Re: Searching for musicians in same... |
26 posts on this topic, shown 1-10
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Dear fellow musicians, This is a topic that few musicians dare (or can afford) to come out and share because of the possible consequences for their careers. Still it's something that affects many of us and should have a place in open discussion. Being a musician means taking care of your investment (your health). We all try to avoid the obvious dangers that could impair our playing. Unfortunately there are other health problems that go beyond our own control. I've been playing the violin professionally for 25 years. Unfortunately Parkinson's disease abruptly put an end to my career. Although not able to reach the level of playing I once achieved, I have been discovering new methods of playing that compensate to a certain extent for the loss of fine motor skills that are essential for violin playing. I am interested in contacting other musicians who have to deal with similar health problems. Whatever happens, we still remain musicians in hart and soul. Greetings, Ron Sandrin | ||||||||
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| Edited by Ron Sandrin on May 9, 2008 @ 10:58 am |  | |||||||
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Dear friend Rod Sandrin, No I am not exactly in the same predicament as you. But I am also a musician and feel that I must say something hoping that I might encourage you. The closest I can get is that I have lost 80% of my hearing when I was still a kid. This is now compensated with a very powerful and expensive hearing aid. But I still have problems. I cannot hear very low sounds and too hight sounds irritate me. If I watch an orchestra I see the Double Bass musicians going for all their worth on their instruments but cannot hear them at all. In the beginging years when hearing aids was not so updated as they are today this was quite a problem and was a major obstacle with my performance and studies of music. I want to mention 2 names that gives me a lot of encouragement today. One is Maestro Andrea Bocelli. As you may know Andrea is blind. This man is just magic and I have all his albums and dvd's. I put Andrea's accuracy on following a score on test by playing a cd of his and following him with the piano from the original score. It so happens that he is "dead on target" with every single note, rest and whatever. He never misses. One can very well imagine the immense responsibilty he must have when he sings a classic and he has with him, a conductor, a massive choir and a full orchestra. Everybody has to follow him. He admits that it's the only time he experiences "stage fright". Than of course there is Beethoven which I am sure I don't have to tell you about. So there is no magic cure I have for you my friend. But please hang in there and keep on doing your thing. It will lead to something. Beethoven said: "I will grab fate by the throat". He did and won. God's richest blessings to you. WENDELL BAATJES | ||||||||
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| Dear Wendell,
Thank you for these words of encouragement. I appreciate any response that can give me a new way of looking at the situation. I'm quite aware of the fact that there aren't any ways to turn back the clock. I also like to follow the carreers of other musicians and reading about their own experiences. sincere greetings, Ron | ||||||||
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Hi Ron,
I have been playing the violin for less than 6 years. I am a member of a senior quartet, a strings jam group, a fiddle group and take lessons. So, you can see that the violin/fiddle is very important in my life.
I have Multiple Sclerosis. The main hinderance from this disease is my lousy balance. The hardest part is getting to the seat and standing to take a bow. In terms of affecting my actual playing, I can't do pizz. Thank goodness, the people I play with have all joined me in arco instead.
In 1998, I had a benign brain tumor removed. The operation was a success, however my hearing nerve was severed. So, I play with "one ear". I do have aids, but the echo is not worth wearing them. They are quite advanced too.
I find, that in spite of my challenges, the pure joy of making music overrides any negatives. Of course, I am not at your level, nor am I dependent on my instrument to make a living.
The world needs for harmony - KEEP ENJOYING YOUR PLAYING.
Marsha | ||||||||
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Hello, Ron,
Whether this will help you or not, I don't know, but I'm passing it along in case it might. I didn't have Parkinson's but I did have something that involved the nerves in my hands.
I'm a pianist. Some years ago I developed carpal tunnel syndrome, with the accompanying pain, etc. Just in case you don't know the details of that, it's that we have this bracelet-sort-of ligament in the wrist, and all the nerves and things that operate the fingers have to go through the inside of that ligament. Especially in that case of people with narrow wrists, the friction can cause inflammation and intense pain, among other symptoms. The doctor gave me permission to play one piece a day on the piano, and they wanted to operate.
What they do in the operation is to slice open the ligament on the inside of the wrist, so that there is more space inside for things to move. However, it means that you can't cup your hand any more, so I refused surgery.
My internal medicine man knew a great deal about nutrition, and had taught me about Vitamin B6. He said it goes straight to the nerves, and that in times of stress I could take up to 1000 mg. per day. Many doctors will tell you that that amount of B6 can produce nerve damage, but in my case, it was healing. I now use the computer for hours at the time, but I use a pad to support my wrists. I also play the piano for hours without problems, and I never had the surgery.
Now what I was thinking--wondering--was whether Parkinson's responds in any way to Vitamin B6 because of the nerve involvement. If you could find someone really expert in both Parkinson's and nutrition, it might be worth discussing the possibilities.
Wishing you all the best, and sending a prayer for your improvement,
Evona
On May 2, 2008 Ron Sandrin wrote: | ||||||||
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Dear Marsha,
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| Edited by Ron Sandrin on May 9, 2008 @ 6:12 am | | |||||||
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| Dear Evona,
At first my family doctor thought I might have carpal tunnel syndrome because it frequently affects musicians. It is indeed very painful. I witnessed that with a colleague violinist. She had the operation and it did help her but she would have been much better with the solution you were able to find. I'm sure you're extremely happy it came to a good end this way. I'm sure it feels like a luxury now to be able to play freely without the restraints you first had to deal with. I will investigate the possible gains for in my situation concerning Vitamin B6. I'm grateful for this new information and who knows, it might be a good addition to the medication I have to take now. I know that nutrition also can be an important factor. I'm occupied with changing my diet since a few months and am optimistic about the results. There isn't anything as important as your health and I now am more aware than ever that investing in your well being a lifelong task is. Sincerely, Ron | ||||||||
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| Edited by Ron Sandrin on May 9, 2008 @ 6:13 am | | |||||||
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Dear friends I want to thank Ron, Marsha and Evona for sharing their experiences with us. It teaches me the value of not taking things for granted, no matter how small they may be. After all we are musicians. And the strange thing about musicians is that they seem to operate more on feelings than anything else. I can very well imagine what your music must be like. Thanks once again for making me feel good God bless you all WENDELL | ||||||||
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Hi Wendell, Ron and Evona,
I didn't realize there was a post, so I didn't reply sooner.
Thank you all for sharing!!!!
If we are observant, it seems that the same "lessons" present themselves in different ways.
Most of the time, I am very appreciative that I can play, but every once in a while the ugly ego creeps in. The irony is that the better I play, the more judgmental I get about my mistakes. I am a violin infant compared to all of you and realize my feelings are unrealistic.
I have been playing first violin in the quartet, and recently took 3rd place in a fiddle contest. As UP as I was about those accomplishments was as down as I was yesterday about my bowing dynamics.
The lesson here: Being a perfectionist is painful. Most of the time I ignore the fact that I have challenges, BUT THEY'RE THERE. I want to believe that I can skip years of playing and voila sight read perfectly NOW. Looking back I will see the connections to the lesson of PATIENCE. Patience to take the time and enjoy the journey rather than wanting the goal today. I have to remember the words "I have to get out of my own way".
This posting board is a blessing and I appreciate you guys.
Marsha | ||||||||
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| Dear Marsha,
You're absolutely right about the challenge growing with your progress. Being more critical has helped to improve the playing (I'm speaking for myself also). This has at the same time made us more aware of how difficult playing the violin really is! In an interview with Itschak Perlman, who by the way is a very warm and friendly person, he admitted that there are so many things to master when learning to play that by the time you've accomplished that, you're 90 before you get to start making music!(translated in my own words). The fact that we stick to it and don't give up is a sign of character. The determination to keep on playing in our quest to get 'there' is extremely high. The only problem is 'where' do we want to end up. It's an old saying but applies to all of us. 'It's the journey and not the destination that counts'. Not that I am any wiser than anyone else but I try everyday to look myself in the mirror and make something of who I see. It applies to the rest of my life just as well. The more I look the more 'flaws' I discover. The age factor is in this case something I use to make my critisism become milder over the years  .
I've very appreciative for your replies! Please keep open and share what you've discovered along the way. sincerely, Ron | ||||||||
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