O'Connor Violin Method Books I & II
A New American School of String Playing - available through Sharmusic.com
Mark O'Connor Violin Method from Mark O'Connor on Vimeo.
http://vimeo.com/7558042 - See Mark performing all of the newly written tunes for the Method Books I & II
Foreword
I am pleased to introduce the O'Connor Violin Method for string teachers and students of the violin. This 10-Book series is designed to guide students gradually through the development of pedagogical and musical techniques necessary to become a proficient, well-rounded musician through a carefully planned succession of pieces. Gradual development of left-hand technique, bowing skill and ear training as revealed through the study of beautiful music encourages a love of music-making in a slow, steady and natural way.
The music that I have collected for the O'Connor Violin Method includes some of the most endearing melodies in American music as well as some of the great folk fiddle tunes that have endured our 400 year-old history of violin playing. I have made it a specific feature of the Method to include musical literature that represents all of the Americas -Mexico, Canada and every region of the United States – and all musical styles – classical, folk, Latin, jazz, rock and ragtime. I have chosen and arranged material that will be both instructive and artistically enriching, and will help create the future classical violinist, folk fiddler, jazz musician - or all three!
The Method takes into consideration that, even at the beginning levels, learning music possessing a timeless quality is a healthy vehicle for engendering a lifelong love of music-making. Beginner tunes can be great tunes, and could very well stay with the student for a lifetime of playing and performing. In my own experience giving classes around the country, I often tell students that I have professionally recorded three of the first fiddle tunes I learned as a child. All three - Soldier's Joy, Arkansas Traveler, and Fiddler's Dream, are presented early in this Method. I believe there are no throw-aways. The beginning tunes are built to last, providing a sturdy foundation and core for the novice. The tune that I have arranged to provide the most rudimentary studies for a beginning violinist - Boil'em Cabbage Down - is the first fiddle tune I learned as a child.
In the early books, students will learn simplified arrangements of more advanced music which will appear later in the Method. Many of my own compositions such as Appalachia Waltz and The Fiddle Concerto, appear in the early books in a form accessible to beginners. Students revisiting these and other pieces at a higher technical and musical level some years down the road will find themselves coming full circle with their own earliest years of wonderment and fascination with the violin.
My travels of the past 30 years have convinced me that a new American Classical Music is evolving. I have encountered thousands of students of all ages and abilities at concerts, workshops, college/ conservatory/university seminars and fiddle camps and have found repeatedly that students do not want to be "left out" of the great sounds and energy of fiddling and jazz because they wish to become fine classical players. It is my firm belief that the new American Classical Music will embrace the totality of our rich history of violin playing, and it is my sincere hope that my Method will further this process and perpetuate love for the violin.
Mark O'Connor (New York City, 2009)
The New Yorker Interviews Mark O'Connor on his new violin method
Read a new article posted on the O'Connor Violin Method at http://www.violinist.com/blog/laurie/200911/10653/
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