In a world that may be hard for young people to process, the arts can play an important role in helping them cope, learn about themselves, and better understand their environment. It can also spark.
Certain situations call for a "backup" instrument. A backup can be an old instrument that took a back seat when you got a nicer one, or it can be an instrument that you purchased or acquired expressly to be a "back-up." It can even be a different instrument - like a violinist having a backup that is a mandolin!
The most obvious use for a "backup" instrument is when your violin is in the shop for repair or upkeep. While many shops will loan you a violin (or viola, cello, etc.), it can be handy to have another instrument that feels familiar and comfortable to use.
But there are plenty of other occasions for using a backup instrument. Do you have a backup instrument? How did you acquire it? For what occasions do you use your backup instrument? Please participate in the vote and then tell us all about your experiences with backup instruments.
There s less oxygen at higher elevations, which forces a different approach to playing that isn’t at all about perfection, Reiner notes. And Half Pelican’s extreme performances seem to bring joy to everyone who sees and hears them.
Reiner first dabbled in ski-fiddling in 2013, after years of simultaneous ski trips and music tours around the West. He took a fiddle down the slopes that year because he’d gotten tired of concert-goers jokingly asking if he ever had. In the years since, Reiner has moved beyond proving his ability to ski and play; now he just does it for fun. He and Adams have performed while skiing multiple slopes, including those at Loveland, Silverton and Arapahoe Basin, treating visitors to traditional tunes, excerpts from the