Photo Essay by Sydney Garrison

Vanessa Brown is an extremely dedicated violinist. This photo shows the start of Brown’s practice each day, when she retrieves her violin from the instrument room at school. In total, she practices two or more hours a day; starting with Orchestra class in the morning. Brown is 16, a sophomore at Greenwood, and has been playing the violin for six years. She says, “Anything can be accomplished if you work hard and stay determined.” Her hard work has definitely paid off, making her Concert Master of the Greenwood orchestra.

This photo shows Brown studying a new piece of music. She spends a great amount of her time playing her violin and reading music. In addition to school orchestra, Brown also takes private lessons in the WKU pre college strings program. She performed in the Kentucky All-State Orchestra earlier this year, which is a very advanced and competitive program. Reading music comes naturally to her; when asked if it was difficult, she said, “Reading music is like reading a book.” Brown can easily speak the language of music.

Vanessa Brown is currently working on St Paul’s Suite by Gustaf Holst. She has marked in bowings, accidentals, articulations, and rhythms as reminders. She obviously enjoys playing her violin, but one of her favorite aspects is the music. Brown prefers playing classical music, because she’s noticed that it often makes sense, in terms of structure and rhythm. Her all time favorite piece is Jupiter, a beautiful composition by Gustaf Holst. Vanessa loves her music, which is just another reason she is such a great violinist.

Vanessa Brown is a very accomplished violinist, and spends time before class focusing on the details of playing the violin; like shown in this photo. In her words, “There are certain benchmarks that a violinist can look forward to.” These points include removing finger tapes, tuning your instrument yourself, mastering vibrato, and shifting. By achieving the goals, Brown has established herself as an advanced violinist, and has even had the rare opportunity to play with the WKU symphony. She has dedicated herself to this art, and is showing the results in her beautiful music.

Brown is a leader in the Greenwood orchestra. She explains, “I love this orchestra, because many of us have been playing together for so long that we’re familiar with each other’s styles and methods.” She admits that she enjoys playing in a small group, because you get the focus that is absent in a large orchestra, but there isn’t all the pressure that’s present in a solo performance. Brown is a part of the family bond that is present in the Greenwood orchestra, although her talent definitely makes her stand out.

Playing the violin takes a lot of thought and concentration, like what is shown here. Brown explains, “Being a violinist involves a lot of multitasking; there’s so much to think about!” She is talking about the fact that during a performance, Brown is constantly thinking about posture, her facial expression, bowings, fingerings, and sometimes even playing the music from memory. She said that after a while, everything comes naturally and without a thought. Brown believes that to get to that point, all you need is practice.

Stand partners are a big part of playing in an orchestra. Vanessa has been sitting with Jennifer King all year. Actually, the two go back much further. They started playing the violin together in fourth grade, and have been improving together ever since. Stand partners are responsible for each other; they help and look out for one another. The higher chair, and in this case Brown, sets the example. She establishes bowing, dynamics, and articulation. This relationship benefits both, and is a very important aspect of Brown’s orchestra experience.

This photo illustrates the details that are imperative to Vanessa as a violinist. She is now working hard to refine her skills such as tone, phrasing, and posture. She works hard at perfecting her technique, and sees a future in teaching and performing for herself. Brown plans on participating in the All-State orchestra again next year, and hopes to be accepted into the Governor’s School for the Arts one summer. She says, “These fine skills are the ones that really take a violinist to the next level, and define them as an artist.” Vanessa has the determination needed to reach her goals.

This photo shows Vanessa’s much appreciated one-on-one time with her teacher, Ms. Bush. At this point, Vanessa was getting help with her solos. She likes practicing with her teacher by herself, because she accomplishes more and can focus specifically on her part. Vanessa doesn’t get this opportunity often, and usually works through her music independently outside of class. This year is her first as Concert Master, and the first time she’s gotten to play a solo in the orchestra. Vanessa takes these responsibilities seriously, and represents her orchestra well.

At the end of rehearsal, Vanessa Brown packs up her instrument with great care. “My violin is like a third arm. It just feels totally natural when I bring it up to play.”, she says. Brown makes sure to change the strings every six months, rosin the bow, and keep it out of shifting weather. She really loves her instrument, and loves playing it even more. It is such a huge part of her life, and her work really does pay off. I have the pleasure of playing in the orchestra with her, and she surprises me everyday. Vanessa Brown is an extremely talented violinist, and doesn’t go a day without earning it with her dedication and hard work.