Rozanna's Blog

by Rozanna Weinberger Violin hold is one of the biggest enigmas for many string players from beginner to advancing players. Sure its easy enough to grip the violin between the head & neck like a vice until the pain becomes incapacitating. Its even possible to consider pain a necessary trade off for playing a beautiful […]

by Rozanna Weinberger These days it seems contemporary audiences are much more influenced by shows like The Voice than the concert hall. This may also be in part because children have less exposure to fine art and so we seek it less and less. While I would never suggest that just because someone auditions for a talent competition […]

by Rozanna Weinberger What is freedom and what does it mean when playing a musical instrument? What are the limitations we place on our capabilities and how do we transcend those limitations and create new patterns, both physically and emotionally?  Why is overcoming fear inseparable to the way we play?  Does our movement enable us to […]

By Rozanna Weinberger Practicing often entails making mistakes. But one of the greatest sources of confusion is how to deal with mistakes effectively. From the standpoint of utilizing our natural abilities it may come down to how we notice things.  A skilled teacher will help provide the student with the necessary parameters to observe perceived […]

by Rozanna Weinberger One of the biggest challenges for advancing players is a comfortable left hand technique, including the ability to go from note to note without excessive strain as well as sound finger action & vibrato. There have been many great teachers of string playing, but two come to mind as pioneers shedding light on a […]

by Rozanna Weinberger For many string players, there is very little about playing a violin, viola or cello that feels natural without plenty of practicing. While no one can avoid plenty of practice to master a piece of music to the point where it is ready for performance, no doubt, discovering the easiest way to […]

by Rozanna Weinberger Right hand finger action is a cause for bewilderment by many students. The myth is that the fingers must be trained to move back and forth,  to curl and straighten, to effect a proper bow hold.  While in principal its true these movements need to occur,  the movements are the effect of a […]

by Rozanna Weinberger Throughout my studies it was typical that various teachers would espouse preferences in vibrato,between arm or wrist. D.C. Dounis has an interesting perspective where he goes so far as to say one is inferior to the other. Continuing from the material covered from the interview between Samuel Applebaum and Dounis, this entry will examine […]