Need a climbing violinist Saturday June 16th, 2018

Good Day Team MP

            Seth here, Cliffhanger Guides. I am doing a cool project inconjunction with my good friend Petch from Lovers Leap Guides...Need a profesional trained (or equivilant) violinist for a wedding proposal on the side of Lovers Leap main wall on Saturday June 16th. You will have your own private guide as well as being financially compinsated for the day...This is a cool project for the right person... Please give me a call at 209 743 1785 to discus further details...

Cheers,

             Seth

What a cool gig! Me: 5.10+ trad climber. Based in bay area. Professional violinist prior to moving to the bay to pursue medical school. You can hear some performances here:

https://www.thecreativeviolin.com/listen

Also have done jazz, electronica, etc. Have a violin that can make it anywhere.

Let me know if this fits the bill. benjamin410@gmail.com

Ben

Hi Seth,

A friend just sent this over...what a great idea! I hope y'all have seen Hatchet's metal band playing while Honnold tops out Bear's Reach in Osman costume...pretty epic. Did they get the idea from that?!

I might be in town those dates; live in the South Bay but climb in South Lake quite a bit, both trad and bouldering. Was just at the leap last weekend...professional solo violinist and climber of 29 years but would need rent a carbon-fiber fiddle for the occasion. Play weddings quite often and can do special requests/solo violin versions of songs. Sounds like Ben is a great choice but feel free to be in touch if necessary. Always looking for an excuse to plug some gear.

Joel
www.southbaystringacademy.com

Nice :)

Post the video!  The leap is beautiful at sunset :)

Ben, that’s an impressive CV... and here I thought MP’ers were all rapscallions, rogues, and reprobates...

Quick side-question... do you feel climbing has a negative impact on your speed and touch? I studied for 14 years, and still play, but have a feeling that I probably couldn’t do both at a high level simultaneously (not that my level was ever that high, but still)... any thoughts?

Seth, I'm sending this to Becca Corbin... she might be your gal.  

Hit me up if you need a climbing clarinetist :)

Cool idea! If you need a climbing vocalist/pianist, let me know! :D

By the end of this thread, we will have assembled an entire climbing symphony!

Wonder how many folks in climbing relationships will be hoping hoping hoping that their S.O. is going to invite them to climb at the Leap on the 16th ;)

Sounds like this will be amazing! I proposed on top of Pigeon Spire in the Bugaboos. Romance in the mountains can't be beat.

What? No bongo player? I feel depressed now...  ;>)

MisterE Wolfe wrote: What? No bongo player? I feel depressed now...  ;>)

Well, I can also add guitar, trombone, cajone,  and didgeridoo to the mix, but I'd much prefer to haul my baby grand. (There will be roadies to haul my baby grand, right?)

Heya Mark 

- why thank you. Although I have yet to meet a musician who didn't also fit all those r words...
To Answer your question, climbing has not seemed to significantly effect finger speed or vibrato frequency. I have 44 years of playing with almost 10 of serious hours (between 5-10 hours per day) so that probably helped. That said, I would probably take time off if I was going to play a full program. The big issue is time. If I don't practice a minimum of 6 hours per week, I don't retain the finger and shoulder flexibility to play the hardest rep (think Paganini, Bartok, Elgar Concerto) as the hands need to be both fast and supple. But if I wasn't holding down a job, I think it would be possible to practice 20 hours/week and climb the same and keep both at a "high" level.

Note, I don't have your climbing skills so who knows once I'm crimping vertical 13s.  After a bunch of years playing around with improv and electronics, I've sort of gone back to classical rep lately, so get back to me in a year and I'll have a better sense!

Mark Paulson wrote: Ben, that’s an impressive CV... and here I thought MP’ers were all rapscallions, rogues, and reprobates...
Quick side-question... do you feel climbing has a negative impact on your speed and touch? I studied for 14 years, and still play, but have a feeling that I probably couldn’t do both at a high level simultaneously (not that my level was ever that high, but still)... any thoughts?