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SHAR Apprentices - Class of 2012
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SHAR APPRENTICES - CLASS OF 2009

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PHOEBE GELZER-GOVATOS, VIOLINIST

Phoebe Gelzer-Govatos’s first violin was actually a box of crackers with a ruler taped on as a fingerboard.  After becoming proficient in Suzuki cracker-box, she graduated to a real violin at the age of 5.  With lots of encouragement from her parents, her initial fascination with the violin grew into a deep love, and she began studying at the Flint Institute of Music in Flint, Michigan, under a variety of wonderful teachers.  It was at the FIM that Phoebe first encountered chamber music, which has since become her passion.  She and her brother Asher, a cellist, started playing duos for fun, with their efforts culminating in learning and performing the Handel-Halvorsen Passacaglia.  During high school in Florida, she studied with Igor Markstein and played in her first string quartet, to which she admits giving the unfortunate name of “Strings Attached.”

In 2006, Phoebe received her Bachelor of Music in violin performance from Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, where she studied with Routa Kroumovitch, a former pupil of the great violinist David Oistrakh.  While at Stetson, she was concertmaster of the symphony and chamber orchestras, and played in the Barron String Quartet.  She also had the opportunity to play with the Orlando Philharmonic and Brevard Symphony orchestras as a substitute.  Upon graduating from Stetson, Phoebe went on to Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, to study with Alvaro Gomez, another of Oistrakh’s former students.  She received a Master of Music in violin performance in May of 2008.

In her never-quite-sufficient free time, Phoebe enjoys playing chamber music with friends, reading good books, experimenting in the kitchen, studying other languages, and being outdoors (especially exploring all the great parks in Ann Arbor).  She misses the beaches of Florida and the mountains of Tennessee, and wishes she could travel more often.  If Phoebe ever wins the lottery, she will spend the bulk of her winnings on traveling the world; the first trip will be to her birthplace, Australia.

In Phoebe’s opinion, the greatest thing about working at SHAR so far is the opportunity to try products firsthand, both for personal enrichment, and to be able to better help customers with questions about those products.  She looks forward to trying gut strings, which have, up to this point, been prohibited by her budget!

Gelzer-Govatos

Phoebe's Thoughts on Shoulder Rests:

Playing the violin should not be a painful experience!  A good shoulder rest should enable the player to place the instrument on her shoulder and simply turn her head until her jaw meets the chinrest.  Of course, the shoulder rest that does this job may vary from person to person, depending on the length of the player’s neck and the positioning of her shoulders.  Though I currently use a Wolf Forte Secondo, I spent many years playing on the Kun rest as well, and for me, the primary difference has been that the Wolf enables me to hold the violin in the correct position and at the correct angle with less effort.  I give this recommendation to anyone looking for a new or first shoulder rest: try several different styles and see for yourself which does this for you.


Phoebe's Thoughts on DVDs and Books:

One of my favorite things in the Shar catalog is a DVD called The Art of Violin, a documentary about the instrument that includes heaps of performance footage from some of the greatest violinists of the 20th century, including Isaac Stern, Yehudi Menuhin, Nathan Milstein, David Oistrakh, and many others, with commentary from present virtuosi like Hilary Hahn and Itzhak Perlman.  Honestly, I would watch this DVD just for the performance footage (some of which is quite rare, such as some very early film of Fritz Kreisler)—it’s fantastic!  As a performer, I feel it is vital to understand the history of my instrument—not to mention thoroughly enjoyable.

Another must-have for your DVD collection is the Jascha Heifetz Masterclass Series, available in eight volumes.  This footage from Heifetz’s time at the University of Southern California is both illuminating and inspiring.  After having heard many recordings and having seen amazing performance footage (including some on The Art of Violin), seeing him interact with students let me experience a completely different side of this master violinist.  Not only is it great to watch him teach, his students’ performances are really good.  Two highlights, in my opinion: watching Heifetz and his student Eric Friedman play the Bach Double Violin Concerto; and Heifetz’s very amusing portrayal of an auditioning student, in which he tries very hard to play badly. And fails. Highly recommended viewing!
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Haraburda

ALISON HARABURDA, CELLIST

Ali grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she attended East Kentwood High School. She recently graduated from Western Michigan University receiving a Bachelor of Music degree in cello performance. She has been playing cello for 12 years and has had the opportunity to become well versed in many styles of music. Ali has performed with the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra, the Western Michigan University Symphony Orchestra, The Grand Rapids Classical Orchestra, and The Grand Rapids Youth Symphony Orchestra where she served as principle cellist her final year. Ali has had the opportunity to perform with Hip Hop icon Kanye West at the Aspen Jazz Music Festival, and in company with the Battle Creek Symphony for actress/vocalist Vanessa Williams. She has also had the pleasure of performing for Irish fiddling legend, Mark O’Connor.

Ali is the co-founder of the group String Cheese, a duo that performs primarily modern Celtic music, and spends much time working with local school’s music programs in efforts to introduce alternative styles to young string players. She also co-founded Daughters of Newgrass, a trio that creates a fusion of the Bluegrass, Celtic, and Folk genres. Both groups perform regularly throughout Michigan.  Along side of these two groups she is also the cellist in the rock band, Craic Wisely.

While she does a great deal of performing, teaching music has always been a major aspect of her musical career. She has worked as a private lessons instructor for 3 years, and served as an A.S.T.A.(American String Teacher’s Association) Elementary String Camp counselor for 9 years. After participating in Western Michigan University’s Music Seminar as a camper for two years, Ali decided to return to Music Seminar as a counselor where she worked for 3 years.

In addition to working as a Shar Apprentice, Ali will continue to perform and push alternative styles of music all over Michigan.  She is looking forward to experiencing the music business world, and is very excited to work with such a strong team of musicians.

Ali's Thoughts on Alternative Styles and Electric Instruments:

Over the last couple of years I have branched out in the string world and started to get more involved in alternative styles of music.  It was by far one of the best decisions I have ever made, because it wasn’t until then that I realized that string players can truly play ANYTHING!  I have taken a particular liking to the Irish, Scottish, and Americana genres of music- fiddling has become a gateway for me.  Although I love performing and studying classical music, I found that I was able to express myself much better and more deeply by playing alternative styles.  Strings in particular are great in that they have a place in just about every genre of music. Everybody can find their own style!  As I began learning different styles of playing through different genres, I also began exploring the idea of performing on electric instruments.  I had purchased a Yamaha Compact Silent Cello (YC3) several years prior and had actually played it very little.  It wasn’t until I began using it in the Celtic groups I perform with that I instantly fell in love with the instrument!  The electric line of instruments provided by Yamaha has met every need of mine and I have had no problems with the instrument itself.  I have been playing on it regularly for two years now, gigging almost every weekend and it still sounds as great as the day I purchased it.  The other members of the groups also started playing on electric instruments: Shar’s own electric violins.  The sound quality was excellent! Not to mention, they look really cool!  The electric line of instruments is a great and extremely fun way to explore how many opportunities come with being a string player.  It is important for string players to know what is available to them.  I would highly suggest any one any of the electric instruments provided by Shar. They’re affordable, offer great sound quality, and are extremely fun to play! No matter what genre of music you play, let us help you explore just how much fun being a string player can really be.
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MARK JOHNSON, VIOLIST

Mark began playing the Viola in the fourth grade following in the footsteps of his siblings who played violin and cello. He immediately found a joy for playing and has not looked back. He joined several youth symphonies in the greater Cincinnati area; including Cincinnati Junior Strings and the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra. He also joined the marching band at his high school where he marched mellophone and played French horn in the school band.

After graduating high school he attended the University of Tennessee where he studied Viola with Sheila Browne and studied conducting with James Fellenbaum. Mark transferred to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts where he graduated with a degree in Viola performance in May 2007.  During the summers, Mark was active with festivals and other musical activities. Mark has been a part of the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival in Burlington, Vermont and the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina. He has also been involved in summer musicals in Fairfield, Ohio as an assistant conductor. He has worked with many fine Violists and groups, including the Miro quartet, Susan Dubois, Carol Rodland, Matthew Daline, Amadi Hummings, and Joseph Genualdi. 

Mark enjoys working with musicians on a daily basis and hopes to continue teaching and playing in addition to working at Shar. In his free time, he enjoys playing chamber music, cooking, reading, sports, (playing and watching) and movies. He loves to travel and has visited many places inside the US as well as abroad. His most memorable travel experiences have come through orchestral tours to New York, Chicago and Australia, where he performed in the famed Sydney Opera House.

Johnson


Mark's Thoughts on Strings:

Violists tend to have issues that violinist and cellist won’t have, because we don’t have a perfectly proportioned instrument, we have to work harder to make a good clear sound that is deep but also projects. A good way to help yourself is to have strings that match your playing style and your instrument well. I like to play chamber music so I tend to play with a darker tone that blends well but can also project well, so I gravitate towards the Vision viola strings. They are very easy to play and hold a darker sound then most of the other strings I have tried. I also find the when I get to the upper registers it still holds a warmer sound that can still be heard. While the quality of sound on the visions is very good, it is not as powerful as other strings out there. I would recommend these strings to intermediate to advanced players who are working more on refining their technique to blend with other instruments.

When beginning on viola, choosing strings can be a frustrating and expensive experience. The only way to find strings you like is try them out. A good starting point is the Prelude brand strings by D’addario. I found these strings to be very helpful when I was learning to play. They are very easy to play on and have a clear solid sound. They have a long life and because they are steel, they are not affected by humidity or temperature changes, which mean less tuning for the young musician. These strings are steel core strings and are fairly inexpensive. These strings will fit a range of viola sizes, from 12” all the way up to 16.5” violas.


Mark's Thoughts on Literature:

The Guarneri quartet is a major icon of the string world since the inception of the group in 1964. The imminent retirement of the group has prompted me to read Indivisible by Four: A String Quartet in Pursuit of Harmony. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has played chamber music or wants insight into how to play chamber music. It is a poignant look into the past of this group as they travel back in their career and talk about how they founded the quartet at Marlboro Music Festival, how they rehearsed and how they have become a group that many people many people consider to be the greatest quartet to ever play.
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Offret

ASHLEY OFFRET, VIOLINIST

Ashley Offret has joined the team at Shar Music as a member of the 2008-2009 Apprentice Class from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati after completing course work towards a Master's Degree in Music History. An experienced performer, teacher and clinician, Ashley has presented concerts and solo recitals in Maine, Colorado and Ohio. She was also selected to perform at the Opera Theater and Music Festival in Lucca, Italy where she was a member of the orchestra, performed chamber music and was a featured soloist on J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, BWV 1047. As a private teacher, Ashley has over 10 years of experience instructing students ages 3 to 73 on violin, viola, and piano and truly loves sharing and spreading her passion for music with her students.  She also enjoys performing early music, and recently began to learn the viola da gamba.

Ashley began her studies in music when she was 4 years old on the piano.  In middle school she briefly experimented with the clarinet but ultimately decided that the violin was going to be her instrument of choice for the rest of her life. One of her main goals at Shar is to be able to meet more musicians and to help them expand their knowledge of music so they can enjoy it to the fullest.

Ashley recently moved to the Ann Arbor area with her family: her husband, who also recently completed his Master’s degree in Cincinnati in trumpet, and her little dog Bella, who remarkably sleeps soundly while Ashley practices.

Ashley's Thoughts on Metronomes:

Metronomes are an important tool that every musician should utilize in their daily practice routine.  Fortunately and unfortunately, there are many options to choose from when shopping for a metronome, but there are a few things the student can consider when trying to pick the right one.  A young player needs a simple, durable metronome and may get frustrated with all the extra buttons, so I recommend the Seiko Quartz Metronome.  It has one dial and will last a long time.  For the advancing student, some metronomes come equipped with tuners, which is a nice option for someone who is working to perfect their sense of pitch on their instrument.  I recommend the Sabine 3-in-1 for this type of player, as I had one for many years and it was very useful.  The metronome I use now is a Dr. Beat, DB 60, as it includes lots of helpful features for subdividing the beat, and has a tap tempo option which is my favorite feature.
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ALEXANDRA OSTROFF, VIOLINIST

Alexandra Ostroff is a recent graduate of the University of Louisville where she received her Master of Music in Violin Performance.  As a student at the University of Louisville, Alexandra was a graduate teaching assistant as orchestra librarian and violist in the Graduate String Quartet.  In her second year she was given the privilege of leading the second violin section in the university’s orchestra.

Alexandra received her Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, OH.  As a student at Baldwin Wallace, she was an active chamber musician, a member of the Baldwin Wallace Symphony Orchestra, and was selected to be a member of the school’s Bach Festival Orchestra. 

Alexandra has studied the violin with teachers J. Patrick Rafferty, Julian Ross, Wei-Shu Wang Co, Thomas Halpin, and Steven Thomas.  She has attended Julian Ross’s Technique Week, in Berea, Ohio, Brevard Summer Music Center, in Brevard, North Carolina, and Mimi Zweig’s Retreat for Professional Violinists and Violists, in Bloomington, Indiana.

As a violinist, Alexandra’s favorite thing to do is play chamber music, especially violin-piano sonatas and string quartets.  She also strives to be a well-rounded musician, by being an active performer and teacher.  She hopes to repay the art of music by contributing all she has to offer to the field.

Alexandra is a native of Williamsville, NY.  When Alexandra is not doing something violin related it is highly likely you will find her curled up on the couch with her cat, a good book, and a hot cup of tea.

Ostroff

Alexandra's Thoughts on Chamber Music:

One of the joys of playing the violin is the great amount of repertoire the instrument has been written for it.  Violinists have the opportunity to collaborate with a great many groups of instruments.  I find that chamber music is the form of music that enhances my musicianship the greatest.  In a small setting, my weaknesses and strengths are exposed and I am given the chance to use my strengths and improve upon my weaknesses.

Not only does chamber music make us better musicians, it also makes for a great time.  Have a chamber music party, go to your school’s library and check out a bunch of music, have everyone bring something to eat or drink, and play chamber music all night!  There is nothing more fun than getting a group of friends together and reading a bunch of different chamber pieces.  This is why chamber music was originally composed.

Here is some great chamber music including the violin:
Sonata, Op. 56 for Two Violins by Prokofiev; Passacaglia for Violin and Viola or Viola and Cello by Handel-Halvorsen; Eight Duets, Op. 39 for Violin and Cello by Gliere; Duo, Op. 7 for Violin and Cello by Kodaly; Sonata for Violin and Cello by Ravel; String Trios for Violin, Viola, and Cello by Beethoven; Serenade in C Major, Op. 10 for Violin, Viola, and Cello by Dohnanyi; String Quartets by Barber, Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, Ives, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Prokofiev, Ravel, Schubert, Schumann, and Shostakovich; Quintet in E-Flat Major, Op. 97 for Viola Quintet by Dvorak; Quintet in C Major, Op. 163, D. 956 for Cello Quintet by Schubert; The Mendelssohn Octet in E-Flat Major, Op. 20.


Alexandra's Thoughts on Violin Set-Up:

Playing the violin is one of the most awkward positions a person could place themselves in for an extended period of time.  I know I cannot think of another situation where I have had to be in this position in daily life.  Because playing the violin is so unnatural, it is important to try to make playing the violin as comfortable as possible.

In order to find the right set up for yourself you cannot be afraid to try out as many possible combinations of chin and shoulder rests.  This can be a long and frustrating process.  Experiment with different heights of your shoulder rest’s legs or add extra cushioning to one or both sides to accommodate for your body’s shape.  Remember that everyone is built differently, just because a particular chin and shoulder rest combination works for one person does not mean that it will work for you.  A good set-up will allow a violinist to have their head as close to straight as possible with the least amount of tension in the neck and left hand.

A violinist with a short neck might try a sponge, Playonair, or Maestro.  For a chinrest, try the Kaufman.  The Kun is a good shoulder rest for an average sized neck.  The Guarneri or Strad might be a good chinrest for the average sized neck.  Long necked violinists might try the Wolf Forte Primo and Secondo shoulder rest and the Vermeer chinrest.  The Comford gives some height, but is not very adjustable.  For violinists with narrow shoulders, the Mach One or Bon Musica might be a good match.  The Flesch chinrest might be a fit for a person with short arms.

I personally have a neck on the shorter side of long and long arms.  For my set-up, I use a Vermeer chinrest, which I had the hump shaved down and a Wolf Forte Secondo shoulder rest.  Occasionally, I will experiment with different heights on my shoulder rest or add some sponges to accommodate my body’s shape.
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