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May. 13 2012

Musings on the versatility of a box with strings

By Diana Ross | Posted in Staff Blogs | 3 Comments

A recent newsletter “First Time” submission reminded me of this post…. So I brought it back around for a fun conversational piece.


The violin is one of my favorite instruments (along with the cello).  I love the violin’s ability to express so many moods.  From a foot-stomping fiddle tune to mournful, soul-aching dirge, the violin evokes so many feelings with a single instrument.  The violin meets my every mood-music need, and I am a flighty, moody person!

I remember seeing a cartoon in elementary music class that traced the origin of the stringed instrument with a caveman stretching some strings over a gourd and forming a band with other cavemen (I want to blame Disney for this one, anyone recall it?)  Maybe this explains my eclectic, and somewhat confusing, tastes in music?

I came across an article today on Wired about the violin stars of YouTube and thought I’d share it with you: YouTube’s Nerdy Fiddlers Strike a Chord With Geeks.

This is the video from the article.  I’ll admit it aloud: I’m a bit of a LOTR geek, and I went to hear the BSO perform the Lord of the Rings Symphony (LOVE!) so this kind of thing is right up my alley.   I say kudos to these players who refuse to be pigeon-holed into a genre and branching out to a new audience in exciting ways.  I love to find musicians blending, bending and breaking genres.  This is pure creativity and its core!

Anyone here a fan of Apocalyptica?  A group of Finnish dudes playing Metallica (as well as their own compositions)  on cellos.  Here’s my favorite rendition of Metallica’s Fade to Black:

 

And yes, I’ve been known to rock out the solo parts on my violin along to the CD when my husband’s not home.  😉


 

What’s your favorite instrument, and why?  Do you have some non-traditional/non-classical uses for that instrument that you’d like to share below?  Use Embed Codes from YouTube, or just paste us a link

🙂

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About

Diana Ross is not the famous Supremes singer, but she does have big hair. Working in both Membership and Operations departments, she does a little bit of everything, including administering this website. You can contact her at dross@bccc.edu.

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