practice that can help a musician learn how to play without mistakes. This is turn develops patience. Most musicians go through years of regular practice that includes daily musical exercises and the tackling of progressively difficult musical pieces, which in turn helps them conquer the virtue of patience.

6. Playing a musical instrument fosters creativity

Stuck in everyday routine lives, many of us lose touch with our creative side. Learning to play a musical instrument, especially when you reach advanced levels, can foster that lost creativity. Since music education plays on your mental, emotional and cognitive abilities, the brain is stimulated to think out of the ordinary, which results in improved creativity.

7. Playing a musical instrument improves memory

Music and memory go hand in hand. Learning to play a musical instrument makes you use both parts of your brain and this in turn boosts memory power. Maestro Eduardo Marturet, reiterates this point when he says, "Further research has shown that participation in music at an early age can help improve a child's learning ability and memory by stimulating different patterns of brain development." Music education is also linked to higher IQ levels and the physical development of certain parts of the brain.

8. Playing a musical instrument develops discipline

Music requires dedication and regular practice. Allotting a specific amount of time to practice music daily develops discipline in the learner. This can prove to be extremely advantageous in children. Mira Stulberg-Halpert, of 3D Learner Inc., who works with children who have ADHD, has seen music discipline children when everything else fails. She has this to say on the effect of music on kids."Exposing kids to musical instruments is the key. They are naturally curious and excited about them-and the discipline that parents and kids learn by sticking with it is a lesson in itself."

9. Playing a musical instrument gives you a sense of achievement

Learning to play a musical instrument gives you an immense sense of achievement. Pianist Emily Singers, in her article titled, 12 Reasons You Should Learn to Play the Piano, writes that piano playing can bring true satisfaction. “It's truly one of the most satisfying things you can do,” she says. “There's no feeling like playing a difficult song and playing it flawlessly. (It is) Quite an ego-boost.” This feeling of satisfaction leads to a tremendous sense of self-achievement that can help you accomplish more in other areas of your life.

10. Playing a musical instrument is fun

Lastly, learning to play a musical instrument is fun. “The art of music is so deep and profound that it has to be approached with a bit of intensity laced with great affectionate joy”, says noted singer, musician and Bollywood film music composer Shankar Mahadevan. Playing a musical instrument can bring back the fun factor into your life. Music has the special quality to bring joy, peace and fulfillment that helps lift the spirit and make life enjoyable for everyone involved.  Paraphrased from http://www.shankarmahadevanacademy.com

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Edited by Catie, Spyagent, Grifflet, Katie and 8 others from Violinist.com

Ok, so you've learned the basics, how to play the violin, how to hold it properly, and all of that. Perhaps you've even had a good teacher. But you feel like something is missing, or you want to be better at it. Read on!

1. Realize that it will take money, love, and hard work to accomplish your goal. You will potentially spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars on teachers, and a good instrument. You will also have to dedicate most of your time to playing and getting better. You are in search of perfection, and that comes with a price. Don't even try this unless you love music and the violin enough to go through with it.
2. Get to know your instrument. It may sound silly, but the better you know the instrument and love it, the better sound you will produce together. Don't think of it as just you playing the violin, think of it as either an extension of yourself, or your best friend. Perhaps even your baby. Giving it a name can sometimes help with this. If you both are relatively new to playing, you both will develop together. If either one of you is more experienced, one will teach the other.
3. Surround yourself with music. Widen your taste to include everything from classical to rock to traditional. Your playing will be better for it.
4. Become an active listener. While you are listening to music, if it does not have a violin part, think of one in your head. If it does, try to follow it. Listen to where the music takes you, the tune, the beat, and the melody.
5. Listen to the masters play. If a jock wants to become better, he watches the best of the best and tries to mimic them. Do the same. I recommend Mairead Nesbitt. She combines Fiddling and Classical violin and is incredible on stage.
6. Play all the time, and every day. Play during your free time if you can. You won't get anywhere if you don't practice. As an exercise, play some music that you don't know the violin parts to, and play with it. Improvise as you go along. It will teach you to listen to what the music tells you to do. Close your eyes while you play as well, force yourself to concentrate.
7. Have fun! Listen to the music, you don't have to strictly play what the sheet tells you to, add in some embellishments after you have learned the piece. Playing with other people can be fun as well. Move around to it, get into the music.
8. If you have a musical hero, pretend that they are there listening to you. Close your eyes and imagine them right there, it helps you concentrate and play your best.
9. Get a good teacher to help you out. They will catch things you may not, and help you refine your skills.
10. Strive for a perfect tone. Keep your bowing straight, your fingering on track, and your violin in tune. Always pay attention and be in control. Good posture helps as well, try to stand up when you play, keep a straight back, wrist open, fingers peaked and loose, loose but controlled bowing arm, and elbow up.
11. If you feel like you are getting bored, find a complicated piece and play it. Or take songs from your favorite movies or bands and try those. It doesn't all have to be classical. Play what you want to play. Make sure you love the music.

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The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which also includes the viola, cello, and double bass.

The violin is sometimes informally called a fiddle, regardless of the type of music played on it. The word violin comes from the Medieval Latin word vitula, meaning stringed instrument;[1] this word is also believed to be the source of the Germanic "fiddle".[2] The violin, while it has ancient origins, acquired most of its modern characteristics in 16th-century Italy, with some further modifications occurring in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Violinists and collectors particularly prize the instruments made by the Gasparo da Salò, Giovanni Paolo Maggini, Stradivari, Guarneri and Amati families from the 16th to the 18th century in Brescia and Cremona and by Jacob Stainer in Austria. Great numbers of instruments have come from the hands of "lesser" makers, as well as still greater numbers of mass-produced commercial "trade violins" coming from cottage industries in places such as Saxony, Bohemia, and Mirecourt. Many of these trade instruments were formerly sold by Sears, Roebuck and Co. and other mass merchandisers.

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Dear Friend,

We have a strong interest in strengthening the Public School music programs in Colorado, as you might too. After two years of research, we believe creating Music Advocacy groups mainly from our parent community is the means to achieve this.

We are holding a meeting to brainstorm ideas to create a state, and district-wide network of parent groups functioning on the ideas of Advocacy pioneer John Benham. Our special guest for this symposium is Scott McCormick, CEO American Music Parents (AMP).

We extend an invitation to you and anyone interested to give ideas for this endeavor. An open house will be held at Golden Music Center on August 13 and 14th, from 3-6 pm. If you cannot come to Golden, please let us know you would like to participate through a web conference from 2-3 pm either or both days.

Sincerely,

Mary Brainerd, Owner & Jill Moynihan, Outreach Coordinator
Golden Music Center

John L. Benham is the author of "Music Advocacy-Moving from Survival to Vision"

AMP is a one year old organization in place to organize parents in the support of music programs. There will soon be thousands of members in the Denver area as all new rental customers of several music stores get free membership and current customers get a reimbursed membership (more info to follow).

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We created a video for parents to understand their importance in the process of music advocacy:  The short version is here on youtube:

The longer version has 5 more minutes that describes further detail mainly of the forming and operations of a music advocacy committee. The longer version on youtube is at:

After reviewing all the material available for music advocacy operations, there is tons of studies and articles on the importance of music in terms of research done and testimonials, but all this seems to fall on deaf ears sometimes. This video goes into the inner political workings of the school systems and how it's usually as simple as just becoming involved in the political process. The structure is set-up for the people's involvement.

Please send any comments or questions to mary@goldenmusiccenter.com

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Golden Music Center will host a free lecture by Liutaio Robert Gasser “The Cremonese Violinmaking between Tradition and Modern Style” at 7 pm on Tuesday, January 24th. Continue reading

Getting a new instrument is always exciting, however it is important to know how to use all the parts and understand why. This video is about the rosin we use on all bowed string instruments. We will cover how it is made, the different kinds, and how to use it.

Take a few minutes and enjoy this short video and you will be able to move forward with your playing with confidence and understanding.

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A violin is a delicate musical instrument which has to be handled with care – this is especially important for young children to learn to understand. Continue reading

Here are a list of hints and tips to help you choose the right size of instrument for you if your teacher or violin professional isn't available. Continue reading