Why You Should Listen To Great Musicians

One of the best parts of my job is that every week, I am enveloped in a cocoon of beautiful sounds.

This past week, the LAPhil performed Don Quixote by Richard Strauss. As you probably know, this amazing work has huge parts for the principal cellist and violist. Robert deMaine (our principal cello) and Teng Li (our principal viola) were extraordinary. But what was most notable for me was their sound.

During the concerts, I was awash in their resonance, diversity of colors, and pure beauty. It's not an understatement to say I felt like I was being nourished by the experience. Does that sound silly? Think of it this way...
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You probably agree that "we are what we eat." If healthy food leads to a healthy body, does it stand to reason that "consuming" extraordinary musicality can make us better musicians?

Evidence suggests that listening to classical music may help our brain cells process information more efficiently and may facilitate our brain’s ability to adapt. I love this data, but I want to take the concept further—if we give ourselves the gift of hearing the best players, playing beautifully with wonderful sound quality, it's like "health food" for our ears and brains.

We can't help but emulate the sound, either subconsciously or consciously. It just gets into our ear. It gets into our soul. Our personal expectations for our own playing get higher and higher. The end result is a virtuous cycle of inspiration and improvement.

So let's give some serious thought to the players you want to invite into your mind and ears. Here's my list:
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David Ostrakh - violin

Camilla Wicks - violin

William Primrose - viola ; )

Simone Dinnerstein - piano

Robert deMaine - cello

Teng Li - viola

Who are your favorite players? Who has the most beautiful sound that you have ever heard? Email me at mick@theviolapro.com and tell me who I should add to my list!