“Now play it again…,” he said…

I studied the monumental Ciaccona (from J.S. Bach's d minor Partita No. 2 for unaccompanied violin) many years ago with both Josef Gingold and Stanley Ritchie simultaneously, when I was a student at Indiana University.

I will be forever grateful to these incredible teachers, and I will never forget when I played the Ciaccona at Gingold's masterclass at I.U. when I was 19.

I was preparing the piece to perform at my senior recital, but I couldn't decide what style to play it in. Should I play it the way Mr. Gingold was teaching me (in a more traditional or modern style that sounded almost romantic)…

…or in baroque style (closer to how it would have sounded back in Bach's time, way back in the 1700's), which was how Mr. Ritchie was teaching me to play on the baroque violin?

Without having made up my mind yet, I decided to do an experiment at the masterclass and play it in baroque style – but on my modern violin.

Of course, Mr. Gingold had a heart of gold and was always the perfect gentleman.

When I finished playing the entire 15-minute piece, the first thing he said (I can still hear his raspy voice) was, “Jennifer! Wonderful! Please – have a seat!”

Then he said, “I admire your conviction!”…. and he gushed on and on with abundant praise… until then he said…

“Now….

…play it again…

…the RIGHT WAY!!!”

All of us in the room had a good laugh, and I good-naturedly played the whole piece over again – this time, in Gingold's style, to make him happy. Which he was.

There are lots of lessons here, but one of the most important ones is the need to be flexible in our musical interpretations. I'll write more about that another time, because I've learned a LOT about this topic over the years. That day, it was a real asset to be able to play the same piece well in two radically different styles on the same violin.

It was a lifelong dream of mine to record a solo violin CD, and I fulfilled that dream during the pandemic. The recording (the mp3 can be purchased from my website), includes the Bach Ciaccona, along with pieces by Ysaye, Enescu, and Kreisler. The Bach and Ysaye can also be heard for free on most streaming platforms, such as YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, etc.

My recording of the Ciaccona is decidedly in “Jennifer-style”, which is the way I like it best – informed by both traditional and baroque styles.

I play it how I love it. The Ciaccona is in my heart and soul, and I've kept it in my fingers ever since I learned it in 1989.

Making this recording happen was a dream come true.

But the BEST part was to know that I've grown (and keep growing) into my own as a musician – feeling free to be fully myself; to share who I am and what I believe in with honesty, authenticity, and whole-hearted JOY… no matter what anybody else might think!

These days, I don't perform that much anymore, but I'm doing all of the above in my coaching practice now. My creative passion is to inspire and guide other musicians to dare to be, know, and love themselves in a way that allows them to share their love through music with ease, grace, and delight.

Nothing makes me happier than to help others fulfill their purpose on this planet while also fulfilling mine… to the best of my ability.

If you want to learn how to feel free to be yourself and make great music with confidence, effortlessness, and depth of conviction, I'd love to share what I've learned over the years with you.

Fall Registration for my private coaching studio is now open and early registration ends on September 14th.

Just reach out if you're interested in joining my studio this fall, and/or if you'd like details about any of my online programs. I'd be happy to chat with you about options! There's nothing better than being flexible and feeling free to be yourself – through music, onstage… and everywhere! 🙂

With Love,
Jennifer ❤️

p.s. Just send me a private message or an email and tell me a bit about yourself to inquire and apply to work with me! I look forward to connecting soon.

But hurry! Early registration with special bonuses ends Sept. 14th for students who would like to begin studying with me in the fall! All instruments, all skill levels welcome.

CLICK HERE to listen to my recording of the the Bach Ciaccona – in Jennifer-style 😉!