Paganini Revisited

So....yes, I must admit that I have for some reason not written much between October and now.    Life has been, well...

I have, however, in recent days found myself revisiting my decision to study the Twenty-Four Caprices of Nicolo Paganini.   Doing so has definitely been an adventure, and incredibly eye-opening to boot.   There is something deeply satisfying about the time spent analyzing one's technical facility and expanding that facility; however, one should definitely tread carefully.

For myself, the slippery slope of this challenge has been knowing when to stop.   No, I have not injured myself:   on the contrary, I do feel much stronger and more secure with the instrument.    I must admit, though, that there have been times at which I have found myself obsessively focused on "getting through the book" as opposed to remembering WHY the choice was made to study these caprices.    Fortunately, with more music to learn - very quickly - I am now able to shift that focus, and being in this place has reminded me why the choice was made, as all of the music on the stand.

Of course, life also has a way of getting in the way of things, if we let it, and I have to admit that there have been many things that took place this year that required my focus, hence no Paganini after having successfully studied the first eight caprices.    Now, though, I welcome the opportunity to get back on that horse....

More soon,
Sam