No. 191, March 2011

In a Family Way
For Cape Breton fiddler Natalie MacMaster, marriage and motherhood have revived her passion for playing the music she loves the most By David Templeton
Dispatches from the Classroom
On the frontlines of public-school string education, success often is measured in small victories—and a milk shake or two . . . or three . . . By Bruce Wood
A Golden Opportunity for Adult Chamber Music Enthusiasts
Octogenarian coach brings out the joy of playing classical music together By Judith Glyde
Superstar Cellist Gives Students Their Own Star Turn
Jan Vogler fosters orchestral and chamber-music training through the Moritzburg Academy By Laurence Vittes
An Intensive Get-together in Sunny Southern California
The San Diego Chamber Music Workshop prepares for 32nd summer conference By Heather K. Scott

News & Notes
Researcher hunts for link between violin studies and high IQ; violinist performs at Nobel ceremony for absent honoree; cellist draws attention to hazardous chemicals in makeup; Voxare String Quartet wins ASCAP prize; plus News Briefs and 5 Minutes with . . . Tanya Tomkins By Rory Williams
News Spotlight
ASTA Ready to Roll Out National String Curriculum New document will help teachers and administrators shape string programs and provide a standardized teaching tool By Christopher Roberts
Center Stage
Septuagenarian Celebrates with Recording of Beethoven Sonatas Legendary cellist Laurence Lesser on enjoying the limelight and recalling a great mentor By Laurence Vittes
Strings 101
Create Right-hand Finger Flexibility in 5 Steps Break through the fear of dropping the bow and maintain control with ease By Laurel Thomsen
Play It!
Learn Cole Porter's 'Anything Goes' This string-quartet arrangement brings history to life By Mimi Rabson
Master Class
3 Sonatinas That Offer Insight into the Mind of a Composer These sonatas for violin and piano bore the seeds of Franz Schubert's imagination By Edith Eisler
Reviving a Long-lost Romantic-era Cello Sonata Alexander Zemlinsky's early work sports a Brahmsian influence and echoes of things to come By Marc Moskovitz
Teaching Strings
Aria Project Shows Cellists Can Learn from Opera How to teach students to add lyricism to their playing By Judith Glyde
Practical Musician
3 Steps to Help You Improve Your Memorization Skills Before your next recital, include a simplified strategy to tackle those tricky passages By Louise Lee
On My Music Stand
Open Your Heart to This Gershwin Blues Tune The Heifetz transcription of 'Summertime' is a visceral experience By Anne Akiko Meyers
Strings Trade
French and Canadian luthiers share tips; violinist makes his own replacement violin; auction highlights; Carriage House Violins expands; plus Bench Marks
Your Instrument
How Chin Rests & Shoulder Pads Affect Your Sound These seemingly humble accessories can have a big impact on your tone By Gary Frisch
New Products
Deluxe Sunflower Delight Violin Outfit; Zyex core 3/4-scale bass strings from D'Addario; Meisel violin, viola, and cello stands; plus Classic Gear item
In Print
Tully Potter's two-volume tribute to Adolf Busch; Journey to Eisenstadt for violin and piano by Rodion Shchedrin; Purple Rhapsody by Joan Tower; 12 Sonaten for violin, violoncello, and harpsichord, Op. 1/1-12 by Tomaso Albioni; Partite Sopra Diverse Sonate by Giovanni Battista Vitali; Pavane and Tom Thumb from Mother Goose by Maurice Ravel; Sound Innovations for String Orchestra: A Revolutionary Method for Beginning Musicians by Bob Phillips, Peter Boonshaft, and Robert Sheldon; plus Briefly Noted items The Saddest Music Ever Written: The Story of Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings by Thomas Larson; Beyond Talent: Creating a Successful Career in Music by Angela Myles Beeching; Musorgsky: His Life and Works by David Brown; Schumann: A Chorus of Voices by John C. Tibbetts; and The New York Philharmonic: From Bernstein to Maazel by John Canarina
On Record
Krzysztof Jakowicz's Violins with Polish Soul; the Hugo Wolf Quartet's Franz Mittler: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 3; Tabea Zimmermann's Sonatas for Viola & Piano Vol. 1; Bertram Turetzky's Recital of New Music; and Live in Concert: Bach Violin Concerti with Elmar Oliveira playing violin and conducting the Arco Ensemble, with violinist Eva Gruesser
Miscellany
Rushad Eggleston Rocks the House Cellist wows the crowd with unique performance style By Greg Cahill