The Inconceivable "Truth" to a
Violin's Past is Revealed
by Rhiannon Schmitt
It was a dark and stormy night. A feeble old
man's hands shivered with excited anticipa-
tion as he carved away the last curled shav-
ing from the ancient piece of maple.
"Magnifique!" he exclaimed at his master-
piece as he caressed it like a mother with a
newborn child. He kissed the smooth wood
then gently hung it from a wire attached to
a gold-gilded chandelier.
The shapely object swayed
gently above the master's
head. Flickering candle-
light danced with the ox-
hair brush as the violin re-
ceived its first of more than
twenty fine coats of hot oil varnish.
The violin was completed and labeled at the poign-
ant stroke of midnight on the start of the year 1912
in Lyon, France. The year would later be known
for other historic events such as the establishment
of the Republic of China, the discovery of the
South Pole, and more notably, the addition of
prizes to Cracker Jack boxes.
All these events are shadowed by the creation of a
violin that would someday find its way to me.
My violin's rust-brown varnish had just finished
curing when it was wrapped in fine silk and sent
away in a wooden case. Due to highway conges-
tion, ferry lineups and no available carrier pigeons
(Continued on page 2)
Fiddleheads Violin Shop & SchoolFiddleheads Violin Shop & SchoolFiddleheads Violin Shop & SchoolFiddleheads Violin Shop & School • www.fiddleheads.ca • Phone (250) 833-5626 • Send Chocolates: Box 49, Canoe, BC V0E 1K0
In Colour at
www.fiddleheads
.ca
Volume 7 - Fall 2006 - Number 1
“Our Violin & Fiddle Community Newsletter”
This Issue Celebrating Eight Years in the Shuswap
My Red Violin 1, 2, 4 The Muzak Code 3, 6 Violin Purchasing for Newbies: Advice 4, 5 Violins for Sale 5
Fall Specials 6 School News 7 Violin Society News 7 Free Sheet Music: Mozart’s Mirror Duet 8
Inside This Issue of the Gazette
My Very Own Red Violin
(Continued on page 2)
Published by Rhiannon Schmitt of Fiddleheads Violin School
and Fiddleheads Violin Shop
In Full Colour at www.Fiddleheads.ca
Title Page Violinist: Rory Cleveland (13) was the first Salmon Arm
FVS student at our start-up in 1999. She and FVS are both celebrating our 8th year
making music together in the Shuswap.
Submissions & Comments: [email protected] PO Box 49 • Canoe, BC V0E 1K0 • Canada
The Fiddleheads Gazette
Vol. 7 • Fall 2006 • Number 1 Copyright © 2000-2006 Fiddleheads Violin Shop & School
2
The Prism Bow Sale Continues Tabary’s popular Prism carbon-fibre
violin bows in 12 colours are on sale for only
$145 CAD taxes in, reg $165 plus tax.
Viola, Cello and Bass Bows also on sale.
Free Shipping in Canada.
www.fiddleheads.ca · 250-833-5626
French aviator Henri Seimet was asked to deliver the violin and made
the first non-stop airplane flight from Paris to London in three hours.
The violin's first owner was the great-grandson of legendary violinist
Nicolò Paganini who suffered from Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The
violin's astonishing tone helped auditioners overlook the player's af-
fliction and earned the him a gig with an 8-man band on a cruise ship.
The Atlantic voyage was uneventful, unless you consider that last bit
when the "Titanic" stuck an ice shelf and sank.
The violin's last tune with the band that night was a jolly rendition of
"Roll Out the Barrel" before it was laid to rest in the coffin case, its
owner saying a final goodbye. The ship went down in a fury of bub-
bles and miraculously the case came up out of the vessel with an in-
fant sleeping peacefully on top. When the rescue ships arrived several
hours later, infant Eva Braun and violin were in the care of another
survivor on a nearby lifeboat: Margaret "Molly" Brown.
Eva was reunited with her family and would grow up to make poor
decisions in politics and boyfriends. The violin, however, belonged to
no one and was donated to a music society as a tax write-off. Joe
Dawson, an eccentric race car driver, purchased the violin (also for
tax reasons, though historians dispute this fact) and won the first Indi-
anapolis 500 race with the violin in the trunk for good luck.
Soon afterwards Dawson lost his bet with Woodrow Wilson that the
latter would not win the Presidential election; the winner took the
violin. Wilson gave the violin to former ice hockey teammate Igor
Stravinsky, who composed many of his best works using the violin. A
year later, in 1913, the premiere of "The Rite of Spring" was poorly
received and fights broke out in the audience. Stravinsky himself was
so upset due to its reception that he fled the theater in mid-scene, leav-
ing the violin behind in his haste.
Historians believe this is when my violin received extensive damage
to the lower bout at the end-pin. The facts that follow are fuzzy due to
poor documentation, but it is believed the violin was discovered in the
theatre rubble and taken to a medicine man in Cuba who repaired the
violin with guar gum and papyrus extracts. The dear violin spent the
next forty-nine years passed from village virtuoso to virtuoso, who
played for dignitaries, millionaires and other ridiculous individuals.
This happy holiday in the violin's life ended in 1962 when one village
violinist, fearing the worst of the Cuban Missile Crisis, hid the violin
in a fall-out shelter behind 200-cans of extra-juicy pork and beans. In
2005 the canned food's expiration date came and as the cans were
being disposed of the violin was discovered again.
A compulsive gambler working with the fallout shelter's janitorial
service stole the violin and put it up for auction on EBay. It was won
by my cousin's dog groomer's babysitter's nephew for fifty pesos. I
(MY RED VIOLIN Continued from page 1)
(Continued on page 4)
A soothing digital bell chimed gently as
a 10-foot high cylindrical glass elevator
opened its doors. The soft glowing or-
ange lights on the cold inside panel
alerted Richard Lingdin to his ominous
fate: thirty-two stops on the way up to his
final destination, Level 65.
The thick, bullet-proof glass doors shut
and spontaneously a sensor inside the
stainless steel jam triggered a remote
computer thousands of miles away,
which started an irreversible automated
sequence.
The computer code on a terminal in a se-
cret vault fifty feet below the Rosslyn
Chapel in Scotland read “Line 401: Com-
mencing mind control sequence.”
Dread hit Lingdin in the gut. A moment
later he almost sensed his brain cells dy-
ing as the muzak blared from the speak-
ers surrounding him in his glassy tomb.
Like a stewardess wishing a terrified
claustrophobe with fear of heights a
“happy flight” and offering up a feebly
small bag of stale peanuts to “calm the
nerves,” the management of the world
thought muzak would make the queasy
trip to abnormal heights trapped in a
glass box hanging from a cable more en-
joyable. Or were their intentions far more
sinister?
“It's a soprano sax solo,” Lingdin cringed
as a few more cells turned to grey mush,
“the worst possible assault to the human
psyche.”
The sax was a chainsaw shredding notes
as they flew past in a desperate attempt
to escape its wrath. Iron Butterfly's In-a-
Gadda-Da-Vida was played to a chipper,
bossa beat complete with xylophones,
clarinets and silken strings.
Without thinking Lingdin forced his hands
to his ears in one jerky movement, bump-
ing elbows with another nerdy passenger
in a tweed blazer, who had also assumed
this position. Judging by his pocket pro-
tector and treble clef clip-on bow tie he
was obviously a musicologist as well. The
men's eyes met and a knowing sympathy
was exchanged as both wondered who
would crack first.
Two other passengers at the back of the
glass death chamber seemed unaware of
the torture wrought upon them, and the
one in the “Where's the Beef” T-shirt was
even humming along. “They're too far
gone,” Lingdin thought. “I'll bet they even
listen to The Backstreet Boys.”
He was reminded of a lecture he gave
just last Spring to his Advanced Music
Harmony class: the yearly session where
he tries to enlighten the few brilliant
minds who crave the truth and moreover
loses all respect from the rest who cannot
fathom the horrible reality: Muzak
is mind control.
“The conspiracy starts with the invention
of muzak,” he began. “Wikipedia.com ex-
plains muzak as an innocuous invention
by Major General George O. Squier. In
1922 Squire patented a system for the
transmission and distribution of back-
ground music from phonograph records
over electrical lines to workplaces.”
At this he'd already lost half of his audi-
ence, but plowed on. “Squier was in-
trigued by the Kodak trademark name
and was inspired to verge the Greek
mus, the sacred feminine muse, and the
ak from Kodak to name his invention:
Muzak.”
“Squier discovered workers and shoppers
were more productive and calm when
soft music was played in the background.
The system was unquestioned and was
installed in shops and office buildings
around the globe. Soon enough it was
being played in elevators and on phone
lines when customers are on hold.”
“It became such a powerful empire, some
call it a cult, that even the style of music
played, the sappy cover tunes played by
101 Strings and jazz school drop-outs,
became known as the muzak genre. The
music had been carefully formatted to
(Continued on page 6)
RHIANNON SCHMITT’S
THE MUSAK CODE: SCREAMING FOR SILENCE
A Parody Sequel of “The Da Vinci Code" Exposes the Sinister Conspiracy Behind Elevator Music
The Fiddleheads Gazette • In Colour at www.fiddleheads.ca • Page 3
The greatest challenge for any new
violin player is the hassle and stress
of finding a good instrument. We’re
not born with an “instrument-seeking
gene” and most people don’t know what
to buy and where.
My first violin was a plain but overpriced
3/4 size student outfit. My mother and I
didn’t know any better and the music store
made suckers out of us. As a teacher and
violin shop owner now I frequently en-
counter players who were also poorly
advised on their violin purchase.
The best place to start on the purchase of
any instrument is through your teacher or
a specialist in your instrument’s field.
Even if you plan to teach yourself, it’s still
wise to consult a seasoned player on
what to look for and avoid in an instru-
ment.
Building a trusting relationship with such a
person is invaluable as you advance mu-
sically and invest in higher-level instru-
ments. Your expert can provide sugges-
tions and tips before you start
your search.
To start, prospective violinists should
know that bowed string instruments are
scaled in various sizes for children ages 2
and up.
For example, a six-year-old could range
from 1/8 to 1/2 size. Players 12 and up
typically play a 4/4 or full size, though
some 10-year-olds manage fine on a 4/4.
Since people come in unique shapes and
sizes, a teacher or violin expert is the best
judge of what instrument you need and
can save you buying the wrong size.
Take your instrument search a step fur-
ther and ask your expert to assess a pro-
spective instrument you have located.
You may discover, with an expert’s help,
that the Stradivarius copy at the flea mar-
ket is not worth an inflated price.
You may not be so interested in that
“great deal” when repairs will cost more
than the instrument’s worth. Once you
replace the strings, bridge and bow hair (a
$160 investment) you are not any further
ahead on a $200 “outfit.” (An outfit is
when you get the violin, bow and case
together.)
That’s another thing: you need to speak
the lingo. Words like “purfling,” “ribs,” and,
believe it or not, “frog,” will spring up in
your violin hunt. Some simple researching
and asking questions will certainly help.
Start by learning the various parts and
components of an instrument, and then
decide what you find most desirable in an
instrument.
For instance, an ebony fingerboard is a
better choice over rosewood and a horse-
hair bow beats out any synthetic hair.
Some carbon fibre (fiber) bows play better
than wood bows and they are far more
resistant to warping and other damage.
Having a quality instrument is tremen-
dously important and often overlooked by
beginners. As a teacher I see players
develop rapidly and enjoy playing more
when they play a superior instrument.
Unfortunately, as soon as you talk quality,
you talk price. There are ways to get what
you want in an instrument without putting
(Continued on page 5)
heard via Instant Messenger there was a
violin in the family and traded the guy an
old lawnmower (he needed the wheels for
a go-cart) for the violin, which is now
safely in my possession and care.
Over this past year I have pondered over
the mysterious label inside the violin,
"Lyone 1912," and the spider-
like cracks around the endpin that seem to
be so expertly repaired using methods
unknown to local luthiers. Hence I took it
upon myself to extensively research the
history of my violin and learned what
little I could about the violin's past, which
I have presented here truthfully to you.
Strangely, the people I've shared my
flawless findings with have been disap-
pointed as they're only marginally glam-
ourous or mysterious. Sometimes the
truth is pretty boring. I wish it could be
more than that.
Now when people ask for stories about
my violin's past, I lie and say my violin
was found in Elvis' dead grasp in a Vegas
hotel bathroom. That should keep them
interested in the dull lives of violins. a
www.fiddleheads.ca
(MY RED VIOLIN Continued from page 2)
Violin Purchasing for Newbies A Professional Violinist, Music Teacher and Violin Shop Owner Offers Advice
By Rhiannon Schmitt of www.Fiddleheads.ca
4
Special Order Electric Violins & Cellos
by Wood Violins
Featuring the Stingray Violin The custom-made, 4-string Stingray comes with Schatten pickups, your choice of natural wood or red stain and free gig bag. Optional frets, custom finishes and exotic woods, upgraded pickups and 5th string.
Perfect entry-level instrument for players seeking quality and comfort.
Other new and used instruments available in shop.
5 (250) 833-5626 • www.fiddleheads.ca
Robert Ervine 1913
Unlabeled German E. Martin Wargar
E.L. Stone (3/4) Charotte Millot
a second mortgage on your house. Maybe that $100
unstrung violin and hairless bow looks shabby, but
an expert may see underlying potential and value
beneath the dust.
If you are concerned you may not take to the violin,
consider borrowing one from a relative or instrument
bank until you have saved up for your own.
With low priced student outfits you can sometimes
save by buying used rather than new. A used violin
will have a few dings and isn’t “shiny new,” but
someone else paid the depreciation and “broke it in.”
Be warned that a used student instrument may need
work, sometimes a new bow (cheap brazilwood
bows are prone to warping) and definitely new
strings. This can end up costing like buying new.
The “new vs used” issue varies depending on the
instrument and price. There are benefits and draw-
backs in each which should be considered.
Most important to buying used or damaged instru-
ments is that you have a repair person you both trust
and who does exceptional work for the right price.
Too many people claim to be good luthiers (violin
repairers) but they can wreck a beautiful violin unin-
tentionally. I have first-hand experience in this.
A few more words of caution: Realize that many
shops pay teachers a commission, typically ten to
twenty per cent of the selling price, for sending their
students in to buy an instrument. This practice is
viewed as highly unethical by myself as well as most
other teachers and shops, but it still occurs.
Make sure you're not buying the most expensive
violin in the shop just so you can line a teacher's
pockets. Feel free to ask if the teacher earns com-
missions from the shop and never let any salesman
bully you into a purchase. Take the violin home for a
trial and walk away from a deal if it feels fishy.
As for shop owners, it's best to buy from someone
who actually plays the violin well and understands
the subtleties in tone and feel. Many salesmen will
insist a violin sounds great, but they can’t even play
professionally, let alone scrape a tune!
Also, if you are unsure of the violin's origin ask about
its history, if they know, so you’re not buying some-
thing stolen or relabeled. I know of salesmen who
re-label and re-varnish old junky fiddles then ask a
small fortune for their “authentic antiques.”
Heavy topics aside, enjoy the anticipation and thrill
of this exciting first step towards making music. Con-
sider this one of many wonderful experiences you
will have as a musician. Good Luck. a
(VIOLIN PURCHASING Continued from page 4)
Special Order
• Electric Violins & Cellos by Wood Violins • Cellos, Basses, Mandolins, Guitars and more • L.R. Baggs Pickups & Electronics • Music books by request
We also carry
• Carbon Fiber Bows in 12 colours • CDs/DVDs • Rosin • Humidifiers • Cases • Electronics
15% discount for music teachers and 10%
discount for FVS students, current and former.
suit the precise mood businesses wished to convey.”
He went on. “Technology became more sophisticated
over time and at one point muzak generated more traf-
fic on Bell phone lines than anything else! Now it is dis-
tributed via satellite and is referred to as audio archi-
tecture.”
Lingdin lowered his voice to a whisper. “What the un-
suspecting public was not aware of was sinister hidden
messages embedded in each note of the music. It's
brainwashing us, killing our minds,” he said soberly.
At this several students gasped, some mocked their
professor with laughter and one girl in glasses nodded
her head in sad agreement, as if this truth reverber-
ated in her gut.
“'Purchase our products at full price' is hidden in the
music at the shopping mall, 'Ask for higher interest
rates' oozes from the bank elevator speaker and 'Just
hand over your money' is crafted into the phone lines
for the Internal Revenue Service.”
The room grew quieter at this news. Nobody likes pay-
ing extra tax.
“Some whistle blowers came forward in the 1950's and
even challenged muzak distributors in court, accusing
them of brainwashing. Despite this uproar, President
Eisenhower introduced muzak to the west wing of the
White House. NASA even played muzak on shuttle
missions to soothe astronauts during periods of rest.”
Lingdin thought of the astronauts who were forced into
believing the moon landing really happened. He de-
cided not to open that can of worms today.
The elevator jerked to a halt and Lingdin stirred from
his trance. He was alone in the elevator; “65” glowing
on the panel.
“How long have I been here,” he asked himself grog-
gily. His head throbbed and his shirt collar was soaked
with sweat, but he was happy to have made it up alive.
The glass doors opened slowly and Lingdin timed the
careful removal of his hands from his ears to stop the
doors closing in one swift movement. He escaped the
vertically moving box of death and only caught a few
bars of “Moon River” played by kazoo and timpani en-
semble before the doors closed again.
Lingdin smoothed his shirt with his hands and made
his way to his Parisian hotel room, opting for the sixty-
five flights of stairs the way down. a
Read, Rate and Comment on Rhiannon’s Writings at www.ezinearticles.com. (Search “Rhiannon Schmitt”)
Your positive ratings & comments are appreciated.
(MUZAK CODE Continued from page 3)
(250) 833-5626 • www.fiddleheads.ca
“Nurture Your Potential”
Fiddleheads Violins Fall Specials
Intelli Parksons IMT-202: 3 in 1 Metronome/Digital Tuner
Why buy a tuner and a metronome when you can have both in one? Smaller than a pack of cards & versatile.
On Sale only $39. reg $48
All Music Books 10% off
• Blues Violin, Beginner Violin Theory & more
• 2006 Edition RCM Violin Series, $10 and up.
• Violin Wall Charts (3ft x 2ft) $9 incl tax
6
Start Lessons with New Strings
Corelli Crystals outlast and outplay Dominants.
Retail $54, sale price $40 includes free install
Also available: Strings by Thomastic-Infeld, D-Addario, Pirastro
It’s recommended to change your strings once to twice a year.
Bon Musica Shoulder Rests
• The best shoulder rest available • Excellent adjustable design makes the rest suit the individual and playing is ergonomic
and comfortable. Made in Germany
Save $5 this Fall: Violin $55, Viola $60
Celebrating Eight Years
In 1999 I moved to Salmon Arm to marry
Mason and opened Fiddleheads Violin School.
Now my son is almost 6 (he starts Kindergar-
ten this fall at North Canoe) and my business
has won awards and expanded to offer sales.
My very first Shuswap student, Rory Cleve-
land (see cover) recently received First Class
Honours in her RCM Grade 6 Violin exam.
Okanagan Music Awards Nominee
I’ve been nominated for Classical Artist of
the Year in the 4th Annual Okanagan Music
Awards & Musicians Bash to be held at the
Vernon & District Performing Arts Center on
September 26, 2006. Wish me luck and hope
to see you there.
www.scorpionentertainment.ca
Fee Increase
Due to the rising cost of lessons in the area as
well as the extremely high demand for lessons
with me, fees have been increased to $36/hour
($18 per half-hour, $27 for 45-minutes). A
trimester of ten 30-minute lessons costs $185.
Fees are due by the 2nd week of each term.
www.fiddleheads.ca/school/policies
Student Discounts in Shop
Introducing a new program: All FVS students,
current or former, receive 10% student dis-
counts on most items in my shop.
Other news: we now carry Electric Violins!
Fall Calendar & Breaks
The first of three trimesters runs September
18 to November 23 (except Monday students
who start September 11).
There are no Monday lessons on Oct 9
(Thanksgiving). Lessons are still on for
Monday, Nov 13 (Remembrance observance).
The FVS Calendar is always available online
at www.fiddleheads.ca/school/calendar
Fiddle Contest Results
FVS students cleaned house at the Shuswap
Violin Society’s Fiddle Contest in May.
1st: Beg Small Fry - Jamé Wonacott
2nd: Beg Small Fry - Beth Ralston
1st: Int Small Fry- Colin Robinson
2nd: Int Junior A - Taylor Robinson
1st: Int Junior B - Mary Ross
2nd: Int Junior B - Krista French
3rd: Int Junior B - Taylor Bahen
2nd: Int Junior C - Charlotte Moores
3rd: Int Junior C - Elise Vanderhoek
1st: Beg Teen - Thea Mongerson
2nd: Int Teen - Katerina Karding
1st: Int Adult – Mindy Buchanan
Fiddleheads Ensemble
The Fiddleheads Ensemble rehearses this
November and December starting Nov 10,
cost $40. Minimum 6 members required.
We’ll perform carols at the local malls and our
Christmas recital on Friday, December 16 at
the SAGA Art Gallery (starts 7pm).
Our Musical Europe Trip
Mason and I travelled England, Belgium, the
Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzer-
land and France last June.
The highlights for me were seeing a collection
of instruments in Venice used by Vivaldi’s
students and several real Stradivariuses in
Rome. I visited a German violin maker in
Heidelberg and played a 300-year-old violin.
Photos of our trip are at www.schmitt.ca
FVS Student on Stage
16-year-old FVS viola student Thea Monger-
son starred a lead role in Shuswap Theatre’s
“Sowing Seeds in Danny” last July.
Rhiannon’s Writings Published
I’m now a regular contributor with Australia’s
Music Teacher Magazine. I’m also online at
www.ezinearticles.com (search for Rhiannon
Schmitt) where you can read, rate, comment
on and send any of my articles.
Your high ratings (click on the five stars at the
bottom) and positive comments will hopefully
lead to my syndication in other magazines.
Prayers for Frieda
Our thoughts are with FVS student Frieda
Marttunen and her family during her illness
and recovery.
Instrument Bank
SVS Instrument Bank applica-tions are accepted on an ongoing basis. Call Joan Cleveland at 832-0157.
Please contact the SVS to loan/ donate an instrument or would like to contribute funds.
AGM and Election
AGM and annual election will be held in October. On the agenda: past year in review, coming events and election of officers. Individuals wishing to be involved as directors or members encouraged to attend.
Scholarships
The Nunn Family Trio of Salmon Arm and Kate Parnell of Armstrong were recipients of scholarships last June.
In only three years the SVS has raised and given out $4000, an impressive feat!
Fiddle Workshop
The SVS is currently making arrangements for a fiddle work-shop/masterclass with a high profile player. The workshop funded by a grant from the Shuswap Foundation.
www.violinsociety.ca
Shuswap Violin Society News in Brief
7
The Fiddleheads Gazette • Volume 7, Number 1 • Fall 2006 • Page 8
Copyright © 2006 Rhiannon Schmitt and Fiddleheads Violin School. Notated in1999 by Fred Nachbaur, Rhiannon's late father. Confused? Play this from opposite sides of a table: Violin 2 is read up-side-down.
Free Sheet Music