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And suddenly, I heard violins...

wembley can change in 28 days

17:59 / 03.05.02

More expert advice from you. One of my little brothers (aged 9, I think, although I can never keep up) is starting out on the violin. Actually, he's been at it for a couple of years, and is already doing very well in competitions. He's got excellent technical ability (the interpretation and passion stuff doesn't really kick in for a while, I suppose). He's a bright young thing but also a lazy-ass and likes to complain about practicing. I don't see him very often and before I go to Finland, I want to make him a CD that will encourage his imagination and make him feel all loved by big sister.

I might even make 2 different discs, one with classical pieces he might like, and one with a couple of the less noisy Dirty Three tracks and other less conventional material. He is only 9, so I don't want to get all Phillip Glass on him. He also likes fast, energetic pieces, or ones with a bit of humour. Perhaps something even with a violin part that's beautiful but simple enough that he might be able to figure it out. (Like "Lullabye for Christie" by the Dirty Three, that would be a piece of cake for him.) If there are pieces with a good story behind them, that might make the liner notes more fun. What's your favourite work for violin?

16:10 / 04.05.02

I was thinking you might try Ed Alleyn Johnson... electric violin bloke. Er. Um. That's it...

wembley can change in 28 days

18:16 / 04.05.02

Ta. Anything helps. I wonder if there's some Laurie Anderson out there that might be worth searching for...

19:19 / 04.05.02

I played classical violin from age 3 to 16. Hated most of it, had to be dragged upstairs screaming to practice. No real interest in it.

Feb. 94: Saw Ashley MacIssac. Gave up classical music the next day, started fiddliing, discovered love for the violin....

...just a suggestion. Of course now that I'm 23, I want to get back to classical. This is a normal chain of events from what I hear. Get some Ashley MacIssac and good ol' Bluegrass on that CD!

Tuna Ghost: Pratt knot hero

02:36 / 05.05.02

It used to be that the only thing that could get me exited about the saxaphone (which I had been playing since third grade) was hearing someone else with fantastic tone and technical skills. If that helps any.

Yes, get him bluegrass. He'll eventually get sick of classical (it'll only last a little while), but he'll be glad he learned what he did when he starts playing...just about anything else, really. And he'll have a really well trained ear, which is of infinite value in music.

Disco is My Class War

10:01 / 05.05.02

hey wembley -- if you want to blow his mind a bit, get some of the yehudi meuhin and ravi shankar improvisations. i used to be really into that stuff when i was a little violinist tacker. also, put some stephane grapelli on it. and i agree, lots of bluegrass. and of course, the dirty three. warren ellis just released a solo ep called 'three pieces for violin' -- 2 of them are pretty avant-garde but the third track is lovely. you could probably download it from audiogalaxy.

in terms of classical, def. get a copy of 'the lark ascending' by vaughan williams. it's pretty crazy inspiring... not fast or exciting, however. there's also some really lovely fiddle-and-piano stuff by janacek which might be quite difficult but he could probably pick it out... that eastern european folk music is pretty fun to muck around with. (maybe not bartok, though.)

(i dunno, actually, if i quite agree with giving yr little siblings 'serious' music for presents -- i gave my brother jazz trumpet cds when he was smallish 'cause he played trumpet, and now he's listening to metallica. he does still play sax, though. and i was an extremely serious little music teenager who listened to lots of beethoven.)

15:47 / 05.05.02

What about John Cale's mad bits on the first Velvets album?

That's what I call violins.

03:49 / 06.05.02

yeah john cale rocks it.

as as far as his "interpretation and passion stuff doesn't really kick in for a while, I suppose" that's false. it kicks in from birth. if you don't think he has that now, encourage a career in accounting and give up on the frustrated music misery career.

for real.

14:18 / 06.05.02

John Cale was actually viola, but yeah. Venus in Furs.

I would also say Camper Van Beethoven. Their cover of "Pictures of Matchstick Men" is the most accessible with a prominent violin track, but there are plenty of other songs in their catalogue. "History of Utah" being one. Actually, most of the self titled third album is good for that.

14:03 / 07.05.02

Thought of two in the car on the way to work today.
First: a guy named Martyn Bennett put out an album called Bothy Culture. He's a techno guy who does traditional folk music too. The track "Aye" has some astounding fiddle work, which descends into some funky breakbeats and stuff before coming back.
On the site, there's an audio sample for something similar called "Jacobite Bebop" from another album. Gives you an idea of what I mean.

Second: The "Requiem for a Dream" soundtrack. It might be a bit "heavy" for a nine year old. But still, it's certainly not wussy.

Tryphena Absent

15:55 / 07.05.02

I'm going to be really boring and suggest Ravel. I love Ravel's string pieces, they make me float.

Goodness Gracious Meme

16:02 / 07.05.02

you could try Instrumental out on him... they're a group who do (and i know this sounds awful, but does work) cover old acid house tracks, result is stuff that *is* a bit plinky plonky Glass-ish, but has alot more oomph than that (stuff like the Shamen, richie hawtin, brian eno) and you can always play/make a compilation of the originals as well, as a set, could...

hmm, Disco, know what you mean about the serious music thing...

could you get him a ticket/sub to a good music library so he can wander round and listen to whatever he likes, for 'free', maybe?

Goodness Gracious Meme

16:04 / 07.05.02

Also, maybe some irish folk stuff? the dancy stuff is really manic but also technically bloody demanding...

18:54 / 07.05.02

There was a band called "Snakefinger" that did a great piece called "Sawney Bean" about a gruesome killer. The first half is an a capella chant, and the second half is this violin-driven shanty. I have it on a compilation called "Potatoes," which also has "folk songs" by The Residents and Mark Mothersbaugh.

There appears to be something here for ordering the album, and something here for other stuff.