Note-worthy Experiences Music Studio
F E A T U R E
Interview with Chris Brainard
F E A T U R E
Interview with Chris Brainard
How old were you when you first learned to play an instrument?
I started playing violin in 3rd grade, in an in-school lesson program where we took an 8 week introductory class, with an option to extend another 8 weeks. Before I turned 9, I was hooked! I came home one day in January and announced that I wanted to be a violinist when I grew up, so I started taking private lessons with the teacher who had gotten me started, Laurie Kennedy (recently retired, but the longtime principal violist of the Portland Symphony Orchestra). In high school, I decided I also wanted to learn viola, and have been playing both ever since.
When did you first begin teaching music?
I was a junior in high school when I first took on private students. I had a few beginning violin players, and I had one freshman who was in the high school orchestra with me - she'd only had group lessons in school, so I was like a mentor/practice buddy for her, and we played through our orchestra music together.
What do you like most about teaching?
The best thing is seeing students progress! At the first lesson, a brand new string player may not be able to play much of anything...but by the end of the lesson, or the end of the month, or the end of the year, they've put in time and effort and have learned lots of new skills. They've also learned how to overcome challenges, and worked through figuring things out for themselves - and those are lifelong skills that can be applied to all kinds of situations!
What music do you like to listen to?
I like listening to movie/TV soundtracks - favorite composers include Bear McCreary, James Horner, Hans Zimmerman, Carter Burwell, and of course, John Williams. I love watching a movie, and then going back and listening to the score without the visual, to see how the composer captured in the music what was happening on-screen.
I also listen to a lot of Broadway cast recordings, since I play in a lot of pit orchestras. It really helps to hear how the different instrumental/vocal parts interact before the first rehearsal. Sometimes there are rhythms that look terribly tricky on the page, but when you hear how it goes, it makes a lot more sense! I also do my best to listen to the music I'm playing in orchestras, at least while I'm driving. It's more helpful if I can sit down with my part in front of me while listening, but that doesn't ALWAYS happen.
Other groups/singers I listen to regularly: Nickel Creek, Lunasa, Evanescence, Breaking Benjamin, Rockapella, Loreena McKennitt, Josh Groban, Ella Roberts....there are lots of others, but we'd be here for days!
How often did you practice when you were a kid and how have your practicing habits changed since you became a professional?
When I was in elementary and middle school, my practicing was VERY inconsistent! Some weeks I'd practice every day, and sometimes, I might only get in one or two practice sessions between lessons. By high school, I got a little more serious and usually practiced for about 45 minutes to an hour every day - it would be the first thing I did when I got home from school, before I started my homework. During my senior year, my schedule went through a major overhaul. Fun fact: I grew up on a farm and part of my chores were to milk the goats twice a day. In order to make that happen, I started practicing before school, so I was waking up between 4:30 and 5 am. Going to college was a RELIEF! But that brought much longer practice sessions. String players were encouraged to practice 4 hours a day. Looking back, I wish I'd been taught to practice more efficiently and with better structure, rather than being a clock-watcher.
As an adult, sometimes I have better practice routines than other times. Setting aside an hour a day can be really tricky! It helps to put it into my calendar as a scheduled event. It also helps to pre-plan what I want to accomplish in a particular session. For example, I warm up with scales and an etude for 10-15 minutes. Then, if I know I have a show that I'll be playing in, rather than starting at the beginning and going through to the end, I'll start at the end of the show, with bows and exit music, and then look at the beginning of Act 2, and then the overture (if there is one) - that's usually where you can find some of the more challenging music. That might take 20 minutes. Then, I might give 10 minutes to working out a passage in orchestra music for my weekly rehearsal. Next, I might give myself 20 minutes to work on some passages in solo music. Finally, I like to spend the last few minutes playing through something, whether it's music I've been working on in the practice session or some fiddle music.
I recently decided to take some private lessons myself, for the first time in a very long while! I'm really glad I chose to do this, because - even though I'm a professional - I still have lots to learn and I appreciate having someone to give me a little guidance as I continue my own musical journey!
When you’re not teaching, what do you like to do?
I love long-distance human-powered adventures! Shortly after college, I was a part of a team that paddled the Connecticut River in canoes from the Canadian border to Northampton, MA in three days (even paddling at night)! I've ridden my bicycle from Seattle to Washington DC and back to Boston. In 2009, I hiked from Georgia to Maine on the Appalachian Trail, and between 2011-2013, I walked from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail (only during the spring/summer!)...and so far, I've hiked about 1300 miles on the Continental Divide Trail which goes through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. Hopefully I'll be able to finish that some day! I also hike and backpack a lot in the White Mountains.
What's one of your favorite musical memories?
2013. Early August. I was coming down to Rainy Pass, on the Pacific Crest Trail. I could hear a sound that sounded vaguely familiar, but also...sounded very untrained. I turned a corner, and saw that it was true...two guys were propped up against a rock, a fiddle in their hands.
In the 30 seconds it took me to walk down the remainder of the trail, I concocted a plan...the hardest part would be maintaining a straight face.
"Hey guys," I said. "What are you up to?" I nodded toward their laden bikes.
"We're riding across Washington," one of them said. "You look like you're hiking."
"Yup." There was a little more banter - necessary for my plan to work. Just a few more minutes...gain their trust, wait for it...and then, a deliberate mixture of shyness and childlike curiosity...."So, umm, do you think I could try your violin?"
They laughed, shrugging their shoulders. The one holding it said, "Yeah, sure...I mean, I picked it up two weeks ago and figured I could just teach myself in camp at night." He handed it over.
"Oh yeah?" I said, noncommittally. I tuned it quickly...and launched into Cajun Fiddlin' On the Bayou.
And I watched them as their jaws went slack and their eyeballs popped out of their sockets.
Their heads swiveled in unison from me, to each other, and back to me as I finished the tune. In unison, they said, "Play more."
My spell had worked.
Naturally, Wizard's Walk had to come next.
Afterwards, I gave them a five minute lesson on how to hold the bow so that their sound wouldn't be so scratchy and they could get a better tone. I never found out what happened to them after that, but I hope they had a successful adventure - and maybe even kept playing.
What's a quick tip you can give students?
I think Heifetz said it best: "If you have four hours a day to practice, spend one hour on scales. If you only have one hour to practice, spend one hour on scales." I'm going to modify that slightly for students who are just starting out on their musical journey: "If you have 30 minutes to practice, spend 10 minutes on scales. If you have only 10 minutes to practice, spend 10 minutes on scales."
Learn more about our Violin and Viola teacher Chris Brainard in her Teacher Page.
I started playing violin in 3rd grade, in an in-school lesson program where we took an 8 week introductory class, with an option to extend another 8 weeks. Before I turned 9, I was hooked! I came home one day in January and announced that I wanted to be a violinist when I grew up, so I started taking private lessons with the teacher who had gotten me started, Laurie Kennedy (recently retired, but the longtime principal violist of the Portland Symphony Orchestra). In high school, I decided I also wanted to learn viola, and have been playing both ever since.
When did you first begin teaching music?
I was a junior in high school when I first took on private students. I had a few beginning violin players, and I had one freshman who was in the high school orchestra with me - she'd only had group lessons in school, so I was like a mentor/practice buddy for her, and we played through our orchestra music together.
What do you like most about teaching?
The best thing is seeing students progress! At the first lesson, a brand new string player may not be able to play much of anything...but by the end of the lesson, or the end of the month, or the end of the year, they've put in time and effort and have learned lots of new skills. They've also learned how to overcome challenges, and worked through figuring things out for themselves - and those are lifelong skills that can be applied to all kinds of situations!
What music do you like to listen to?
I like listening to movie/TV soundtracks - favorite composers include Bear McCreary, James Horner, Hans Zimmerman, Carter Burwell, and of course, John Williams. I love watching a movie, and then going back and listening to the score without the visual, to see how the composer captured in the music what was happening on-screen.
I also listen to a lot of Broadway cast recordings, since I play in a lot of pit orchestras. It really helps to hear how the different instrumental/vocal parts interact before the first rehearsal. Sometimes there are rhythms that look terribly tricky on the page, but when you hear how it goes, it makes a lot more sense! I also do my best to listen to the music I'm playing in orchestras, at least while I'm driving. It's more helpful if I can sit down with my part in front of me while listening, but that doesn't ALWAYS happen.
Other groups/singers I listen to regularly: Nickel Creek, Lunasa, Evanescence, Breaking Benjamin, Rockapella, Loreena McKennitt, Josh Groban, Ella Roberts....there are lots of others, but we'd be here for days!
How often did you practice when you were a kid and how have your practicing habits changed since you became a professional?
When I was in elementary and middle school, my practicing was VERY inconsistent! Some weeks I'd practice every day, and sometimes, I might only get in one or two practice sessions between lessons. By high school, I got a little more serious and usually practiced for about 45 minutes to an hour every day - it would be the first thing I did when I got home from school, before I started my homework. During my senior year, my schedule went through a major overhaul. Fun fact: I grew up on a farm and part of my chores were to milk the goats twice a day. In order to make that happen, I started practicing before school, so I was waking up between 4:30 and 5 am. Going to college was a RELIEF! But that brought much longer practice sessions. String players were encouraged to practice 4 hours a day. Looking back, I wish I'd been taught to practice more efficiently and with better structure, rather than being a clock-watcher.
As an adult, sometimes I have better practice routines than other times. Setting aside an hour a day can be really tricky! It helps to put it into my calendar as a scheduled event. It also helps to pre-plan what I want to accomplish in a particular session. For example, I warm up with scales and an etude for 10-15 minutes. Then, if I know I have a show that I'll be playing in, rather than starting at the beginning and going through to the end, I'll start at the end of the show, with bows and exit music, and then look at the beginning of Act 2, and then the overture (if there is one) - that's usually where you can find some of the more challenging music. That might take 20 minutes. Then, I might give 10 minutes to working out a passage in orchestra music for my weekly rehearsal. Next, I might give myself 20 minutes to work on some passages in solo music. Finally, I like to spend the last few minutes playing through something, whether it's music I've been working on in the practice session or some fiddle music.
I recently decided to take some private lessons myself, for the first time in a very long while! I'm really glad I chose to do this, because - even though I'm a professional - I still have lots to learn and I appreciate having someone to give me a little guidance as I continue my own musical journey!
When you’re not teaching, what do you like to do?
I love long-distance human-powered adventures! Shortly after college, I was a part of a team that paddled the Connecticut River in canoes from the Canadian border to Northampton, MA in three days (even paddling at night)! I've ridden my bicycle from Seattle to Washington DC and back to Boston. In 2009, I hiked from Georgia to Maine on the Appalachian Trail, and between 2011-2013, I walked from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail (only during the spring/summer!)...and so far, I've hiked about 1300 miles on the Continental Divide Trail which goes through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. Hopefully I'll be able to finish that some day! I also hike and backpack a lot in the White Mountains.
What's one of your favorite musical memories?
2013. Early August. I was coming down to Rainy Pass, on the Pacific Crest Trail. I could hear a sound that sounded vaguely familiar, but also...sounded very untrained. I turned a corner, and saw that it was true...two guys were propped up against a rock, a fiddle in their hands.
In the 30 seconds it took me to walk down the remainder of the trail, I concocted a plan...the hardest part would be maintaining a straight face.
"Hey guys," I said. "What are you up to?" I nodded toward their laden bikes.
"We're riding across Washington," one of them said. "You look like you're hiking."
"Yup." There was a little more banter - necessary for my plan to work. Just a few more minutes...gain their trust, wait for it...and then, a deliberate mixture of shyness and childlike curiosity...."So, umm, do you think I could try your violin?"
They laughed, shrugging their shoulders. The one holding it said, "Yeah, sure...I mean, I picked it up two weeks ago and figured I could just teach myself in camp at night." He handed it over.
"Oh yeah?" I said, noncommittally. I tuned it quickly...and launched into Cajun Fiddlin' On the Bayou.
And I watched them as their jaws went slack and their eyeballs popped out of their sockets.
Their heads swiveled in unison from me, to each other, and back to me as I finished the tune. In unison, they said, "Play more."
My spell had worked.
Naturally, Wizard's Walk had to come next.
Afterwards, I gave them a five minute lesson on how to hold the bow so that their sound wouldn't be so scratchy and they could get a better tone. I never found out what happened to them after that, but I hope they had a successful adventure - and maybe even kept playing.
What's a quick tip you can give students?
I think Heifetz said it best: "If you have four hours a day to practice, spend one hour on scales. If you only have one hour to practice, spend one hour on scales." I'm going to modify that slightly for students who are just starting out on their musical journey: "If you have 30 minutes to practice, spend 10 minutes on scales. If you have only 10 minutes to practice, spend 10 minutes on scales."
Learn more about our Violin and Viola teacher Chris Brainard in her Teacher Page.
