Thursday String Blog After Hurricane Matthew!

Sorry so late! Hurricane Matthew has hit our little town and our surrounding towns too. So Prayers are welcomed!

I was thinking about notes last night. The never ending counting of notes and how hard it must be to for those who never learned to read music….playing in orchestra its a MUST!

 

Note Names and Beats:

Whole note, also known as “Semibreve” is a count of 4 beats.         

Next is dotted note, also known as”Dotted Minim” is a count of 3.

A half note, also known as “Minim” is 2 beats.

 

Then you have the dotted quarter, also known as “Dotted Crotchet” is 1 1/2 beats.

 

Quarter note, also known as “Crotchet” is 1 beat.

 

Then you have your eighth note, also known as “Quaver” is 1/2 beat.

 

“Semiquaver” is 1/4 beat.

And here is a little musical Joke just for you!

 

String Thursday (October 6, 2016)

Note Reading! So much fun right?? Well it can be if you look at it this way!

FACE is all the Open notes, No line in them. And Every Good Boy Does Fine

are going to be on the staff line. If we look at notes like this it will be a lot

easier to remember! If you notice the notes are only A-G, so even small

children can learn to read music.

Here is a good example for early note reading! Enjoy!

Cabbage And Collards in Pots!

Had to share this post from Pinterest because it works! I started this past July and August planting Cabbage/Collard seed in pots. As they grow you can transplant them to bigger pots in your greenhouse.

I am so glad I did this because we had a huge rain storm and the ones I planted in the garden didn’t make it. So I have back up plants in the greenhouse. I have also planted beans, peppers, and tomato’s in pots. I will post pictures of them this weekend. This just really works you must try! Just keep them fertilized and they will grow in pots!

 

(http://pin.it/11NA7ya) here is website!

Music Theory Thursday

Today’s little music theory: Treble Clef. The definition of a treble clef is a symbol that is placed on every line of music to show the notes which will be sung or played by voices and instruments that can achieve higher notes
(www.yourdictionary.comtreble)

So playing violin you will see the Treble Clef, not the Bass Clef. Here is a demonstration of the Treble Clef.

Treble Clef is also known a G Clef. 

The treble clef is also called the “G clef” because the symbol at the beginning of the staff (a stylized letter “G“) encircles the second line of the staff, indicating that line to be G4 (or g above middle C). (dictionary.onmusic.org)

String Celebration!

My Life Catcher’s Birthday is Today! The Big 5!

She brought the music back out of me when she was born and I’m so thankful for that! She is a light in some of my darkest days. When I’m feeling down she is always trying to make me feel better. She is always saying the funniest things, too.

It was a Beautiful Day! All her dear friends came, and family. My husband and my brother also came to celebrate their September Birthdays as well. It was like music to my ears to hear laughter from sweet children playing together. Also hearing adults chatter along with one another.

And the Food was to die for! Just so much good food and fellowship who could ask for more?

Stings in the Midst’s of Rain

Well it sure has been raining here in the East, and flooded our little town a few times as well. But as it would seem beauty still prevails here in my Stringed life. Monday my little violin students lit up my heart, watching them explore their new found world of violin. Each smiling from ear to ear in excitement. Even as the rain and thunder crashed, it had seemed to slip their young minds. Which its nice to see them do that, giving them sort of a freedom of the outside.

Entering into today, I’m planning my Daughters 5th Birthday Celebration and getting a little nervous about how Saturday may turn out. So much rain and of course she is looking forward to a out door party. Its still raining today, feels like it will never end. But it will all work out, I have to remember not to worry about such things as to much rain. She is having a Disney Princess party, as expected. I was surprised as she picked “Merida”, princess of Brave. I love Scotland and love the music there, of course “Merida”, is a Scottish princess. Zoe responded in telling me that she looked like her, I think is so sweet. She loves the movie too. I as well do, as its a more about Mother and Daughter not just a love story.

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My String Life

My Stringed Life, started when I was about 13 years old. At school we only had the option to play in band, but I didn’t want to play a wind instrument. So I asked my mom if there was anyway I could play violin? Big question, because “Little Washington” is a small town. Well she started searching and a miracle happened! She found the “Sweetest” violin teacher! Not knowing she was going to be the biggest part of my “Stringed Life.”

First time we meet, I was so nervous, and  right away I felt so comfortable. She had a way of just making you feel so welcome and loved. She saw I was shy and helped me work through it. Which I’m so thankful for now as a Adult you have no choice but to be social and open. I remember my very first violin, it was the cheapest thing you could ever buy. Varnish was almost orange in color, and sounded like a tin can. But I learned to make it play anyway. My teacher taught me much through my teenage years, how to not just play, but how to be a beautiful person. Teaching Shinichi Suzuki violin was the method she taught, and I learned to love his teachings. I remember her telling me time and time again, “You will be a great violin teacher”, I didn’t think so. I wanted to just play in a orchestra and that was it. Until life happened and I feel in love and got married.

To young to know better, I got married at 18 years old. I thought I knew everything! This was a very sad time in my life. My marriage was not working out and I lost my dream of playing the violin…..I put it down and tried to get a handle on my marriage. I never could, and that was a lesson learned. But I did get something so beautiful and precious out of it. My two beautiful children, Joe and Elizabeth. My saving angels! After growing up and learning such a valuable lesson, my life just enhanced. I decided to go back to school to learn a trade to support my children, but while in school I decided to start teaching violin. I went to many summer class to learn the trade of teaching violin, while I was married, even though my spouse thought it was a waste. I loved this time in my life! The children I was teaching became a part of my family.

 

After graduating I decided I needed to cut back on teaching, and work a full-time job. But soon I met my Israel, who became my husband on 2010. Very supportive and loving. I have been so blessed since. I had my third child in 2011, Zoe. My little life catcher. The gift of Strings have been taught to my three children ever since they were 3 years old. My son now plays cello, my two girl violin. I started out teaching them violin, but two think they know it all. So I had to get them teachers.

 

Skipping on to summer 2015, my life completely stopped. A family emergency happened and I quit my full-time job and prayed the Lord would take the reigns and guide me into my next phase in life. I soon relized that I need a job close to home and few months later I started teaching violin again at home. Then one day my dearest Violin teacher contacted me. She has been a Violin/Music teacher in a charter school for 14 years, and asked me to come visit. Something beautiful was born! Volunteering then turned into a “Teacher Assistant” job. I have been working there ever since and what beauty, peace, joy and hope I have experienced is just breath taking. My Stringed Life is still in the works! I can say that playing my violin and sharing it has been a gift to me and those I have shared it with.

 

About

My name is Melissa. First I am a mother, of three beautiful children. I’m also a violinist and I teach in my private studio and the school system. I teach for the love strings and in memory of Shinichi Suzuki. I live on a homestead, where we grow vegetables, flowers, chickens and children.

My site is created to celebrate my love for violin and all music. But don’t be surprised if you encounter homespun recipes, some gardening tips, and a few chickens, too. Thank you for stopping by my World.