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rabbitcruiser · 1 year

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National Violin Day

Tune up your fiddle and get bowing, sign up to instrument lessons or attend a concert to hear the gorgeous sounds of a string orchestra.

The violin is easily the most well-known bowed string instrument across the world, and it is really not all that surprising to see that the violin does in fact have a day dedicated to its existence! After all, everything from Western and Indian classical music to bluegrass and jazz would be unimaginable today without the violin.

It is quite possibly the most versatile instrument in the world in terms of repertoire–and that must be why there is a special day all its own to celebrate the violin.

History of National Violin Day

The violin itself seems to have evolved from medieval instruments that were like fiddles. It came into its own distinct form by the 15th century, becoming the most popular virtuoso instrument in Europe by the 1660s. Most violins made today are copies after either Stradivarius or Amati, the latter being active as a violin maker in the 16th century.

Today, the violin not only remains an indispensable feature of western classical music, but has found its way into various forms of classical and folk music around the world as well as various other genres. There are a lot of violinists and fiddle players throughout the world today, so it is easy to see why National Violin Day has caught on!

In fact, the violin is present in the most prestigious musical groups in the world, including the Venetian Philharmonic Orchestra. Imagine an instrument with such humble beginnings becoming such an important mainstay of modern classical music.

Now it’s time to celebrate the day revolving around this humble instrument!

How to Celebrate National Violin Day

For those who want to get involved with National Violin Day but are not quite sure where to start, these ideas might help to set the stage for the day:

Play the Violin

Well, for those who happen to play the instrument, then it is a no-brainer to go ahead and play the violin in honor of National Violin Day. Get that violin out of its case, tune it, place some rosin on the bow, and get ready to make some beautiful music in honor of the day! And those who are a little bit out of practice might want to invest in some ear plugs for family members.

Go to a Violin Concert

For those who simply want to appreciate the sound of the violin without actually playing it, then it might be a great idea to go to a concert where the instrument would be played on National Violin Day.

Not sure where to go? Try out one of these important groups that is sure to feature a superb violinist or two:

Boston Symphony Orchestra Playing at Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts, this orchestra also features a Young People’s Concert Series to allow the public to hear up-and-coming new talent.

Itzhak Perlman Undoubtedly one of the most talented violinists alive today, Perlman has achieved almost super star status with his instrument.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Mixing classical music talent with rock band style, this group plays all round the world and, yes, they feature many songs with a violin. It’s not necessarily “classical”, but a modern ear for music just might love it.

Give a Gift to a Favorite Violinist

For those who happen to know someone interested in learning the violin but who doesn’t have an instrument – today would be the perfect occasion to gift that person a violin. Or gift something to a violinist in your circle, even if it’s just some sheet music, some rosin or just a little card to show appreciation for them and their attempt at mastery of the instrument.

The modern violin family includes not only the violin, but also the viola, the violoncello, and the double bass as well. So for those who know any cellists or violists, today would also be a great day to listen to them play or to get them a gift as well!

Watch a Film About the Violin

Interested in learning more but not ready for a live performance yet? That’s okay! National Violin Day is a great way to feed a mild interest by watching a film about the instrument. Whether fiction or documentary, these movies would be a great way to get started:

Music of the Heart (1999), starring Meryl Streep This biographical drama features the true store of Roberta Guaspari, who was a violin teacher in Harlem in the late 1980s.

Orchestra of Exiles (2012), written by Josh Aronson This documentary tells the true story of a Polish violinist who founded the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

Small Wonders (1995), directed by Allan Miller This is the Academy Award nominated documentary upon which Music of the Heart was based. It tells the story of the kids in East Harlem and their violinist teacher who went against the odds to play at Carnegie Hall.

A Late Quartet (2012), starring Christopher Walken This movie tells the story of a group of four struggling musicians who face serious challenges when their cellist is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Start Taking Violin Lessons

For those who have ever had the inclination to learn the violin, or perhaps have one laying around unused, this day is just the perfect time to start taking violin lessons. Start with the basics like brushing up on how to read music and then get to practicing. Don’t forget other important equipment such as a practice mute, extra set of strings, metronome and a comfortable shoulder rest.

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atlanticcanada · 1 year

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As faculty strikes, N.S. Premier Tim Houston announces medical school for Cape Breton University

For the first time in a while, a Nova Scotia Premier gave his State of the Province address outside of Halifax.

Tim Houston wasted little time making the day's big announcement to the capacity crowd at the Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion in Sydney.

The premier said the province will help open a medical school at Cape Breton University (CBU), the same post-secondary institution that saw faculty go on strike Friday. Houston didn’t get into specifics about funding for the medical school.

"By no later than fall 2025, there will be a medical school in Cape Breton,” Houston said, noting the memorandum of understanding is now in place between Dalhousie University and CBU. “They'll work together to get the campus here."

For CBU President and Vice-Chancellor David Dingwall, the opening of a medical school on the island is “a game-changer.”

“It’s an added solution to our health-care situation,” said Dingwall.

Dingwall said one of the biggest challenges will be to address building capacity. He added there are plans in the works to use existing space on and around campus.

With the Nova Scotia Community College Marconi campus moving to a new facility in downtown Sydney, Dingwall says CBU officials are “pretty well convinced” they could transform the building into the school of nursing and the school of social work. He’s also optimistic the facility can provide a 10,000-person clinic for the community.

The announcement received a standing ovation and some approval from Nova Scotia's opposition leader.

"Long-term, this may be able to help with doctor training and recruitment to rural areas,” said Liberal Leader Zach Churchill. “We do have to see a turn-around though in the statistics that we're seeing now."

The premier went on to address the state of health care and the province's broken emergency rooms, telling the crowd he will do whatever it takes to find a fix.

"[The] 2023 budget will give the full accounting of the cost expectations around health care,” Houston said. “But, there's big issues in the health-care system. Some of them are just structural things, some require financial investment. Whatever the root cause of it, we're focused on fixing it."

Dingwall said the new CBU medical school would graduate up to 30 students per year for the first six years. Part of the school's focus, he added, will be to train doctors to work in rural and Indigenous communities.

Meanwhile, Houston said the province will need federal help to fix health care. He said he plans to talk to the Prime Minister about it when he sees him next week.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/JYftuSP

#new brunswick #prince edward island #nova scotia #news #politics #canada #CTVAtlantic

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rabbitcruiser · 6 months

Text

National Violin Day

Tune up your fiddle and get bowing, sign up to instrument lessons or attend a concert to hear the gorgeous sounds of a string orchestra.

It is quite possibly the most versatile instrument in the world in terms of repertoire–and that must be why there is a special day all its own to celebrate the violin.

History of National Violin Day

Now it’s time to celebrate the day revolving around this humble instrument!

How to Celebrate National Violin Day

For those who want to get involved with National Violin Day but are not quite sure where to start, these ideas might help to set the stage for the day:

Play the Violin

Go to a Violin Concert

Not sure where to go? Try out one of these important groups that is sure to feature a superb violinist or two:

Boston Symphony Orchestra Playing at Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts, this orchestra also features a Young People’s Concert Series to allow the public to hear up-and-coming new talent.

Itzhak Perlman Undoubtedly one of the most talented violinists alive today, Perlman has achieved almost super star status with his instrument.

Give a Gift to a Favorite Violinist

Watch a Film About the Violin

Music of the Heart (1999), starring Meryl Streep This biographical drama features the true store of Roberta Guaspari, who was a violin teacher in Harlem in the late 1980s.

Orchestra of Exiles (2012), written by Josh Aronson This documentary tells the true story of a Polish violinist who founded the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

Start Taking Violin Lessons

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rabbitcruiser · 3 years

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Violin Day

The violin is easily the most popular bowed string instrument across the world, and we’re really not all that surprised to see that the violin does in fact have a day dedicated to its existence. After all, everything from Western and Indian classical music to bluegrass and jazz would be unimaginable today without the violin. It’s quite possibly the most versatile instrument in the world in terms of repertoire, and that’s why there’s a Violin Day to celebrate it!

History of Violin Day

The violin itself evolved from medieval fiddles, and came into a distinct form by the 15th century (most violins today are copies after either Stradivarius or Amati, the latter being active as a violinmaker in the 16th century), becoming the most popular virtuoso instrument in Europe by the 1660s.Today, the violin not only remains an indispensable feature of western classical music, but has found its way into various forms of classical and folk music around the world as well as various other genres. There are a lot of violinists and fiddle players throughout the world today, so it we can see why Violin Day caught on.

In fact, the violin is present in the most prestigious musical groups in the world, including the Venetian Philharmonic Orchestra! Imagine an instrument with such humble beginnings becoming such an important mainstay of modern classical music.

How to celebrate Violin Day

Well, if you play the instrument, then you may as well play the violin in honor of violin day. If you’ve ever had the inclination to learn the violin, or perhaps have one laying around unused, now is a good time to start taking violin lessons. If you just want to appreciate the sound of the violin without actually playing it, then you could go to a concert where the instrument would be played on violin day.

Or perhaps you know someone interested in learning the violin but doesn’t have an instrument – today would be the perfect occasion to gift that person a violin. Or you could gift something to a violinist who you know, even if it’s just some sheet music or some rosin to show your appreciation for them and their instrument. The modern violin family includes not only the violin, but also the viola, the violoncello, and the double bass as well. So if you know any cellists or violists, today would also be a great day to listen to them play or to get them a gift.

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rabbitcruiser · 4 years

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Violin Day

History of Violin Day

How to celebrate Violin Day

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rabbitcruiser · 2 years

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World Fiddle Day

Schedule a lesson or find a performance to enjoy one of the classic instruments of the working class, the fiddle. Or sit down to watch Fiddler on the Roof!

World Fiddle Day is an annual music celebration day celebrated on the Third Saturday of May. This year it will be observed on May 19. Even though World Fiddle Day was created in 2012, it gained popularity all over the world within a few years. It was created to celebrate and to teach the playing of bowed string instruments throughout the world by conducting participatory and inclusive events. The fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, used by the players in all genres including classical music.

World Fiddle Day happens once a year and is meant to celebrate everything that everyone loves about the chirpy, fun and feisty art of fiddle music. You’ll see it being celebrated on the third Saturday of each May. The fiddle is always known to be something positive, with all the songs and notes it produces high energy, entertaining, and bringing something positive. Making the room dance, wherever the sound of a fiddle is played.

Around the world, this day is celebrated with dancing, music, and of course plenty of fiddle playing!

History of World Fiddle Day

Before we speak about the day, it may be best to get a better idea of the Fiddle that is being celebrated! The fiddle is a four-stringed musical instrument of the string family, also often referred to as a small type of violin. Like the violin, it is also played with a bow. The terms fiddling or fiddle playing actually refer to a style of music, most commonly folk music. The origins of the name ‘fiddle’ are not known but is believed to be derived from an early violin or the Old English word ‘fithele’. The fiddle is common to English folk music, Irish folk music, Scandinavian music, Austrian, French, Hungarian, Polish, American, Latin American, African, and even Australian music. There is no difference between the fiddle and small violin aside from the name and type of music the instrument is used for.

A fiddle has many parts including the neck, fingerboard, tuning pegs, scroll, pegbox, bridge, soundhole, strings, fine tuners, tailpiece, bass bar, soundboard, chinrest, button, backplate, and bow. The earliest fiddles (or violins) were derived from the bow instruments from the Middle Ages.

When it comes to building a high-quality fiddle, it can take as many as 200 hours for craftsmen to handcraft a professional fiddle, showing that for a relatively simple looking and fun instrument, a lot of craft and workmanship has to go into building one.

Traditional fiddle strings were made of pig, goat, horse, or sheep intestine. Today they are made from steel or aluminium over a nylon core. Now, the last fiddle fact that you may want to take down for your next game of trivia, is that the fastest fiddler/violinist on record is Ben lee who played ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’ in just over a minute in 2010. He played an average of 13 notes each second for a total of 810 notes in all. Now that is pretty impressive, so now the fiddle has been explained, what about the day?

The day was founded in 2012 by one Caoimhin Mac Aoidh, a professional fiddler from Donegal in Ireland. The day was birthed from a deep respect for one of the most expert and revered violin makers in history.

This month was chosen to coincide with the anniversary of the death of the Italian violin craftsman Antonio Stradivari’s way back in 1737.

Stradivari is today considered the most significant creator of violins in history, with his surviving instruments today seen as the most prized and finest ever created. Although he also made the larger string instruments cellos and violas, it’s the violins that he lovingly crafted that he is most well-known and remembered for.

Though only a couple of hundred of his works still exists, they have been known to capture some huge prices at auction and are especially sought-after amongst professional violin players.

How to celebrate World Fiddle Day

If you ever learned how to play the violin in school, or you frequently play it either for pleasure or for work, today is a great day to get out your fiddle and play a couple of tunes! Perhaps play a little for friends or family, or show your children how to play some simple themes. If you do not own one, or do not know how to play it, then this could be a great time to learn. It is always fun and engaging to learn a new musical instrument, so why not start to learn the art of the fiddle, and maybe at next year’s celebrations you can play to the world what you have managed to learn!

If you aren’t lucky enough to have learned how to play this string instrument, you can celebrate its day by listening to some of the fantastic performances by string artists easily found on Youtube or Spotify. Add a spring to your daily commute with some Mozart, Barber or Brahms!

And if you’ve always fancied trying your hand at the violin, perhaps today you could take a trial lesson learning how to play? Who knows – by the time the next World Fiddle Day comes along, you could be able to play along with everyone else who is fiddling away!

Whatever you get up to, have a great World Fiddle Day!

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atlanticcanada · 4 years

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Charity sends giant food delivery to Cape Breton to help needy during pandemic

A major food delivery arrived in Cape Breton on Wednesday and it's aimed at helping those most in need during the pandemic.

More than 40,000 pounds of non-perishable food was delivered at the Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion in Sydney.

It came all the way from Brampton, Ont., the home base for the Canadian branch of the charity Khalsa-Aid.

Most of the volunteers packaging it all up Wednesday were international students, who organizers say have been among the hardest-hit with job losses and layoffs during COVID-19.

"We have a lot of international students here, and the unemployment rate here is already high enough," said Parteek (Gunny) Brar. "Especially with the pandemic, it doesn't look very pretty, so it was primarily to help international students. But then we saw there is demand for this kind of grocery delivery in non-international student populations, so we decided to expand it to anyone who was vulnerable in Cape Breton."

The local group heading this up says it plans to deliver the food throughout the community over the next two weeks.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/3cd9L74

#new brunswick #prince edward island #nova scotia #news #politics #canada #CTVAtlantic

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atlanticcanada · 7 years

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Funding for second cruise ship berth announced for Sydney harbour

A big announcement was made Monday in the port of Sydney, as funding was announced for a second cruise ship berth to be built in Sydney harbour.

Work on the project will begin immediately, but the economic impact will be felt for years to come.

“I got up this morning and thought it was Christmas morning. I saw two ships sailing in and both of them got to the berth,” said CBRM Mayor Cecil Clarke.

Much to the delight of a packed room at the Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion in Sydney, a second cruise ship berth for the nearby harbour is now a reality.

“It allows us to sustain the industry, which is the current message we’ve been delivering all along and grow the cruise lines, our customers that come into port have ships that are larger size,” said Sydney Ports marketing manager Bernadette MacNeil.

The $20 million project will be equally funded by the three levels of government. This empty lot will be transformed into the 287-metre berth, allowing bigger ships like the Queen Mary II to dock. Larger capacity ships and more ships and visitors to the island is good news for downtown businesses and the local economy.

“I’d love to say we will have double the business. I’ll be optimistic and say that we will probably do 60%-70% better,” said business owner Bruce Meloney.

Tourism numbers in Nova Scotia hit record highs in 2016. Premier Stephen McNeil credits Cape Breton for part of that success.

“We had the largest growth in tourism in the province’s history, and as we celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday this coming year, I believe we will top that again, and our crown jewel when it comes to tourism is Cape Breton Island,” said McNeil.

More than 82,000 cruise ship passengers visited Sydney just last year, translating into $22.9 million in economic spin-offs to the region. Engineering and construction work for this project is expected to take up to 18 months to complete.

“This is a community accomplishment, everybody owns this. It isn’t one level of government or politician, it is you the people and that is because today your voice was heard, success has been achieved, and our future is strong and solid,” says Mayor Cecil Clarke.

As part of the project, there will also be upgrades to the Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion, all to attract major cruise operators along the New England-Quebec corridor.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kyle Moore.

from CTV News - Atlantic http://ift.tt/2jUw2iC

#new brunswick #prince edward island #nova scotia #news #politics #canada #CTVAtlantic

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