Unvarnished Truth – Fall 2020

Curated News for String Musicians

• The Latest
• We Welcome Two New Staff Members!
• Virtual Connections 
• Online Musician Resources –Tuning, 
• Bridges
• Chamber Music in Philadelphia
• Things that Give Us Joy — Baking

Do you know other musicians who are passionate about stringed instruments? Forward them our newsletter!
You can subscribe here:
https://mailchi.mp/b5a91e7bb31e/unvarnished–signup

This spring our office person, Joe Cosgrove, moved to North Carolina to play viola in several groups. In July, Liz Perry moved to Detroit so that her husband can begin Dental School there. The Perrys are both expecting and are due in February! We wish the best for all of them!

Meet Gina and Isaac:

Gina Rico 
A Philadelphia native, Gina began taking violin lessons at 9 years old and eventually fell in love with the viola as a teen, which then became her primary instrument. Gina initially pursued a viola performance degree at Indiana University Bloomington, but quickly discovered her interest and love of teaching string instruments to young children and changed her path to include intensive study of string pedagogy and music education. Since earning her Bachelor’s Degree in String Pedagogy from IU, Gina has enjoyed a varied career of teaching and performing locally. Gina maintains both a private home studio and has been a private violin & viola instructor and orchestra assistant at Germantown Academy since 2016. She is excited to learn about the business side of a company such as ours, dedicated to arts and community, and is committed to help it grow and thrive.  

Isaac Tabone

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MUSICIAN

• Take virtual lessons

• Become a Patreon of the Arts

• Philadelphia Orchestra Digital Concerts starting at $15
• Oct 8 Sight, Sound, Symphony 8pm    https://www.philorch.org/performances/our-season/events-and-tickets/fall-2020-season/sight-sound-symphony/
• Oct 15 Ax/Mozart Piano Concerto 8pm  https://www.philorch.org/performances/our-season/events-and-tickets/fall-2020-season/axmozart-piano-concerto-no-14/
• PCMS Philadelphia Chamber Music Society  www.pcmsconcerts.org   More on this group below!
• Folk Alliance International has a calendar of folk artist’s live-stream events. Oldtime, Swedish Trad, English, etc.   https://folkconference.org/livestream/
• Tiki Parlour Old Time Fiddle  Festival   Sunday Oct 11th   http://fiddlersfestival.org/

Here is help for tuning your instrument!
https://mountairyviolins.com/tuning/
These are 4 videos that Liz made which are now on our website. They  explain how to safely tune your instrument.

Part 1: Is it in Tune?
Part 2: How to Tune Using Fine Tuners and Pegs.
Part 3: Trouble Shooting (leaning bridge, peg issues)
Part 4: How to Change a String

“Distance Learning for Music Teachers”  is a Facebook group teachers can join to support each other with ideas and techniques for helping their students on Zoom.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2960981433922933

BRIDGES CONNECT US TO OUR MUSIC       
Isaac Tabone

The bridge is, arguably, the most important part of a violin’s setup. Functionally, the bridge transmits the vibrations of the strings through the rest of the instrument, allowing the sound to be amplified and projected by the instrument. A well-made bridge can dramatically improve player experience, both tonally and physically. Conversely, a poorly-made bridge can cause much frustration and stifle the potential of an instrument. 

Two of the most important steps are the fit of the feet to the top of the instrument, and the height of the strings relative to the fingerboard. Luthiers use a variety of techniques to fit the feet, but all work towards the goal of having the most amount of contact possible. This transmits the vibrations of the strings into the violin, violin or cello in the most efficient way, creating the best sound. The height of the bridge directly correlates with playability; if the strings are too high they will be painful to play; if they are too low, they will contact the fingerboard and buzz. Bridges for both beginners’ violins and pro violins need these two steps done correctly to enjoy playing!

We have different prices for student and professional bridges. Both have the feet and bridge arch determined so that the instrument is comfortable to play. Professional bridges are fine-tuned to help shape the tone of the instrument by carefully carving of the interior section of a bridge. A fine handmade instrument can only reach its full potential with a thoughtful, well-made bridge.  

Many players are surprised when they hear the price of a new bridge. All of the factors above influence the cost. Each bridge is custom fit and unique to your instrument no matter how much or little you paid for it. A violin bridge can take 1-2 hours, while a cello bridge can take 5-6! There have been attempts to reduce the amount of labor for commercial instruments by using templates and CNC machines, but to reach full potential each will still need to have the final steps completed by hand. A well-made bridge on a regularly maintained instrument can be one of the most important investments any player can make in their beloved instrument–and their playing.

Chamber Music in Philadelphia
Thomas La Forgia

One of my all-time passions is chamber music. It’s so much fun to play and be both a leader and follower at the same time. It’s also a joy to hear live because there’s nowhere to hide in chamber music and that often leads to some of the most profound risks and rewards music has to offer. 

The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society (PCMS) has come up with a great way to keep the music alive through the end of the calendar year. They have 13 performances that will be streamed live from Philadelphia venues, some featuring great musicians from our city, including the Jasper Quartet, and pianist Jonathan Biss. The performances are free (please donate if you are able!) but there’s a small catch – the live stream events will be broadcast in real time. They will only be uploaded after the concert if the musicians give the “OK.” So you have to be there to experience the performance live, otherwise you may miss out. Check out www.pcmsconcerts.org for more information about dates and times.  

Here is a recent article from The Philadelphia Inquirer
https://www.inquirer.com/arts/coronavirus-effects-philadelphia-arts-and-culture20200913.htmlfbclid=IwAR25mdNb_FSZSvLWbiwwj00LrN29jOaxWztonK6OY-nXVWmlW4v5etqjU_0

BAKING

Early on in the pandemic, there was a surge in bread-making on my social media pages. I largely ignored it thinking it was too time-intensive and that I had better things to do. But after a couple friends from a weekly Zoom hang kept telling me I should try it, I decided to give it a shot. The joy I get from bread making is simple. The ingredients are simple – flour, water, salt, yeast. But there are two more important factors: temperature and time. It’s the time factor that brings me joy. You can’t rush bread. Mixing and folding the dough, and shaping the loaves don’t really take a lot of time by themselves. So I often do other tasks around the house in between steps. But the time commitment to check on the dough slows me down. It reminds me to be patient. And it brings a general sense of calm. So, during a global pandemic, I now totally understand why so many people are making bread.

Here are a few photos of a more adventurous loaf I tried thanks to @fullproofbaking on Instagram. It’s a sourdough loaf with turmeric and dark chocolate. Toasted with a little butter and cinnamon, it reminds me of simpler times.

CUSTOMERS GIVE US JOY, TOO!