Words of Wisdom: Violinist David Arbus

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This was first published in the October 2011 issue of The Strad

You need to know how to relax when you play. This can only be the result of a lot of hard work since playing the violin is not a natural thing to do, and places unusual stresses and strains on the body.

Each genre of music has its own idiom and integrity, and in order to learn a style you must immerse yourself in it.

It is good for your playing to learn to improvise.

There are only a handful of really great composers and you can simplify life by forgetting about the rest.

Technology and technique are overvalued. Today we are producing robots with phenomenal technique but no judgement. I would rather hear a great piece of music played badly than a mediocre piece played perfectly.

Don’t forget about silence. It’s good for you!

This was first published in the October 2011 issue of The Strad

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