Shoulder Devil

One of my junior quartet violinists came to see me first thing this morning - before rehearsal - to organise a lesson time for the first week back.  The violist came in as well.

Violin: So, can I organise a lesson time?
Me: Sure.  What time would you like?
Violin [looking at the blank page]: Ummm...
Me: Really, you can have pretty much any time.  Does Tuesday work for you - same day as quartet?
Violin: Yes.  That would be good.  Umm...
Viola [peering over her shoulder]: You should do 12:30.  Then you don't have to last until lunch.
Violin [shaking her off]: No.  Um.
Me: Do you want 12:30?
Violin: No.  Um.  When else would be good...
Viola [whispering]: 12:30 12:30 12:30 12:30 12:30 12:30
Violin [actually batting her away]:  No, not 12:30.
Me: When would you like then?  Before morning tea?  Before lunch?
Viola: 12:30 12:30 12:30 12:30 hee hee hee I'm like [giggle] one of those [giggle] shoulder angels... oh wait... um... shoulder... devil...
Violin: Could I have... 9...?  Or 9:30...?
Me: Sure - which one?
Viola: Pick whichever one you want [whispering] 12:30 12:30 [normal] pick whichever one [whispering] 12:30 12:30 12:30
Violin: Agh!  Um -
Viola:  Pick whichever one you want [whispering] 12:30 12:30
Violin: Oh shush!  9:30 please.

Ninja Moves

This morning, the junior quartet performed for the first time in junior schooling assembly.  We had a rehearsal beforehand.  Originally, I was told we could practice in the assembly hall, but yesterday one of the girls saw me and ran up, very serious and wide-eyed: dance club would be in the hall - and they have loud music.  I thought I might be able to use the music room by the hall, but this morning there was another group was rehearsing in there.  So, having found the cellist, I went to the music room by the front driveway and next to the music office.  Thankfully, the other girls saw us as they arrived.  Before I saw the viola arrive, I walked out to the drive to check something with the first violinist's mum.  Turning back, I saw a flash of white-socked leg run into the classroom.  I walked in...

Viola [jumping up from just under a desk]: AGH!!!!! [best approximation of a yell]
Me: Yep.  Hi.  I saw you run in here.
Viola: I'm practising ninja moves.
Cello: ... why...?
Viola: This morning, my mum, at breakfast, she was just standing there, and then [does a fast squat with arms crossed out the front] hai-YA!  I got, like, such a shock.  I was, like, mum?  What are you doing?  And she said, I'm practising my stealth ninja moves.  So then I did it, like this [pauses, looks focused, then just the arm movement] hai-YA!  But then, mum said she was about to have a shower, so I got to the bathroom before her, and I put on a shower cap, like this [mimes] and made it really tight around my head, and then I hid in the shower, so when she came in - [squat, arms,] hai-YA! and- OH!  OH!  I just had the best idea!  We could be, like, the ninja moves quartet!

As it turned out, there were far more ninja stealth moves in rehearsal than anybody wanted, as there were several flies just flying around and landing on their bows and fingers and music.  How to keep the adrenaline pumping.  And I am pleased to report they spoke their parts and played their music beautifully.  One very proud teacher here.

It's Really Famous

Continuing Quartet.  First, we played Funiculi Funicula.  Quite slowly, but the whole piece, with only one stop near the beginning.

Cello: Man, we are going to have to get so much faster.
Viola: I swear, I have never heard this piece before.
Cello [dramatically]: Are you kidding me?  It is so famous!  Like, really famous!  [then, more subdued] Well... In Italy, anyway.
Viola: Oh great, in Italy.
Cello: Totally!  If we played this in Italy, they'd all be, like, we totally know this piece.  Everyone in Italy knows this piece, they're, like [sings a bit of the opening melody]... Yeah...  Famous.

You Said It

Junior Quartet yesterday morning.  I'm recovering from a cold - so, odd voice (if present at all), sneezy, sniffly, and grumpy.  Only 2 girls were there on time.  They were actually taking initiative and tuning their violins on their own.

Violin 1: Oh, Viola isn't here today.
Me: Why not?
Violin 1: She's at...
Me: Is she doing some... Sport... thing?
Violin 1: She's at [insert some regional thing] cross country.
Me: Okay.  Now.  You hear how my voice is still a bit weird? 
[Girls both nod, wide eyed]
Me: Well, I still have a cold.  So.  I need you all to behave.  Really well.
Violin 1 [giggling]: It's a good thing Viola isn't here then. [Viola is very chatty]
Me: Yes. Oh.  Well, you said it...

Viola Problems

Junior Quartet Tuesday.

Viola: I ... um... the A string broke on my viola.  So I can't play.
Me: Okay, so you just need a new string?
Viola: No... um... I don't have my viola.
Me: But you're just missing a string?
Viola: No, it broke in ensemble yesterday, and then I had to go, so Ms L said just to leave it there, and now I can't find it.
Me: Have you ... looked ... for it?
Viola: Um...
Violin 2: You should look in the chalet [where the string department is].  It's probably there.

Viola came back with a viola - not hers, but with all its strings intact.  Then, on Wednesday, she came up to her lesson at morning tea with Mr B.  With no viola, but a sheepish smile on her face when she saw me.

Viola: Hi.  Um, my teacher wouldn't let me go.
Mr B: Well, I don't have anyone now so can you come now?
Viola: Well [awkward glance at me] my A string broke.
Mr B: That's okay, I can put a new one on for you.
Me: Do you know where your viola is now?
Viola looks rather guilty.
Mr B: You - you lost your viola?
Viola [defensively]: Well, I didn't lose it, I just can't find it.  [Gives same explanation as above].
Me: Have you actually looked in the room?
Viola: I couldn't get in-
Me: Did you maybe knock on the staffroom door and ask if any of the teachers there could have a look for you?
Viola: Um...
Mr B: Well, you know what, I have a key so let's go and have a look now.

He's so nice.  It was right where she'd left it.  Now it has all its strings.

The Music Office Door

First thing this morning, I saw the violist from the junior quartet.  She had in her hand the 'contract' all the students in ensembles are required to sign (will turn up to all rehearsals and performances, and follow the director's instructions).

Viola: Ummm... What do I do with this?
Me: You know the music office door?
Viola: Ye- um... no...
Me: You know the music office?
Viola: Yes.
Me: And it has a front door?
Viola: Oh, yeah.
Me: That's the music office door.
Viola: Ohhhh...
Me: And it has the letterbox on the front.  You lift the lid, and you put in the contract.
Viola: Oh...  Okay.

There were varying levels of penny-dropping and confusion, from her, and varying levels of worry from me.

Random Comment #2 - The Nutcracker

Later in rehearsal for the Continuing Quartet, we were working on Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from Tchaikovsky's ballet, The Nutcracker.  I was sorting out a passage in the violins for a bit, and could hear the cello and viola talking quietly about something.  As soon as I had finished with the violins, I heard this:

Cello [quite loudly and dramatically]: Well, I crack nuts!
Me [turning back to her, raised eyebrow]: Um...?
Cello [floundering]: Oh - well, I - um - oh, you know, I -
Viola [imitating me from earlier]: Random comment number two for today.
Cello: I don't mean I crack nuts... You know... Like... not like ... Oh.  I meant the - yeah, the nuts you can eat.  As in, the nutcracker - like where this music is from.  You know.  The ballet, and the nutcracker, and the little soldier thing.
Me: Yeah, that's what I thought you meant...

All this was accompanied by giggles from at least one of the other girls.  I feel I should point out here that they all get on as friends, and they do work really hard when not coming out with random comments and misunderstandings.

Viola Clef

11-yr-old viola student picked out a new piece.  A bit more advanced than her previous pieces, it included a treble clef.

Girl [pointing]: What's that?!
Me: That's a treble clef, you know about these.  You see them in music at school.
Girl: But what's it doing in my music???
Me: Well, it's just to stop us using, like, fifteen ledger lines.
Girl: But I just want the back-to-front three.
Me [slowly]: Vi-o-la clef.
Girl [stubbornly]: Back-to-front three.
Me: Viola clef.
Girl [posh voice]: Well, it might be ... that... in fancy-pants language, but I call it the back-to-front three.
Me: Vi-o-la clef.  Um... How do you write your threes?
Girl [pauses]: Oh.  Oh.  [giggles] How embarrassing.  I mean, a back-to-front 'S'.
Me [starting to giggle]: How do you write an 'S' then?
Girl [getting a bit flustered]: Um.  I mean.  Agh!  Just get it out of here!!!

Thunder and Lightning

Today there was quite a storm, while I was teaching an 11-yr-old viola student.  Thankfully, she had an hour lesson - we would have had about a half hour of productive time.

[Rather large rumble of thunder]
Girl: Ummm... is that thunder?  Or is it a wheelie bin?
Me: It's thunder.
Girl [as the rumbling gets quite loud]: Are you sure?
Me: ... Yes.  Quite sure. [more thunder]
Girl: God just dropped a bowling ball... [flash of lightning] and hit a lamp... [thunder] which then shattered...
Me: Let's just play from bar 9... [thunder]
Girl: He must be taking out the wheelie bin... [thunder]... He dropped the bins [clap of thunder]...an apple core must have fallen out of the wheelie bin...

There was much screaming, jumping (from both of us), running to the windows, and ooohhhhh...  I think she likes storms, in the same way you like a horror movie.

Gathering Instruments

Because double basses are large, the kids usually use a school instrument for rehearsals.  If the string director hasn't brought it down before my rehearsal, I'm begged by a few girls if they can please go and get the double bass.  Today, one of my viola players got in first - and I said yes.  Once it was present, we had the following:

Viola: Okay, where do I put it? [we had a different orientation for our set up today]
Me: Over there [pointing to the double bass stool]
Viola [from about a metre further to the right than she needed to be]: Um, where do I put the double bass?
Me [slowly]: Over there... Right next to the double bass stool.
Viola [looks around, almost does a 360 degree turn, eventually spots the stool, puts down the bass].
Double bass: Um, can I go and get the right bow?  This is... just ... it's wrong.  It's the wrong bow.
Me: Yep, go.
Double bass [dramatically]: Thank you.
Viola [looking at me rather blankly, eventually says]: Oh.  I need a viola.  I was so busy getting the double bass, I forgot I need my viola for this.  Can I go and get my viola?
Me [a little dumbfounded]: Ah... yes...  It does help. [Thinking - oh she's such a viola player!!!]

The Stopped Clock

There is a clock in my living room, made by my brother, which no longer works.  My 11-yr-old viola student noticed this morning.

Girl: Um... is that? ... does that.. is that clock right?
Me: Well, twice a day.
Girl: What? Oh.  You should get it fixed.  It's really nice. 
Me: Yeah, my brother made it.  The mechanism needs repairing.
Girl: You should give it to him for Christmas.
Me: Oh that's really nice.  Here's something that's ... actually yours anyway...
Girl: Yeah, it totally works, and you didn't make it.  That's what I'd do to my sister.
Me: Isn't she little though?  Your poor sister.
Girl [with that serious tone suggesting a History]: She'll live.

Bartok's Age

I have an 11-yr-old viola student who does no practice.  This irks me. 

Me [without any hope]: Have you done any practice?
Girl [enthusiastically]: Uh-huh!  And I went through the whole book and found the pieces I want to play.
Me [nearly falling over with shock]: Wow.  Which one first?

The girl picked out the first acceptable one in the book, a duo by Bartok.  Bartok's name and dates (1881 - 1945) are written at the top right of the piece.

Girl: He was really old.
Me: You think so?  How old was he?
Girl [awed]: 121.
Me: ummm... try that again.
Girl: 82.  20.  [tries a few other numbers].
Me: Well, nothing to 45 is 45.  What's 100 minus 81?
Girl: oh... um... [eventually] 19.  Oh! So 45 plus 19... 68.
Me: Ah, try 45 plus 20 minus 1
Girl: 65. 64! Wow.  He was really young.

While I Was Sitting Here

The piece I'm working on with my ensemble is one I've written myself, based on 2 songs they all know really well from school (One, Two, Three and Apple Tree).  Last week, near the end of the rehearsal, one of the viola players put up her hand.

Girl: So, while I was sitting here,  I thought up a rap version, and a jazz version, and an opera version.
Me: Ooh, can I hear them?
Girl: ummm... next week?

This week, I got to hear the 3 different versions.  I wish I could record them and upload it here - the viola player and a friend sang One, Two, Three first as a rap (complete with hand movements), then very seriously for opera (with a bit of vibrato), then a very groovy jazz version, which had us all swaying along and clicking.  I laughed so much my face went red.

If you don't know the song, it goes like this:

One,       two,        three
so           la            so
 
John-ny caught a  flea
so     so    la     la  so

Flea       died,       John-ny cried
so          mi           so     so   mi

One,      two,        three
so          mi            do