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James Engman

Latest Articles

Celebratory Post-Performance Pineapple Mimosa Recipe

Monday, April 08, 2019

The applause has ended; your instrument is back in the case, it's time to celebrate! You practiced hard, you played beautifully, and the music was a delight. Let’s celebrate with a very special, fruity, bubbly and delicious drink. The pineapple mimosa is…

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Calming Chamomile Latte Recipe for Pre-Performance Relaxation

Friday, April 05, 2019

You’ve practiced hard and tension has a habit of mounting. Treat yourself to this warm, frothy, chamomile latte to help you sleep the night before your performance, or enjoy it just before you begin to warm up back stage. Take the time to breathe before…

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Lemon-Ginger Tea Recipe for Focused Practice

Thursday, April 04, 2019

For our second recipe, we chose a simple tea that is delicious, healthy, and easy enough to make any time of day to refresh your practice. This classic infusion of ginger, lemon, and honey has been called a detox tea and a natural caffeine-free tonic for…

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Recipe for an Energizing Pre-Lesson Smoothie

Wednesday, April 03, 2019

Spring is recital season! Getting through your most important performances, believe it or not, requires more than just practice. Proper nutrition, rest, and mental and emotional wellness are key factors in maximizing the effectiveness of your hard work.…

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#CaseConfessions on Instagram - What are you Hiding in Your Instrument Case?

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Five years ago SHAR asked people to send in their #caseconfessions photos, showing everything in your case except the instrument and bow - old rosin and cleaning cloths, tuners, random toys, photos, and whatever else you need with you and your instrument…

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What Does It Take to Be A 21st Century Musician? A Discussion With Formosa Quartet

Friday, February 16, 2018

About a decade ago, perhaps in a masterclass during my undergrad as a violin performance major, I recall the discussion of what was required to be a violinist in the 21st Century. Something about the very wide range of technique needed to perform today's…

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Seven Mistakes String Players Make When Changing Strings

Friday, January 19, 2018

It's a scenario every beginner or intermediate string player finds themselves in at some point: either a string broke, the metal winding is unraveling, or they've simply decided better strings will make them finally sound like Anne-Sophie Mutter. I can…

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German Violins, Violas, and Cellos by Rainer W. Leonhardt now For Sale at SHAR!

Tuesday, January 09, 2018

“. . . a master violin is an accumulation of many small steps, each carried out with painstaking care”

~ Rainer W. Leonhardt, Master Violin Maker, Mittenwald, Germany

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The German Violin-Making Tradition - An Intro

Monday, August 21, 2017

While Cremona, Italy, is generally accepted as the birthplace of the violin, instruments by the great Cremonese makers quickly found themselves in the hands of skilled German craftsmen, who happened to live in a geographic and economic sweet-spot for…

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String Players Should Know About The French Violin Making Tradition!

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

The history of the violin is a bit like the evolution of a migratory species. It didn't come about all in one place or all at one time; various factors influenced it's changes over centuries, and in many ways we are still writing the violin's history…

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