The Violin Retreat Diaries - An introduction
- carolinepether
- May 6, 2020
- 1 min read
Updated: Mar 20
A few years ago, I took myself for a week in Lendalfoot, Ayrshire on the Scottish Coast. The purpose of my retreat was to practise, to read about music and to listen to as many inspiring recordings as I could. I was desperate for a stretch of time completely free of administrative and note-learning responsibilities to focus on long-term goals; to improve technical aspects of my violin-playing but also to give myself space to be inspired and really think consciously about what kind of musician I’m striving to be and what my musical priorities are.
I am sharing diary entries from the first couple of days of my retreat here. The entries includes practice notes, an examination of a technical study through a pedagogical lens, commentary on articles from a couple of Strad magazines, and reactions to some fantastic recordings, ending with a Recording of the Day. I’m no writer (apologies in advance!) so I’ll be happy if a handful of people read this and find the creative processes interesting. Feel free to cherry-pick bits you’re personally interested in. Enjoy!
For aspiring drummers or musicians looking to lay down a quick beat idea, an interactive virtual drum set can be a really cool tool. Many online versions offer realistic sounds and a visual layout that mimics a real drum kit. You can often map different drum parts to your keyboard keys, making it intuitive to play. It’s a fantastic resource for learning basic drum patterns, understanding how different parts of the kit work together, or even for music producers to sketch out rhythmic ideas before programming them. Plus, it’s just plain fun to play!