A great pickup

For the last few years, I've been using a Pick-up the World piezo pickup. I can't speak highly enough of this pickup. The sound is clear and balanced, rejection of ambient noise is great, and best of all, it allows full acoustic use of my violin.

Here's what the installation looks like:
The PUTW pickup is a very thin piezoelectric film which fits underneath one foot of the bridge:
Installation tip: To prevent buzzing where the cable touches the top of the violin, I wrapped a bit of gaffer tape around the cable, then placed a small piece from an old sock under the cable. Note that the fabric is not attached to anything; the springiness of the cable is more than enough to hold it in place.

This pickup can be ordered from the manufacturer's web site: http://www.pick-uptheworld.com/.

What is your Nehushtan?

In Numbers 21:9, Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole. This bronze snake was a divinely instituted part of the spiritual and physical life of God's people. But then we see this:

2 Kings 18:4 (NET) He eliminated the high places, smashed the sacred pillars to bits, and cut down the Asherah pole. He also demolished the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been offering incense to it; it was called Nehushtan.

Just because something came from God, doesn't mean we must keep it forever. And when we start worshiping that thing, when it distracts us from focusing on God himself, we must get rid of it. Those of us involved in leading worship, even peripherally, need to pause and take an inventory. Is there anything--an element of the worship service, a habit, an attitude, a physical object--which has become Nehushtan for us?

The NET Bible® is freely available at www.bible.org/ .

Notebook or not

Now that so much sheet music is downloaded or photocopied, a common way for musicians to manage their stack of 8.5x11-inch paper is to use a 3-ring binder notebook. Indeed, notebooks can look professional and keep everything in order.

When not to use a notebook

Don't fall into the trap of thinking that notebooks are always good. There are some times that notebooks don't work very well:

• Originals - You might not want to punch holes in expensive sheet music, and it's not always possible (and often not legal) to make copies.
• Oversize pages - If pages are larger than the notebook, it's really easy to tear them.
• Multi-page works - If a piece is longer than two pages, page turns may work better if the pages are loose. With loose pages, you can place 3-4 pages side by side, and you can slide a page to the side during a mid-page rest if there isn't a rest at the end of the page. (This can be a source of conflict, when the group leader is a vocalist who is working off a one-page lyric sheet, while the instrumentalists are juggling multiple pages.)
• Last-minute changes - If you'll need to change the order of the pieces just before or during the performance, notebooks can be inconvenient. On the other hand, notebooks can make it easier to find the pieces when you need them.
  
• Legal/ethical considerations - Using copies is often illegal. Contrary to popular belief within churches, it is usually not legal to use photocopies. Even if the church purchased the music. Even if the originals and the purchase receipt are sitting in a box at your feet. Even if the stupid publisher bound the originals in a way which would make them impossible to use on stage. Even if your church has a CCLI license. And it doesn't matter one bit that your group is nonprofit and for a good cause. Should a music industry "enforcer" be in the congregation, the presence of music notebooks on stage is a tip-off that you're a juicy target for legal action.
  

Notebook tips

Use black notebooks. Beware of decorating the notebook--anything light or bright colored peeking over the side of a music stand will be a huge visual distraction to the audience.

If there's any chance that you'll need to open your notebook during a prayer or other quiet time, make sure the notebook is easy to operate. The Staples "Better Binder" notebooks are great--the rings open easily and close quietly!

Use Post-It notes or add divider sheets so that you can easily flip to a particular piece.

imeem experiment: Telemann Fantasia 2 (recorders)

This is a blog about music, so it makes sense that I would include recordings from time to time. All legal, of course. But where to keep the music? I could keep some recordings on one of my web accounts, but I'm afraid that I would quickly run out of disk quota. That's where imeem.com comes in.

Here's a recording of the Wood Dove Consort playing Telemann's Fantasia 2, allegro. We were playing during the services at Chapel of Our Savior Episcopal Church, in the Broadmoor area of Colorado Springs. (Yes, this was the weekend of the US Senior Open golf tournament, making for "interesting" driving in the neighborhood.) I'm on soprano recorder (the highest pitched instrument you hear).

Pandora

I haven't been a big user of streaming Internet audio. Until now. I'm now a Pandora addict. Pandora uses artificial-intelligence-like features to learn what music you like, so the more you listen, the better the music gets. The algorithm uses hundreds of attributes (composer, tempo, instrumentation, harmony, etc). You can start with predefined "stations", or set up your own.

As each song plays, you can give it a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down. You can also click and get surprisingly detailed information about the work, the composer, or the recording.

After training a station for a while, I find that Pandora starts suggesting works that I might not have considered listening to, but which I end up liking very, very much.

My favorite stations are the predefined Contemporary Gospel station, and "If It Ain't Baroque Don't Fix It," which emphasizes virtuoso recorder works. At this moment, users have created and shared 18 violin-related and 21 fiddle-related stations, including "Violin Rock" and "Classical Violin."

So far, it's been ad-free (though they're careful to say that could change).

Open Orchestra

Many churches today are moving toward small, professional-quality worship teams and praise bands. This seems logical enough, given claims that modern congregations are really picky about "excellence." Many music leaders, too, prefer to be associated with a small but excellent program rather than a large but mediocre one.

This focus on professionalism has some negative consequences. First, some very fine musicians (talented but not the best in the congregation) find that they have no opportunity to use their God-given talent within the church. Second, there's no place in the church for budding musicians to develop their talent. Where do you hope to find your next generation of worship leaders?

What if your church had a praise band/orchestra open to all experienced musicians, or even open to everyone? Is that an invitation to disaster? Many church choirs are open to all, and I don't hear cries that the church is doomed because a certain soprano sings out of tune. A few churches do have open bands or orchestras. I've played in a couple of them; interestingly, these have been in very successful, growing churches. Conversely, some of the most exclusive praise bands I've seen have been associated with shrinking churches and struggling music programs.

In churches with open instrumental music programs, generally there are enough good musicians to drown out the poor ones. A little creative help from the sound booth doesn't hurt. The visual and auditory impact of a crowd of enthusiastic musicians is amazing.

Dampit or dry

Here in Colorado Springs, humidity is typically 10-20%. A common question among violinists moving here is, "should I use a Dampit?" In case you're not familiar with them, a Dampit is a long, flexible tube with a sponge inside, used for increasing the humidity in an instrument case.

Dryness itself doesn't do much harm to an instrument. Changes in humidity, however, can cause seams to open. Open seams are easy and inexpensive to repair. Violins are glued with a relatively weak hide glue, so that stresses will just cause seams to come unglued before the wood itself cracks. Only on rare occasions does the wood crack, and that's usually with poorly-made violins or violins which have been subjected to extreme heat or cold.

Most of the violinists I know here do not use a Dampit (or any other humidifying device). Once the instrument is dried out, there's not much point to remoisturizing it.

In a dry climate like this, each time the instrument comes out of a humidified case for an extended playing session, then is put away again, you'll get a very rapid change in humidity. With each humidity change, the wood swells and contracts, putting strain on the seams (or on nascent cracks in the wood).

If you do use a Dampit, it must be kept moist to avoid dangerous humidity changes. Unless one is willing to check the Dampit regularly, it'll dry out and cause a big change in the humidity.

Now if you're visiting here from, say, Florida, I'd heartily recommend that you use a Dampit.

Upcoming recorder concert

I've been playing recorder more than violin lately, as I recover from a left hand injury.

By popular request, here's information on my next public recorder gig:

Colorado Springs Recorder Society Spring Salon

Sunday, April 27
1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Chapel of Our Savior Parish House
Fourth Street and Polo Drive
Colorado Springs

Directions: South on Nevada to Broadmoor Exit; west on Lake Street to Fourth Street; North (right) on 4th Street to just s. of Polo Drive. Walk through the archway; 2nd bldg. on the left is the Parish Hall.

About a 10 groups will play; I'm in three of them (a recorder quartet, a recorder trio, and a group with two recorders, a cello, and a harpsichord). Music is mostly medieval and renaissance, but there'll also be some brand-new pieces. We all play for the sheer joy of it, which makes for a friendly and fun atmosphere. Groups range from beginners to very good amateurs.

Other upcoming appearances:
August 3 - Chapel of Our Savior (during Sunday services)
Summer - Possibly a return to the Margarita at Pine Creek restaurant. Stay tuned for details.

Duet dissonance: the experts speak

I posted a question in several newsgroups about duet dissonance, especially as it applies to four violins. I received replies from several top-notch experts--a physicist and several sound reinforcement and recording professionals. (If you're not familiar with Usenet, you can find my question and the answers by searching Google Groups for "Gotchas with four violins".) Here are some of the results:

What causes duet dissonance? It's due more to vibrato and slightly-out-of-tune notes, than to clashing harmonics, though all are a factor.

Do sound pros recognize this problem? Many of them do, though a few haven't heard of the issue.

There's a pattern: those who closely mic the violins seem to perceive a bigger problem than those who work with small ensembles in live performance settings. I attribute this to the tendency of room acoustics to blend the sound.

For what number of violins is this a problem? Everyone agreed that duet dissonance is really a problem only in the case of two violins. Adding more instruments masks any ugliness. Four violins (2 unison pairs) don't pose a serious problem.

What about the use of unison pairs of violins in classical music? While not common, there are plenty of pieces where composers call for two violins to play in unison. I think this works due to a few factors: the blending effect of room acoustics, playing style, and subjective factors (is it "sparkle" or is it "dissonance"?).

There were also some great comments on tangential topics, such as how to mic orchestras or what kind of mics to use. I'll address these in some future articles.

Cordless stand light showdown

Battery-operated music stand lights are handy in all sorts of circumstances. They're a great backup when the bulb on a conventional stand light burns out (no waiting for the old bulb to cool off). They're handy when electrical outlets are unavailable, or when the music stand will need to be moved (as sometimes happens when playing at a dinner event).

I've been using two very good, yet very different, alternatives. The Mighty Bright XtraFlex Duet (Released February 12, 2008) and the LampCraft ConcertLight.

Illumination pattern: The pictures below speak for themselves. Both lights provide adequate and fairly even light, but the ConcertLight clearly provides the most uniform illumination. The ConcertLight's color is a little warmer, which I find easier on the eyes.


Power source: The Mighty Bright uses 3 AAA batteries. I like to use rechargeables; if I'll be using the light a lot, I can keep one set on the charger and another set on the stand. I can also keep a set of alkalines around for emergency backup. I don't have good data on how long the batteries last, but it's in the tens of hours.

The ConcertLight uses a rechargeable NiMH battery pack, or it can run on an AC adapter. The battery pack lasts about 3 hours, even after several years of use.

Mounting: The Mighty Bright can clip to just about anything, including a wire stand or a notebook cover. The ConcertLight is fairly heavy, so it needs a solid stand such as a Manhasset. The ConcertLight does have a groove which allows it to mount on metal stands which have a lip.

Price: The Mighty Bright lists for US $25, but I got mine for $20 from Southwest Strings (March 2008). The ConcertLight is $129 from the manufacturer.

Bottom line: Both products are excellent. I don't regret buying one of the first ConcertLights, about eight years ago. But if I was just starting out, I'd go with the Mighty Bright for its low cost and portability.

Pagan Christianity: first impressions

My local library just received its copy of Pagan Christianity? by Frank Viola and George Barna. I've only skimmed it so far, but I already have some thoughts to share.

Thesis: The thesis of the book is that many practices in modern Protestant churches have little basis in the New Testament, but owe their roots to ancient Pagan practices. Although their history is non-Christian, these practices are not necessarily evil or harmful, but they do stand as barriers to experiencing the Church as it is depicted in the New Testament. The book addresses church buildings, sermons, professional clergy, music ministers and worship teams, tithing, and Sunday School.

Criticisms: Several shortcomings are immediately apparent. First, the book treats the Bible as if it contains only the New Testament. Practices are traced back to Roman times, but there is little if any acknowledgement that the practices may also have been influenced by the Old-Testament Levitical tradition. Second, the book leans toward a fairly modernistic, linear view of history. In general, it's A then B then C. Parallel, interacting threads and underlying principles for trends are discounted.

Little attention is given to the fact that many practices have developed independently in many cultures. The book would say that because the Romans had temples before Christians did, that's where church buildings come from. I would contend that the existence of temples in many cultures and religions points to a universal reason to build temples; even without the Romans, Christians would have begun building churches anyway.

Lessons: Despite the shortcomings, there are some valuable lessons to be learned from Pagan Christianity? Much of what we do, especially as worship leaders and musicians, is in fact not Biblically based. There is much to be learned from the participative style of first-century churches, and modern house churches.

With the publication of this book, worship leaders are put on notice that the "history and theory of church music" courses they took in college will be put to practical use. Worship practices will be scrutinized, so we'd better be ready to justify why we do what we do.

An indispensible accessory: Stand-Outs

Stand-Outs are plastic extenders which allow a standard Manhasset music stand to hold four sheets of music.







I usually carry a pair in my gig bag. It's important to label them: they're easy to leave behind, and they tend to find a new home very quickly. It's worthwhile to buy some extras; they make great gifts for musicians. They're about US $20 a pair from places such as Southwest Strings or Shar.

Some reasons I especially like Stand-Outs:

• They reduce the number of page turns required.
• They reduce the chances of puffs of air grabbing the edges of loose pages of music and dumping them on the floor.
• They reduce distractions for the congregation. White paper poking out over the edge of a black stand is very visible under bright lights. And if it looks like the music might go flying off the stand, you can bet that numerous people will become absorbed in monitoring the suspenseful situation, rather than being absorbed in the music.
• Unlike home-made stand extenders made of cardboard or poster board, Stand-Outs are easy to slide in and out to adjust the size of the stand.

Discussion of improvisation

I just found a nice conversation around improvisation techniques for praise violin over at violinist.com. It's right about at my level :-). Key points: find phrases to echo, don't try to play all the time, think more about rhythm and less about melody, and don't forget to listen.

On idolatry of the high voice

In Not welcome here, I mentioned how in many churches, the song leaders have particularly high voices. This doesn't happen by chance. There's a strong tradition of what some commentators call "the idolatry of the high voice."

It's natural to admire people who can hit the high notes. This admiration has led to extreme efforts to achieve the "ideal" high voice, exemplified by the castrati. Those with high voices tend to get more encouragement to pursue music as a vocation, and they tend to receive more accolades during their formal music studies.

Guess who ends up with the training to become ministers of music and worship leaders? That's right--people with unusually high voices, who have been conditioned to admire unusually high voices, and who have been surrounded by others with unusually high voices throughout their training. This is fine if all they're going to do is perform. But if they're going to try to lead people with average voices, it takes a conscious effort to remember to make an adjustment.

Three violins

This post is part of a series of articles about how to use different numbers of violins in a church orchestra or worship team.

To avoid chaos with three or more violins, it becomes important to have some kind of sheet music. The music can come from orchestrations or band charts, or it can simply be a keyboard or vocal score.

All three violins can be placed on one part, especially if there are other instruments to fill out the harmony. Another combination that works well is to have one violin play Violin I/soprano, the second violin play Violin II/alto, and use the third violin to selectively reinforce the other parts (usually up or down an octave, to avoid the duet dissonance I've discussed).

Is there a role for improvisation in a group this size? Yes! One violinist can improvise while the others play fixed parts. One rare occasions, with lots of practice, a group can develop a sense of ensemble which enables them to improvise together. If the violins are a relatively minor part of a much larger (and louder) group, there might also be some freedom to experiment without making noticable gaffes. I experienced all of these with the Radiant Church (Colorado Springs) orchestra in the late 1990's.

Not welcome here

Does your church say "You're not welcome here" to 20% of the people who come through its doors?

What if you told 20% of your visitors, "you may listen to the music, but we're really not interested in letting you sing." That's about the same thing as saying "not welcome," isn't it? Yet that's exactly what many churches are communicating to men who happen to have low voices. Worship songs are led by high voices, and no tools are provided to help the low voices join in.

I've been visiting a lot of churches recently, and in most of them, there are legions of men sitting toward the back, silently mouthing the songs or not participating at all. In the churches with the highest-pitched music, it appears that many older men have stopped coming altogether. I've noticed the same thing from the platform: when the pitch goes up, the men shut down, unless an effort is made to enable them to sing.

Not only are these men made to feel unwelcome. They have no place else to go. Many churches are doing the same thing at the same time, as they transition away from hymn books and toward projected lyrics and contemporary praise songs.

If your church suffers from the "missing male," it may be a physiological response to your worship style, not the spiritual crisis which is so often blamed.

This issue is particularly important if you want to have a multicultural congregation (such as this 1980 study by Hudson and Holbrook) indicates that black adults have a lower vocal range than whites.

There are many ways these churches could improve their low-voice ministry, if they cared to. They could sing some songs with a lower tessitura (possibly alienating the sopranos and tenors!), place low voices on their praise teams, choose song arrangements with wide harmonies, take time to teach harmony parts to the congregation, choose arrangements which don't clobber harmonies which the congregation already knows how to sing, use a choir as song leaders, choose instrumentation to guide the low voices, mix sound so as not to bury low pitches, or even use hymnals or songbooks to accommodate those who read music.

Yes, I sing bass. In many churches, even as a trained musician--with some choral and barbershop singing background, and experience playing instrumental harmonies to many of the songs--I have great difficulty hearing my part. Surely it's even harder for those without the training.

More on duet dissonance

See Duet dissonance: the experts speak for an update

I mentioned that two violins playing in unison usually sound out of tune. I've heard a rule of thumb that "any small, even number of stringed instruments will sound terrible."

Is this true? If so, why does it happen?

Much of the energy in a violin note isn't in the fundamental tone, but in the overtones. When two violins play the same note, the fundamental tone is in tune (we hope!), but some of the overtones are most likely not in tune. The frequencies and relative strengths of the overtones are affected by the violin string and the structure of the violin, among other things. A listener will hear "beats" as the out-of-tune overtones move in and out of phase with one another. Adding a third violin greatly increases the complexity of the overtones (we could call this "richness of the sound"), making any given pair of overtones less obvious.

I suspect there are some deeper physics and psychoacoustics in this phenomenon. Helmholtz roughness curves are a promising approach. There is quite a bit of research out there on consonance and dissonance (possibly because it's a realistic topic for undergraduate-level laboratory research). But in my casual reading and Googling, I haven't found any research which directly addresses this particular problem.

Comments are welcome.

Two violins

Two violins playing in unison always sound terrible.

When two violins play the same note at the same time, the overtones and vibratos combine to create beats which make them sound out of tune, even if they are perfectly in tune. If you have two violins in your church band, do whatever it takes to keep this from happening. If the two violins are playing completely different parts, there shouldn't be any problem.

Violin duets usually sound best when there's lots of movement in both parts. Good examples include the revered Bach double concerto, or the hymn arrangements played by Ben and Alex Russell.

Some options for dividing the parts include:

• For orchestral arrangements, one violin plays the Violin I part, and the other plays the Violin II part.
  
• For hymns, one violin plays the melody (sometimes up an octave), and the other plays the alto line.
• For pop songs, one violin plays variations on the melody, and the other plays along with the bass.
• One violin plays the melody, the other improvises a high ostinato.
• One violin plays drone notes, the other plays a rhythmic fiddle patterns.

Differences in style or ability level will be very obvious to the congregation. Purposely choosing to play very different parts will help smooth over such differences.

For congregational singing, the violinists might want to ask themselves a few questions: Is the part I'm playing helping the congregation stay oriented (through fills and introductions which clearly indicate when to start singing)? Is the part I'm playing helping the congregation find the right note to sing (by playing melody or harmony parts in a register which will be audible)? Or is the part I'm playing a distraction (yanking attention from the overall mix and making people wonder what you're going to do next)?

Sound reinforcement for a duet usually consists of well-matched pickups or a shared mic. If the two violins are playing parts which are very different from one another, it is possible to use pickups which are less matched.

One violin

This is the first in a series of articles about how to use different numbers of violins.

A lone violinist provides a wide variety of options. The violinist is free to choose almost any style of playing, as long as it fits with the rest of the group. The violinist is free to improvise (if they are able) or to play from sheet music (if it is available).

Since many contemporary worship albums these days include solo violin parts, imitating those parts by ear is a good option. Unfortunately, many of those solo parts are not available as sheet music (sheet music tends to assume the presence of an "orchestra," and doesn't precisely match the most popular recordings).

Since there is no need to blend with other violins, sound reinforcement options are unlimited. The solo violinist can buy electronic toys and not worry about obligating anyone else to buy matching equipment. You can play with effects to your heart's desire--anything from subtle reverb to distortion and crunches. The perennial favorite, however, remains a sweet, pure violin sound with just a touch of reverb.

The violinist can be physically positioned just about anywhere. If you like the sound of a conventional mic, the violinist can easily be positioned away from loud instruments and monitors. If you want to have close interaction between the violinist and another player, they can be placed near each other. With a wireless pickup, the violinist can even move around.

A lone violin can present a bit of a problem for richly orchestrated works (including many musicals). Avoid the temptation to add a chorus effect to try to simulate a full violin section; the result is inevitably artificial sounding. Sometimes, however, I've succeeded in using a subtle chorus effect for a very short passage of music. If you need to fill out the string sound, a better option is to use a keyboard with a realistic strings stop, then carefully blend in the solo violin. To ensure seamless communication, be sure to place the violinist right next to the keyboardist, and consider giving both of them IEMs (in-ear monitors).

Sitting this one out

This is the first Easter in about 10 years when I haven't played in an Easter musical or Easter Sunday production. It's worked out well, though. I've had a cold which would have greatly impaired my ability to rehearse. I plan to attend an Easter service at Calvary Worship Center in Colorado Springs, and just worship and enjoy.

The heart of a musician

Musicians will, likely, not want to come to your cookout but will drive from here to eternity to hear (or better play with) other musicians. When a musician is in the church, sitting in the congregation, he or she is, on some level, desiring to be playing. It's inbred. It's what we do.

— Christopher Priest, http://www.digital-priest.com/riv/music.htm

This is a key insight.

In every city, a cadre of musicians wanders from church to church. When they find a church where they are allowed to exercise their God-given talents, they stay. Until they get sidelined for one reason or another. Then they find a new church. A few people in the old church might notice their absence, and wonder what happened.

Mixing new and old strings

To save money, I'm sometimes tempted to replace just one string which is getting worn out. But it's better to replace a full set of strings. Mixing old and new strings can make a violin sound out of tune. Here's why.

After replacing a string, the main pitch of the strings may be tuned to exactly a fifth apart. But the overtones of the strings are likely to be out of tune. And these out-of-tune overtones will make people perceive the fifth to be out of tune.

Why are the overtones likely to be out of tune? As strings age, the windings can wear away, the string can be flattened where the fingers press against it, it can stretch, and it can collect rosin and skin oils (both on the surface and embedded in the string). This makes the string non-uniform along its length, which produces "inharmonicity"--the harmonics move away from being exact multiples of the fundamental tone. For the technical details, do a Google search on the words "string stiffness inharmonicity".

The out-of-tune overtones really do matter. In fact, at least one study has shown that "pitch judgment is usually dominated by some partials other than the fundamental." See "The effect of inharmonicity on pitch in string instrument sounds" at http://www.acoustics.hut.fi/~hjarvela/publications/icmc00_text.pdf.

Clapping with the music

For most of my life, I was trained to clap on the first and third beats of a measure (in 4/4). What a surprise when my music leader tried to "help" the orchestra by clapping on the second and fourth beats! I've learned to expect this with most pop and jazz music, and it comes naturally when I'm singing, but it still feels wrong to me when I'm playing violin. And I still have trouble coming in on the right beat, if all I have to go by is a complex, off-beat drum rhythm.

Worship leaders, as well as drummers, need to be aware that clapping may cause many fine classically-trained musicians to lose count. When a new instrumentalist joins your band or orchestra, be sure to explain which clapping convention you'll be using.

"I can teach them..."

I sometimes hear a music director, pastor, or other leader mention that they are teaching a group of people to appreciate a new style of music. Chances are, they're deceiving themselves.

When I look at the group the leader is talking about, I don't see individuals growing and learning about the new style. Instead, I see people who don't like the style heading out the door, and people who already like the style coming in. I've seen it in orchestras, bands, choirs, and congregations.

In contemporary American culture, people groups use music to establish their identity. Groups are even named according to their musical taste. Punkers. The Beat Generation. People say to themselves, "if I even appear to like classical music, I'm a sissy," or "if I listened to that rock music, I'd be a heathen." Thinking that merely exposing someone to new music will overcome such strong barriers is optimistic.

People can learn to appreciate new musical styles--my tastes are constantly expanding. But that seems to be more the exception than the norm.

Role playing

There are three primary roles I play as an instrumentalist in church.

As a featured performer, I'm the center of attention. I'm playing a solo as an offertory or special music. I probably chose my own music.

As a pit player, I play with other instrumentalists in an orchestra, usually accompanying a choir number. The attention of the congregation is (or should be!) focused on someone else, or on the group as a whole.

As a worship facilitator, I play with a band or small orchestra to accompany congregational singing. The attention of the congregation is focused on God, or possibly on the experience of singing. Classical training does not prepare violinists for this role, but it is extremely important and uniquely fulfilling.

My approach to preparing the music, how I act when performing, and even what I carry with me varies according to the role I'm playing on a given day. When violinists are frustrated or ineffective in a church setting, it's often because they are in one role, but perceive themselves to be in a different role.

Finally, sometimes I'm on the bench, without opportunity to play. Maybe it's because I'm injured or burned out, or maybe it's because the church has "gone contemporary" and sees no use for instruments other than guitars, keyboards, and drums.

Balancing a violin case

I have a "crescent" violin case, identical to the Regency Signature Super-Light sold by Southwest Strings. It's easy to carry, it's attractive, and it provides good protection for my instrument. But it has some serious problems.

The problems

First, the lid of the case tends to fall closed—a serious problem if it falls while the violin is being lifted out of the case. Second, once the violin is lifted out of the case, the case tends to roll backward.

If you look at the case from the end, it's easier to visualize the forces involved. The lid balances almost vertically on the hinges. Since the lid is about as heavy as the bottom of the case, it's also pulling up and back.

A solution

In discussions in the rec.music.makers.bowed-strings newsgroup, several general approaches emerged: add weights to rebalance the case, insert a wedge to keep the case open, or apply elastic to keep the case open.

Weights

I found some angle brackets which I secured to the front of the case, on either side of the handle. They are heavy enough to keep the case from rocking back (total weight is approximately 0.8 pounds), and they are thick enough that they lift the front edge of the case just enough to keep the lid from crashing down.

Here is what the angle brackets look like:

I removed four screws from the front of the case:

Then I inserted the brackets between the blanket and the body of the case:

When the blanket is in place, it holds the brackets securely in place.

Elastic

Although promising in theory, my experiments with elastic proved fruitless. Because of the great amount of leverage exerted by the lid of the case, one would need an elastic with a VERY strong pull (a high modulus of elasticity). This, in turn, would place a great deal of strain on whatever is used to fasten the elastic to the case, and that strain would be at its greatest when the case is closed (i.e., most of the time).

Playing outdoors

Like most violinists, I have two violins: my "good" one and a "beater" that doesn't sound very good, but is tough and wouldn't be a heartbreaking loss should it be damaged.

If I can answer "yes" to ALL of the following, I'll play my good violin:

• Am I confident that no water will land on my violin? (Rain? Large hail? LAWN SPRINKLERS? Fountains? Beverages? Did I mention automatic lawn sprinklers?)
• Am I confident that there won't be any temperature extremes before, during, or after performance?
• Am I fairly confident that the venue will be free of arbitrary flying objects? (Birds? Firecrackers? Batons? Wasps?).
• Will I have ready access to shelter, in case of a sudden Colorado thunderstorm?
• Will I be able to keep my violin and my case out of sticky hands (of both the thieving and the wandering-toddler variety)?

Your experience may be different...My "good" violin is a decent factory model...it could be replaced, painful as that would be. If it was a unique handmade treasure, then I might be more careful.

I always use my good bow...it's a graphite Codabow, which isn't bothered by most outdoor hazards.

Sometimes I've strung my backup fiddle with loud steel strings, to get a little more volume in an outdoor setting. I use the backup at the last few rehearsals, so both I and the conductor know what to expect.

Whether using a good or a backup instrument, I carry a little playing-outdoors kit: a trash bag (for quick protection against water); lots of extra clothes pins, weights, etc for dealing with wind (enough for myself plus some to give away); gaffer tape (for controlling power or mic cords); a WeatherRadio for the latest forecast; and, if playing at night, a fully-charged ConcertLight stand light (as often as not, something will go wrong with the electricity outdoors).