It’s an exciting time for tonebase. Not only was it our 5th anniversary on May 15th, but we’re proud to announce that tonebase Violin is now live!
Here, we’ll introduce you to Eric Silberger, our new Head of Violin at tonebase. He will be curating an in-depth library of instructional video content for violin, similar to the ones we already have for classical guitar and piano.
Enjoy our Q&A with Eric!
Tell us a little about your background!
I’m a fourth-generation violinist who’s had the good fortune to work with some of the greatest musicians and mentors.
The violin has taken me to many different countries and venues around the world, from Carnegie Hall in New York City to a volcano in Iceland!
I’ve been fortunate to see many cultures and meet many interesting people throughout my journey.
I play on a 1757 J.B. Guadagnini violin, generously lent to me from the family of Sau-Wing Lam collection.
Here’s a snippet from my Violin Concerto No.1, second movement which I premiered in Switzerland:
What are you looking forward to bringing to tonebase Violin?
I'm trying to bring a deeper look behind the curtain at tonebase. There are some incredible violinists in the world today who have so much to share. And to start, I think the first step is to listen as much as possible.
That means listening both to myself — my own intuition and ideas for teaching material — and to other experienced violinists, the finest of the world, who really have something special to say.
tonebase has already been a platform where fantastic artists are saying important things about repertoire, technique and musicianship. That makes it the perfect medium for serious students of violin.
As far as curating the experience, I want to bring in as many different perspectives as possible. That means reaching out to a wide range of experienced musicians from varied backgrounds to provide a complete understanding of the art of violin playing.
I really feel that now is the right time and tonebase is the right platform to share those perspectives.
Which composers do you enjoy playing the most?
My answer tends to be, whichever work I am playing at the moment! But here at tonebase we try to delve a bit deeper into questions.
When it comes to certain composers, especially those from the 19th-20th centuries such as Brahms, Paganini, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky and Schumann, I feel a certain natural affinity with their music.
Does that make them my favorite composers? It makes their music more naturally accessible right away. However, sometimes the works you struggle with, or that do not “work” immediately, are the ones you truly enjoy the most when you finally connect to the music.
To you, what are the most important aspects of learning violin and improving one’s skills on a high level?
Well first, you need the equipment — a violin and bow! And you need to make sure they're set up properly.
But then, you need the best teaching and the best information possible.
There’s a lot of questionable information for musicians out there. You don't ever want to take two steps back for every step forward when it comes to practicing your instrument.
Instead, you should try to minimize the backtracking by gaining the right knowledge from the beginning, and avoid picking up bad technique or approaches that you’ll have to unlearn later.
Getting the best advice and information right away is, I think, the key to going much further on the violin. Of course that makes the whole journey much more enjoyable, too.
We’re excited for Eric’s contribution to tonebase Violin and how he will help grow and shape the platform. Click here to learn more!
