Editor's Note: The following blog post originally appeared on Arnold Steinhardt's blog In the Key of Strawberry and is republished with permission. Steinhardt is the founding member of the Guarneri String Quartet and the author of two books: Violin Dreams and Indivisible by Four. For more stories visit here or follow on Twitter.

Most of us violinists (as well as violists, cellists and bassists) are our most comfortable in an orchestra setting. Of course, the music is fantastic, and usually very challenging to learn and play. But learn and play we do, after woodshedding our parts carefully at home. Our teachers have been able to impart their technical and musical know-how to allow us to learn difficult pieces on our own. We take those skills, now finely honed, to the concert hall, where we deeply breathe in the joy of a beautiful performance, in amazing rhythm with our colleagues. If we’re lucky, our family and friends in the audience will enjoy our performance as much as we do.

After weeks of deliberation over your photo contest entries, we have selected winner for this year’s Spring 2018 Photo Contest! We had huge number of submissions this year, which made our job even harder. Of all the wonderful photos we received, we selected a Grand Prize winner that will received a $250 SHAR gift certificate, and a few honorable mentions.

Since we received such a high volume of high quality photos, we are likely to use many of them in future SHAR catalogs, promotions and emails. For those that we end up publishing, you will receive an email offering a $25 SHAR gift certificate at the time of publication. 

Now, here is the moment we’ve all been waiting for…

There are more people who miss playing music than there are people who actually do play music. There are countless reasons for not going back to playing, including fear, lack of time, bad memories from childhood experiences, not knowing others who may be playing partners; the list is endless. The common thread running through all these stories is the regret most people express for no longer participating in an activity that they once enjoyed so thoroughly.

SHAR is so happy to be partnering with Associated Chamber Music Players to encourage people to get back into music making! For over 70 years, ACMP has passionately advocated for and led efforts to help people realize their dreams of getting back into playing with others. ACMP’s latest resource in this effort is author Amy Nathan . . . read ACMP executive director, Jennifer Clarke’s, interview with Amy Nathan, and how her new book, Making Time for Making Music (available at SHAR!) offers both inspiring stories, as well practical expert advice, in how you can get back into the most enjoyable and rewarding experience possible – making music with others!

Val Jaskiewicz

Editor's Note: The following Q&A transcript by Jennifer Clarke originally appeared on the Associated Chamber Music Player's website and is republished with permission. Click here to learn more about this organization and its members.

Why We Love Barenreiter Editions

In the world of classical music publishing, world-renowned music publisher Barenreiter is a mere youngster, at 95 years of age. But Barenreiter’s distinctive identity as a serious publisher at the highest level of quality was forged right from the start. Based in Kassel, Germany, Barenreiter has survived the ravages of 20^th century European history time and again, because of its strong foundation of scholarship, editorial commitment and unwavering focus on quality and attention to detail.

We’ve been pouring over all the creative coloring pages we’ve received for weeks, and while our talented customers have made it difficult to narrow down, we are happy to announce the winners of SHAR’s Spring 2018 Coloring Contest! Our contestants ranged in age from 5 years old to 50 years old, and it was wonderful to see everyone customize the coloring pages in different and imaginative ways. We hope everyone enjoyed coloring their pages as much as we enjoyed looking through them all!

With the school year ending and the weather getting warmer, music camps are on the horizon! Make the most out of your summer music experience by making sure you have everything you need before you leave. We've compiled a list of must-have essentials that will help protect your instrument, keep you engaged and prepared, and keep the music flowing!

Practical Passion: How an Independent Artist Took Charge of His Own Career

 “. . . as much as I know what lights me up inside, I also know that the future will look different from what I plan.” With these words, violinist Rebecca Fischer offered us a glimpse of the shape shifting that is an integral part of an artistic calling. Her blog article, “Courage: Starting Fresh, Again and Again”, part of “SHAR’s Lives of Artists” series, goes on to describe that new beginnings sometimes require something old to end.

Violinist Jeremy Cohen knows a thing or two about new beginnings. Studying with Itzhak Perlman, performing solos with symphony orchestras and extensive work with chamber ensembles provided Jeremy with the solid foundation necessary to enjoy a fruitful traditional orchestral or conservatory career. But the music of Jeremy’s childhood neighborhood – jazz, Tango, Latin music – called to him, and he just couldn’t abandon it. Fortunately, Jeremy’s skills enabled him to have plenty of work, including live performances, extensive film and television work, and touring as concertmaster with major artists. All this was to change for most independent artists upon the arrival of the internet, smartphones and Netflix, all competing with live music. For Jeremy Cohen, there was no choice except to become a champion . . .

SHAR is excited to announce a new partnership with Associated Chamber Music Players, encouraging everyone to experience the joys of playing chamber music while enjoying special benefits from SHAR. The following blog describes one violinist’s experience with chamber music, his journey away from his violin, and back again.

The performing arts are quite unique. They require both formal knowledge and skilled technique, both converging in pursuit of creation. When it comes to learning to play the violin, some say that only all-in focus on theory and technical training will bring success. Others advocate for immersion in playing itself, “getting to the heart of the music”, keeping formality in the background. University of Michigan professor of violin Andrew Jennings, in his response to a blog post about the value of a music degree, provides a deeper perspective, well worth sharing again in advance of the upcoming graduation season.