Why string instrument doesn't sound 'beautiful'?

[metz]

Pardon me for this silly question - For the Junior and Intermediate categories, at what levels must the competitors be playing at? Grade 8 and Diploma respectively?

[phankao]

chamonix:

Pardon me for this silly question - For the Junior and Intermediate categories, at what levels must the competitors be playing at? Grade 8 and Diploma respectively?

A lot of the competitors in Junior category play grade 8 and diploma pieces. To some of the very young participants, it could mean book 7 or book 8 of Suzuki for them(some of these pieces are/have been grade 8 exam pieces as well). But the participants may not necessarily be doing that grade themselves in their personal music lessons/exams. As long as they can handle those 3 pieces they put in their programme well, that's fine.

[metz]

Meaning, the competitors just have to focus on the 3 songs only, right? Are those in the Junior category expected to complete the entire piece of music? I’m quite confused by the different lengths of time required by each category.

[phankao]

chamonix:

Meaning, the competitors just have to focus on the 3 songs only, right? Are those in the Junior category expected to complete the entire piece of music? I'm quite confused by the different lengths of time required by each category.

I should think they are expected to perform the whole piece! Bc you have to submit the scores on registration. So unless you submit an arranged version (arranged by yourself or teacher - cut short the song, etc), then how to play only a part of the song?

But then again, during the preliminaries, the judges will rarely let the competitors play the whole piece. They will ask them to play eg. starting from Cadenza, or Bar no. XXX, etc. Then ask them to play another part of another piece, etc.

That's what I observed.

Of course for the more senior categories, the length of performance time is expected to be longer.

[metz]

So desu ne. Now I understand. Haven’t been to one yet, so the string of silly questions mah. Thanks for the explanation!

[phankao]

phankao:

chamonix:

Pardon me for this silly question - For the Junior and Intermediate categories, at what levels must the competitors be playing at? Grade 8 and Diploma respectively?

A lot of the competitors in Junior category play grade 8 and diploma pieces. To some of the very young participants, it could mean book 7 or book 8 of Suzuki for them(some of these pieces are/have been grade 8 exam pieces as well). But the participants may not necessarily be doing that grade themselves in their personal music lessons/exams. As long as they can handle those 3 pieces they put in their programme well, that's fine.

Some of the common pieces from Suzuki Books that are also current/previous grade 8 violin pieces are eg. these:

Bach concerto
http://youtu.be/qgNnHnZQc3Q

Vivaldi A-minor
http://youtu.be/klmGnSVVF5M

So during the NPVC junior category, you'd often hear pieces like these in the participants' programmes, especially those of the very young - eg. below 9years old - who haven't had that much time to explore more varied repertoire.

[metz]

For Junior category, what’s the age of the youngest top 3 winners? The average age of winners? Would you say around 9?

[phankao]

chamonix:

For Junior category, what's the age of the youngest top 3 winners? The average age of winners? Would you say around 9?

Maybe lah. Last NPVC, I think for violin jr, 1st was 8yo, 2nd 12yo, 3rd 9yo.
Cuteness factor does come into play. I thought the 2nd & 3rd prize winners' performances were much much finer. 1st prizewinner alot of rough spots but he played with alot of passion. Can't comment about the year before because I didn't personally watch, but this is the 1st prizewinner of 2007, also 9yo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-EzQPHACag This was one of the pieces she did for the comps.

This girl was one of the finalists in prev NPVC. Probably one of the strong contenders for this year's. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOjWYagPZT8 Not sure if her age (now 11yo) would be against her vs younger violnists' cuteness.

[metz]

Chen Xiu Huan’s daughter held the 3rd place in NPVC 2009? I had the wrong impression, kept thinking she was first.


Btw, are most violin teachers more forgiving towards young students playing the wrong pitch? I’m starting to feel I may have been too critical towards our ex-French violin teacher. I withdrew my son from her class because she didn’t seem bothered by kids playing off pitch and without feeling. His sg violin teacher was annoyed every time he played a note a little higher or lower.

PS: can’t watch the first clip.

[phankao]

chamonix:

Chen Xiu Huan's daughter held the 3rd place in NPVC 2009? I had the wrong impression, kept thinking she was first.


Btw, are most violin teachers more forgiving towards young students playing the wrong pitch? I'm starting to feel I may have been too critical towards our ex-French violin teacher. I withdrew my son from her class because she didn't seem bothered by kids playing off pitch and without feeling. His sg violin teacher was annoyed every time he played a note a little higher or lower.

PS: can't watch the first clip.

Yea her daughter from NAFA took 3rd. A boy- Sylvia khoo's student, took 1st. 2nd also boy- from YST.

Don't know about others but my ds' tr was always v strict About intonation .