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Jascha Heifetz (Artur Weschler-Vered)

[p20] Being the musician that he was, Reuven could not disregard the benefits and importance that listening to good music and numerous other performers held for little Jascha, He meticulously presented his son with every opportunity which could enrich his musical experience - apart from the most crucial one: the first violin lesson. [p29] Apart from the regular exercises which the lessons contained, the first major work that Jascha studied with Malkin was the Mendelssohn Concerto. By the end of the first year, altogether only three years since his first violin lesson ever, the pupil had mastered the work beautifully. [p29–30] During his time with Malkin, Jascha was invited to appear periodically in front of the Russian public. His name became increasingly familiar to Russian concert-goers and his incredible achievements provoked repeated attempts at imitation. Overnight many parents all over Russia claimed that their wunderkinds could play as well as Jascha. Others put their childre...
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和淘宝小提琴老师的一次交流

3月23日，淘宝出色完成了铃木小提琴第三册的毕业演出。我一方面为他感到高兴，一方面也想到也许淘宝在小提琴上真的有点“天赋”：他的学琴进度远快于周围的同龄小朋友。现在范德堡大学音乐学院的铃木小提琴课上，和他水平差不多的同学都是比他年龄大很多的哥哥姐姐。我想：我是不是应该给淘宝换一个更高水平的老师和一个更有挑战的环境呢？ 3月24日，我和淘宝现在的小提琴老师Tina就此问题进行了一次坦率而真诚的沟通。她很理解我，也支持我。她觉得淘宝最好是淘宝能够和她把第四册学完，然后再换老师。下面是我们的对话结束以后Tina给我发的邮件，和我的回信。 Tina的邮件： Ran, Jessica was an amazing violin student many years ago.  When she was in her 20’s she struggled to decide between medicine and music for her career.  She did advanced degrees in both subjects but finally chose medicine.  She went first to Stanford in premed, then came home to the university of Kentucky for her violin master’s degree, then got into medical school at the university of Kentucky. I always tell high school students that if they are trying to choose between music and anything else, to choose the other thing.  Music is so competitive that the only people who should go into it are the people who cannot imagine themselves doing anything else. I appreciated our discussion last night....
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Where Love is Deep (Shin’ichi Suzuki)

[p3] I have pledged that from today on I will not be satisfied unless I make every one of my students a fine violinist. Since my resolution is firm, although some of you may have no hope of improving, I am sorry but you will have to face your bad luck with no choice but to become fine players. For everyone becomes good if only he applies himself properly. [p3] I did not encourage them to advance in pieces. Instead, all the students did their best toward fostering a fine tone and musical performance. Let the student hastily advance in pieces: you will have a dropout. I won't do such a clumsy thing. [p6] I was fortunate enough, when twenty, to wake to a phrase in a book by an early nineteenth century agronomist Sontoku Ninomiya: “Read not ten thousand volumes; explore the logic of the heavens.” From that day, I followed his teaching to “penetrate the truth of great nature yourself, do not just read books,” turning my eyes to everything before me and to the natural world. [p12] In tal...
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Talent Education and Your Child (Phillip L Scheldt)

 [p11] Teachers and parents are inclined to think that a particular child who is slow in advancement compared to the faster students has no "talent." This judgement is very harmful and often discourages the child and parents, leading them to drop out. But really this slow stage may be an incubation period for the child. [p18] Competition is never recommended. Competition does more harms than good. The aim of the movement is not necessarily to make a musician but to help people love music and art.
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Teaching from the Balance Point (Edward Kreitman)

 [p1-2] I have titled this work Teaching from the Balance Point because I believe that balance is central to both playing the violin and teaching. Therefore, a book about teaching the violin requires the word balance in the title. You will notice that at times the word balance will pertain to physical balance regarding posture and the position of the body, violin, or bow. At other times, the word balance will refer to finding the right combination of positive reinforcement and constructive criticism. At times the balance will be obvious, at other times elusive, and sometime almost mystical; however, balance is always there, underlying every aspect of teaching and playing. As you read this manual, look for the balance point or the allusion to it in every chapter, and you will find your way of deeper understanding. [p2] For those who want to know the whole story of Dr. Suzuki and his work, we have the film Nurtured by Love available on videotape . It tells an incredible story of a ...
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当我谈跑步时，我在谈些什么（村上春树）

p20：希望一人独处的念头始终不变地存于心中，所以一天跑一个小时，来确保属于自己的沉默的时间，对我的精神健康来说成了具有重要意义的功课。至少在跑步时不需要和任何人交谈，不必听任何人说话，只要眺望周围的风光，凝视自己就行。这是任何东西都无法替代的宝贵时刻。 p35：无论做什么事，一旦去做，我非得全力以赴不可，否则不得安心。将店铺随意交托给某个人，自己躲到别处去写小说，这种讨巧的事情我做不来。竭尽全力埋头苦干还是干不好，就可以心安理得地撂开手了。然而，如果因为模棱两可，三心二意以失败告终，懊悔之情只怕久久无法拂去。 p70-71：二十多年已经逝去，我也跑过了几乎与年数相等的全程马拉松赛次，可是跑完四十二公里后的感受，与最初那一次相比似乎没有多大变化。现在依然如故，每次跑马拉松，我大体都会经历相同的心路。跑到三十公里，总觉得“这次没准会出好成绩呢”。过了三十五公里，体内的燃料便消耗殆尽，开始对各种事物大为光火。到了最后，则生出“揣着空空如也的汽油箱继续行驶的汽车”般的心情。然后跑完后不久，曾经的痛苦可悲的念头眨眼间忘得一干二净，还下定决心：“下次要跑得更好！”任凭积累了多少经验，增添了多少岁，还是一再重复相同的故事。
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给Fisher Lecture改名

淘宝爸爸今早打开邮箱，被铺天盖地的邮件吓了一跳。仔细一看，原来是全系上下在议论向COPSS请愿修改Fisher Lecture为Blackwell Lecture：Fisher生前倡导优生学，是种族主义者，应该坚决予以谴责摒弃，绝不能让他再继续享有统计最高奖的冠名权！ 种族问题时下因为George Floyd 的悲剧以及由此引发的大规模抗议又成为美国乃至整个西方社会的焦点。现在连统计界也不甘人后，积极表现。淘宝爸爸觉得，强调政治正确至此已经有点走火入魔了。COPSS当初用Fisher命名最高奖，考量的是Fisher对统计的开创性贡献，而不是他的人品行为。且不论Fisher的优生学言论放在他所处年代的时空背景下是否还有那么离经叛道，就算他真的人品有瑕，也不能就因此否认他统计祖师爷的江湖地位。Fisher已经作古大半个世纪，一生功过早已盖棺定论。大家实在没有必要在这个时候再把他老人家从坟墓里挖出来鞭尸。种族平等是所有人的期许，但努力的方向不应该是一场“破四旧”。
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