
My name is Boris, and I have been playing the violin for over a decade. As I was preparing for my public examination during the past few months, I did not have much time to practice my violin at all, but now I am fully focused and dedicated to picking up where I left off. I usually spend half an hour to an hour practicing passages I am not familiar with, along with warm ups including scales and finger exercises involving both my left and right hand. Prior to performances, I do breathing exercises to calm myself down and make sure I am in a stable mindset; during the performances, I don’t take notice of the audience or anyone for that matter; I am only focused on my playing, intonation, dynamics etc.
To those who are eager to learn violin and are extremely ambitious, my best advice is to stay motivated and dedicated. There will be times where you do not want to practice your scales and that you don’t want to fix your intonation - this will only harm you in the long run. I too experience these feelings from time to time, but I remind myself that I have goals that I want to reach, such as obtaining the ATCl, thus I push through and keep practicing each day.
I want to say a special thank you for TN studio for all the support they have given me over the years. I want to firstly thank Teacher Josh, who has taught me for many years, and his patient and insightful methods of teaching. He opened my eyes to how each piece has its own distinct style which I should accommodate, alongside my own playing style, while teaching me the importance of a good work ethic and dedication. I would also like to thank Teacher Victor, who is currently teaching me. Although our time together has been brief thus far, he has taught me the importance of passion and emotional connection to each piece - that the best performances come from violinists who can resonate the most with each piece, such that I put my heart and soul to each note.
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