Courage before confidence: the benefits of improvising for classical musicians
But courage comes before confidence – as I discovered with my friend and colleague Lucy Russell. Internationally recognised violinist and leader of the Fitzwilliam String Quartet, Lucy is no stranger to improvisatory music. But despite her ability to play divisions in 17 th century repertoire, her flair for baroque ornamentation and her experience in collaborating with composers, Lucy felt unable to play completely ‘off the sheet’. Talking about this, she expressed a tangible fear: she believed she could not do it. Lockdown provided a unique opportunity to grasp that nettle. When she ca...
Source: thestrad.com