R normally takes C to his violin lesson. R owns a violin, C is hiring one and I own one. So the front room is full of violins and violin stuff. Rosin, bows, music stands and a box that a new bow came in... must put that in the bin, it sure ain't useful. Now that the kid has moved school its really good, because now I will get to the occasional lesson too.
Because I do more violin practice than anyone else in this house. And I'm not even supposed to be learning the blasted instrument. Its just that its addictive. I picked R's one up one day to fiddle with it, and just see what it is like, and a couple of months later I'm still fiddling with it, and slowly getting better. So it was great to get an actual lesson and find out how to fix some of my problems!
The technician at school has also played the violin and owns a very old violin that needs some repairs, and today she bought in both her bows. My bow is a piece of cheep crap, and it really shows when I play the lowest string. I can borrow one of her bows. I think I will for a while, but that I will stick with my plan to get a bow for Christmas. I don't like having other people's stuff on indefinite loan - its hard to work out what to do if anything goes wrong, and if I have to give the bow back I still won't have one of my own. And then I would have to play with the crappy one again, which would be worse after I had got used to a decent one.
When I started I could understand why people spent money on a decent instrument, but I didn't think there could be much difference between bows. Now I know better but I still couldn't buy a $9000 bow, which is the most expensive one listed at the Stringed Instrument Company in Auckland! I got my whole kit for $400 - case, bow and instrument as well as the crappiest rosin anyone could get to sit in a tin. I can see that getting a better kit will be desirable if I keep up this addiction.
Poor budget
Posted by Toni at November 6, 2008 07:25 PM