Austin hosted the 2014 Menuhin Competition and I was lucky enough to attend almost all of it. It was an exhilarating experience that I will never forget.

Three of the pieces selected for the first round for the junior competitors were Telemann’s Fantasias for solo violin, No. 8 in E Major, No. 9 in B minor and No. 10 in D major. So you can imagine my delight when one of the first books of music that I found in the collection were of Telemann’s Fantasias for solo violin.

I took the book to my lesson with MK and we are now tackling No. 10.

For the first few measures my fingers flew!!! Loving the melody and marching along in familiar territory. I was feeling like a boss with happy fingers until they come to a screeching halt, or shall I say….ahem… A double stop. 

“Wait. How the F… do you play THAT??? That looks like and E and G and wait what….” This happened a few times that night. 

At least now I know. 

It’s a more sophisticated exploration of double stops than what I have encountered up until now. But nothing worthwhile is easy to achieve. Even playing again, a few days after my lesson, these new bends and stretches don’t feel so foreign. This may take a few weeks to smooth out.

However, I have my iron and I’m ready….