I don’t know who originally gave voice to this idea, but the statement, “music is about sharing, not proving” has always resonated with me.  It is an idea that can recede into the background while preparing for auditions, studying for a playing test, or trying to memorize the last five bars of a concerto – but I feel like that’s a mistake.  We increasingly exist in a musical culture full of technical virtuosity…and not all of it is human.  Some of the sampling programs for composition software achieve levels of realism thought impossible only ten years ago.  I’ve often heard a student lament that sounded something like, “why even learn the [blank] concerto after hearing Joshua Bell’s recording of it?”  The question itself is legitimate, but the emotion behind it is dangerous.  What I hear when that question is asked is, “I don’t feel there is anything I can offer that hasn’t already been offered”.  If the only thing that will make you happy is having an audience at Carnegie hall dub your interpretation of the Tchaikovsky concerto “definitive”, you are putting yourself in a very small box…and possibly setting yourself up for unrelenting disappointment!  However, if you are playing

The first warm days of summer are finally here and it’s time to make sure we take great care of our instruments through the heat Do not leave your instrument in a hot car, even for as little as 10 minutes.  The interior temperature of the car can rise twenty degrees higher than the air temperature in as little as ten minutes.  An 80 degree day feels agreeably warm, but 100+ degrees in the car can easily soften varnish to the point that the case will imprint at contact points.  Permanent damage can happen very quickly. For cellists and bassists, the increase in temperature and humidity often results in strings higher off of the fingerboard as the instrument goes through its seasonal changes.  Cellists often have a “summer” bridge as well as one that works well in the colder months. Don’t leave your rosin in the car!  I’ve heard some very sad stories about an entire container of bass rosin melting into the carpet or cupholder…not something you want to clean up. I’ve always enjoyed playing outdoors in nice weather but it is important to try and select a spot out of direct sunlight.

Are you interested in looking for a new bow, a second bow, or simply want to audition different types of bows?  We have a large selection of pernambuco and carbon fiber bows available for trial.  Pernambuco bows from individual master makers and respected workshops.  Carbon fiber bows from Coda, Revelle, and Arcus.  We offer a generous 3-week trial period and would be happy to work with you to find the perfect bow for your instrument and your playing style.  Selecting bows is a very personal journey, and we have the selection and expertise to make it enjoyable.  Come and visit!

It is always an exciting day when a fine, new instrument arrives at the shop.  Since 2008 when we received our first cello from Lawrence Wilke, welcoming one of Larry’s cellos is an event we all enjoy.  One topic that comes up consistently when talking about new instruments is antiquing.  It’s a practice that’s been around for hundreds of years and creates lively discussions between makers, players, and dealers.  I won’t go into an exhaustive list of pros and cons, but my own personal view of antiquing has evolved over the years.  As a young player and lover of all things violin related, I was staunchly against it.  I felt a new instrument should look new and wondered what an antiqued instrument would look like hundreds of years later.  At the time I didn’t realize that we already had the answer to that question in some of the instruments of JB Vuillaume…and they look just fine!  Now, I feel that antiquing has its place as long as it is artistically done.  For an example of artistic antiquing, look no further than this beautiful Goffriller-pattern cello by Larry.  

Have you ever picked up an instrument and wondered what strings were on it?  We have so many wonderful options from so many manufacturers that it can be difficult to know what’s what.  Thomastik, Pirastro, D’Addario, Larsen, Jargar, etc – each manufacturer does things a little differently.  Sometimes, even more confusingly, they do them very similarly!  One thing we hear from students is that their teacher told them to get “the purple strings”.  While we often look at the silking color by the tailpiece, in this case “the purple strings” are purple at the peg end – the nearly ubiquitous Thomastik Dominant strings.  Cellists can spot the gold and navy colors of Larsen strings from across the room while professional violinists know the green and black of Pirastro Evah Pirazzi strings.  The new Thomastik Versum cello strings have a beautiful shade of solid green for the tailpiece end silking.  What are some of your favorites?  

To celebrate the end of the school year and the coming summer, now through May 30th you can receive a free month on any new Encore rental or exchange.  If you are a current renter, we can transfer rent credit from your current instrument to a higher quality instrument with a free month.  If you’re not a current renter, we can help you select an instrument and you’ll have the first month free!  We have a wonderful selection of violins, violas, cellos, and basses with high-quality fractional-size instruments also available.  It’s rainy and cold outside…come and play!

Yes, the much-anticipated order of the FIVE violins I ordered has arrived!  The YEV-104NT was the hit of this year’s NAMM show, garnering a coveted award.  These violins are a visual treat and are also very light, making them comfortable to play.  I’m going to toy around with one with the amp in the shop and see what they can do!  One of the best parts of the new YEV series is that they are less expensive than the previous generation silent violins.  With a street price of only $595, the YEV-104NT is accessible to both professional violinists and students alike.  

How do you describe sound?  When auditioning instruments and attempting to quantify the differences in sound between them, we stretch the limits of language.  What are some of the words you use to describe sound? Bright, shrill, tinny, thin, strident, focused, soaring, thready, reedy, thick, rich, wide, deep, warm, muddy, punchy, powerful, delicate, soft, tender, flowing, scratchy, smooth, chunky, gritty, sweet, syrupy, complex, banjo-ish…

We are happy to welcome the newest addition to the Encore family – Scott Jackson!  Please stop by and make him feel welcome. A little bit about Scott: Scott Jackson is excited to be part of Encore Orchestral Strings at Paige’s Music. Born in Rensselaer, Indiana Scott has been involved in music education as an orchestra, band and choir director for 16 years, graduating from Indiana State University in 1999 with a B.A. in Music Ed. His love of music spans back to age 5 when he received his first piano and organ lesson from his grandmother an organist for Purdue University. Scott has been performing on bass, keyboard, trombone, and voice for roughly 20 years and currently performs with classical, jazz and rock ensembles in the Midwest. Influential teachers and conductors who have guided Scott throughout this journey include Frederick Fennell, Eugene Corporon, Mike Davis, Craig Kirchoff, John Boyd, and Doug Keiser. Scott is also an active composer and arranger of orchestral, band, and choral literature. Scott enjoys playing golf, his Chicago Cubs, and spending time with his wife Tiffany and two Labrador retrievers, Lanie and Penny.

It was a wonderful day when we became a dealer for the Jay Haide line of instruments.  A collaboration between Haide Lin and Jay Ifshin, this line of instruments represents some of the finest work from a Chinese shop…and one of the best values in violin-family instruments.  The instruments arrive in our shop with absolutely no setup work completed.  The seams are open, the fingerboard unshaped, no nut, no bridge, no tailpiece, no endpin, etc.  We select the finest accessories and fittings, and Derek DeZarn completes all of the setup and adjustment work.  The resulting instruments are exceptional.  Currently in the shop: Bass: 4-string L’Ancienne European-wood, ready to play Bass: 5-string L’Ancienne European-wood, ready to play Cello: L’Ancienne Vuillaume European-wood, ready to play Cello: L’Ancienne Strad European-wood, ready to play Cello: L’Ancienne Montagnana European-wood, in setup Cello: L’Ancienne Strad Asian-wood, ready to play Cello: L’Ancienne Strad Asian-wood, in setup Viola: L’Ancienne Maggini Asian-wood, 16″, ready to play Violin: L’Ancienne European-wood, FOUR in setup

Bassists and cellists often look for “pickups” or “transducers” that facilitate amplifying the instrument by plugging it into a PA system or guitar/bass amplifier.  Fishman is a popular manufacturer of such systems and there are many manufacturers involved in the production of these devices. Since they came out, I’ve been recommending The Realist Sound Clip for most players.  This pickup is easy to install by simply clamping it on the leg of the bridge.  It has a 1/4″ TRS jack (standard “guitar cable” plug) and an integrated volume control.  It is simple to take on and off and, most importantly, sounds amazing!  It has a surprisingly large amount of gain for a passive device and does a good job of maintaining the unique tone of the instrument.  It can leave a slight dent on the bridge leg if clamped too tightly, so if you still have the original bridge that Stradivari made for your cello as part of your setup, please be warned! We stock this pickup for both cello and bass and have them competitively priced!

There are few things I enjoy more in my job than seeing a young child walk out with their first instrument!  The joy on their face, the anticipation of the first lesson, the look of trepidation on their parents’ face…   Many young children start out on very small instruments – 1/32, 1/16, 1/10, 1/8 size instruments.  One issue we occasionally encounter is that the exact measurements of the smallest size instruments can vary from workshop to workshop.  Just today, I had a young cellist that needed to move up to an 1/8 size.  The 1/10 size he had from one workshop was on the small side of that size, and the 1/8 size from a different workshop was on the large side of that size.  The end result was that the jump was too large.  Moving to an 1/8 size instrument from the same workshop his 1/10 size came from solved the problem.   In the end, there is no substitute for being sized in real-time by an experienced teacher or qualified associate.  We are happy to help!

I had another internet encounter with the unique presence of Rushad Eggleston this week…I found his video of “Fluffy Arabian Cat Disease” for a friend who had never seen him before.  If the title of that song doesn’t pique your interest, nothing else I write will either! He’s been beating the drum of his unique brand of music for long enough that you have to admire him for his consistency, if nothing else.  I feel you’d be making a mistake if you leave it there, because he is a wildly creative musician with instrumental chops that are surprisingly difficult to replicate.  If you ever have the chance to see him live, don’t miss it. Until then, take the time to watch the intro video on his website – http://www.rushad.net/.  It’s not like anything else you’re likely to see today!

The weather is changing.  The evenings are longer.  It’s getting warmer.  Apart from being happier and finally getting a dose of sun-provided vitamin D, does the weather change have any effect on your instrument?  If you haven’t made any bridge changes over the winter, the height of the strings off of the fingerboard is likely at it’s lowest.  For cellists and bassists especially, the warmer and wetter weather typically means our string height is going to increase…sometimes substantially.  There are several factors at play in this change, but the higher humidity allows the back of the instrument to “relax”, lengthening ever so slightly.  This allows the neck to lever down and increase the height of the strings.  Violins and violas experience a similar change, but far less drastic.  If you’ve been humidifying your instrument, case, room (or all three!), we’re about out of the worst of the winter dryness.  As always, if you’re having any trouble with your instrument or setup, don’t hesitate to contact us for a service appointment!

I’m going to write today about the virtues of a 5-string bass.  In North American orchestras, when extended range is required, we most often see extensions (most often down to the note “C”).  An extension involves lengthening the fingerboard above the nut on the E-string in order to gain two whole steps below the open E-string.  This requires the addition on an extension and, when the pitches are set by gates, the addition and tuning of the gates.  This can add close to $2,000 to the cost of the bass and it can cause additional maintenance headaches should the gates need adjustment.   In Europe, you most often see 5-string basses.  The addition of a low B-string gives you the increased range without any of the complexities of the extension.  As long as the bass is purpose-built as a 5-string, the string spacing and breakover angles should feel very comfortable to bassists used to a 4-string.  The bass itself must be of high enough quality to support the lowest frequencies.   We find ourselves placing 5-string basses with local schools and students with increased frequency.  It’s a development I wholeheartedly support!  

I arrived in Tampa, Florida today for the American String Teachers Association conference. I’ll be representing Indiana both as the chapter president and also in my role as manager of Encore Orchestral Strings. I’m excited about both hats I’ll wear and all of the friends I’ll see! Tomorrow is a day’s worth of meetings with other state chapter leaders and I’m so excited to learn about all the ways these wonderful people are serving the string educators in their states. I plan to bring back many new ideas and I can’t wait to get started! Please be sure to check out the Encore Orchestral Strings Facebook page for updates!

I’m often asked for recommendations for cello strings.  It’s always a tricky question, because each player will want something that suits their playing style and their instrument.  Ignoring for a moment the infinite complexity of such recommendations, I’m going to paint with a broad brush and give you a few places to start. $55 – D’Addario Prelude.  This is the least expensive set of cello strings I can recommend with confidence.  Steel-core construction makes them durable with excellent tuning stability, but they aren’t unbearably harsh and bright.  If you need a solid set of backup strings or are on a tight budget, these are your strings. $120 – Thomastik Spirit.  The competition is fierce around this price-point.  Jargar and Helicore are to others commonly recommended around this territory, but the Spirit strings win me over with their good tonal range, excellent stability, and durability. $175 – D’Addario Kaplan.  My only criticism of this set is a bright quality that won’t work well with all cellos.  However, for intermediate and advanced students this set gives you a big chunk of the performance of more expensive strings.  The G and C are especially wonderful and will often work better for some players

Each year, the American String Teacher’s Association holds its national conference.  This year, March 2nd through 5th, it is being held in Tampa, Florida.  As the Indiana chapter president, I will have to suffer through the beach and warm weather…   The national conference is a wonderful opportunity for anyone involved in string teaching to hear from experts on pedagogy, performance, instruments, and practically anything else associated with strings.  As someone deeply involved with the instruments, I used these opportunities to connect with wonderful instrument workshops and trusted colleagues in the industry.   Stay tuned for a report from Sunny Tampa!  http://www.astaweb.com/  

The Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles was featured, along with conductor Gustavo Dudamel, during the halftime show at Super Bowl 50.  They performed on stage with the band Coldplay and other featured artists, and played brightly colored instruments.  Facebook (at least my personal page) fairly exploded afterwards as people discussed whether their appearance furthered or hindered the arts.  The debate was lively and valid points on both sides were made.  Here is the post I put on my personal wall after reading page after page of people’s well-reasoned thoughts on the topic:   As I watch my musician friends debate the value of the YOLA appearance during the SB50 halftime show, I can’t help but smile and give thanks. MUSIC. This gift that has given each of us so much, this gift that has required so much from us, this gift that demands to be shared…we LOVE it so passionately. We desire that the beauty we enjoy in its purest and holiest form be preserved and offered whole to all who have ears to hear. We’ve been to the mountaintop and seen the splendor surround us. How can others not SEE it? My heart resonates with practically every side of

We often receive questions about the safest way to transport a cello or a bass when airline travel is involved.  It is a difficult question, and one with which I have a fair amount of experience.  When I was a young cellist (which, strangely, is longer and longer ago every year!), I traveled by air to attend summer programs at Interlochen Arts Camp and the Aspen Music Festival.  At the time, I had an instrument about which I cared deeply and I didn’t want it to be damaged during travel.  My parents calculated what it would cost to buy an extra plane ticket to these summer events and future auditions and decided it would be cheaper to buy a dedicated flight case.  We settled on the model by Kolstein and we were pleased with the way it protected the cello.  If I remember correctly, it cost about $2,500 at the time (I believe the current price is actually lower).  After using it many times with incident, I came home to find that the bow had come loose in the case and had punched a hole through the rib of the cello.  This is not necessarily an indictment of the case, but