I am so over the whole will we or won’t we move bullshit.
As of right now, I am hopeful that Mr. A is not going to take that interview. I am even more hopeful he will end this torture and withdraw his applications SOON. But negotiations are ongoing. I am going to ban myself from talking about it here until we have some sort of resolution one way or the other. I will let you know when the end is nigh.
In other news, the weather has been dreary here for the past few days. The girls have been a bit cranky. L got her first time out and it appears she is not a girl who will go down without a fight. Holy moly, her thrashing could have earned her a slot on Supernanny.
On Wednesday, M got to visit the school where she will (hopefully) go to kindergarten this fall. They had a special trip around the neighborhood to introduce the kindergarteners to riding a school bus. M loved riding the bus and we saw some kids we know from various activities and the playground. It was very low-key and pleasant. This is the second activity they have had so far that has no purpose other than getting the kids used to being at school and looking forward to kindergarten. I think it is nice. I am looking forward to the fall.
Another thing that has been on my mind:
Does anyone know anything about left-handed violin players? We were planning to start M on violin this year. M is right handed. It appears that L is strongly left-handed. I don’t want to a) buy different violins for them or b) stick L in an instrument that is strongly biased against left-handedness. Is there another string instrument that would be better for a lefty? Should we just do piano (with a full-size electric keyboard since we don’t have space for a piano) instead? Google is giving me conflicting advice.
I’m a left handed violin player-never posed a problem for me. And, while I am not a virtuoso, I do perform publicly. ~lmc
I’m left-handed, and took violin lessons when I was 7 or 8 (and then we moved to another province, which was the end of that) and had no problems that I would attribute to handedness. The fingering for the notes (which is, in my non-expert opinion, the more complex task) is done with the left hand, so I would think that it might in fact be easier for a leftie to pick up that part of necessary skills.
My brother Jack has played violin since he was 3 and he is left-handed. He says it has worked out really well for him! When he was little our parents debated having him do something else and looked for left-handed violins but his teacher encouraged them to let him play on a regular violin. He’s great!
In my life, I’ve been very close to two violinists. Both were lefties. Both felt, as Kanuck said, that left-handedness can be an advantage on violin, since the fingering is done with that hand.
Jada plays violin (she’s right handed). She has been playing for almost 2 years now. “The Loft” near you has a great program for renting ($20/month) in which you keep trading up sizes as necessary.
She is in a Suzuki program and I would be happy to give you the information if you decide to go with the violin.
Nan
I was going to say the same as everybody else about violin! Leftiness doesn’t matter!
I’ve played violin for nigh-on fifteen years now, and though I’m right handed, I would say that it reay doesn’t matter what hand is your dominant one – in fact, being left handed may actualy be an advantage, at least at first, because it is your left hand that does the fingering. Your right arm – the bow arm – is far LESS important, tuning wise. If anything, I would say that piano would be harder to learn (I was taught piano for a ood few years too, and largely sucked at it). I found it REALLY difficult, because I’m so strongly right-handed, to learn to manipulate both hands to do such similar things. Somehow, the violin was easier because each hand had a significantly different task, and only the left hand was responsible for tuning.
I taught Suzuki violin for 10 years and had both right and left handed students. If anything, as Kanuck mentioned, lefties might have an advantage in learning the left hand fingering skills.
The more significant factor for students being successful is consistency in attending lessons and practicing, and in having parents who reinforce that consistency during the time between lessons.
Start piano anyway.
Kids who play piano learn treble and bass clef as well as music theory and chords from really early on. I always regret not taking piano lessons earlier. Ignore A’s violin bias.
I’ve an aunt who is a music teacher/professor. She said start piano then move on to other instruments. The optimum age (iho) is 8 unless the child can already read fluently.
Good luck!
I know nothing about violin since I chose to play the flute instead (after piano, of course)… but I do recommend piano classes, particularly with the new methods they have nowadays (Alfred’s is a WINNER). I’ve begun to teach piano in the past year and I’m amazed at how quickly kids and adults alike progress with t he new books.
I’m sorry you still don’t know whether you’ll move or not. I can totally sympathize because of our slightly unstable situation (there’s still the possibility that K could be laid off again!
).
Anyway, thanks for your latest comment, I had no idea you were reading me and it was a big surprise!