BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Let’s be honest. All your 12-year-old music student really wants to play is the theme to their favourite movie. (And that movie will probably be Harry Potter.)
Theme tunes can offer a fun gateway into instrumental practice. With a familiar melody and adventurous plot, you have a winning combination to fuel those budding musicians.
It’s another challenge entirely to have your student feeling equally excited about practising Italian Baroque. And to Alexandra Louise Harris, it’s challenge accepted.
The Australian violinist and music tutor has just written her debut fantasy book Violetta and the Venetian Violin. With a time-slip narrative, a sheet music book of Vivaldi arrangements, and an accompanying playlist, it’s an immersive experience for those emerging string players. (A worthy rival to those Harry Potter themes, too.)
Alexandra talks with CutCommon about how she created this play-along book about a 12-year-old girl who time travels from Sydney 2017 to Venice 1717, meets Vivaldi, and must find her violin before sunrise to make it home.
Alexandra, tell us how you first came to the idea of producing a book for young musicians.
Violetta and the Venetian Violin has been a very fun project, although it has taken a while!
My students initially inspired the idea, perhaps eight years ago. Like many instrumental teachers, I am often looking for ways to inspire them to practice.
Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, and similar themes were popular string ensemble requests. So I wondered: What if there was a way to draw them into the classical music world through an adventure story?
So you wanted to make classical music as exciting as some of those famous film scores they know and love. From there, which pieces of music inspired you to create your book, and how do you work them into the narrative?
One of the first composers I fell in love with was Antonio Vivaldi. I was dying to play Summer from The Four Seasons, long before I had the ability. Even now, it seems exceedingly difficult! I soon discovered, however, that my students loved Vivaldi’s music too. Therefore, the Violetta album has 16 tracks, nine of which are Vivaldi inspired.
Although these are very abridged and slightly reimagined, they form a part of the narrative: when 12-year-old Violetta unexpectedly time travels to 1700s Venice, she learns that in order to make it back home, she must follow the music.
As a music tutor, how did you enter and explore the world of writing for children?
Not having a clue how to write a children’s book, I wrote many, many versions. It was even a murder mystery at one point! Then I took some courses through the Australian Writers’ Centre. These helped tremendously.
Only once I’d completed the manuscript, I realised there was something missing. The words were only half of the story— it required recorded music.
Wow, a murder mystery! First up, what is the plot and ‘genre’ now your book has reached its final form?
Murder mystery is my other passion, so I think it snuck its way in. However, the genre of Violetta and the Venetian Violin is now a time-slip fantasy for middle-grade readers aged 10-14.
The story begins in Sydney in 2017, and [then] the inciting incident occurs — deliberately vague-sounding in order to make it exciting. Then, Violetta finds herself in Venice, in 1717. Although the world is slightly fantastical, there are several historical details sprinkled throughout the story.
Violetta has quite an adventure ahead of her, all exacerbated by a diminishing sunrise deadline.
Your book project includes recorded music, too. How does this work?
The idea to include recorded music occurred whilst running a Zoom Pop Ensemble for my students during lockdown, complete with costumes and hats.
After many moments of musing, Venetian-style masks and images seemed to provide a practical solution. Readers of the paperback and hardcover could download the free album, and press play on their device as they read. In the ebook, these masks are interactive and link to the YouTube playlist, also on iTunes and Spotify. There are 16 [masks] to find, so it’s a bit like musical orienteering.
The sheet music book includes arrangements of the Vivaldi tracks for four violins, with parts suitable for preliminary to grade-one violinists. When I thought back to the students in my string ensemble, this format seemed especially essential.
Have you done a ‘big reveal’ and shown your students? How did they enjoy your book so far?
Most excitingly, I shared the first glimpses of the books to my students over the weekend. They were keen to play every piece in the sheet music book, and their families have been so supportive. One parent emailed, saying her daughter has been playing her part for our Zoom launch every day! After finding it difficult to practice all year, it was wonderful to hear.
As I was commenting to a friend the other day, if the story helps one child love Vivaldi’s music, that makes me very happy.
Why do you think this combination of music and illustration has been so successful in inspiring these kids to practice?
I have spent many years teaching beginner violinists with the Fiddle Time series. I love these books, not only for the accessibility, but for the play-along tracks. These books also feature illustrations that often I don’t notice — however, my students invariably do. I am constantly surprised about what they imagine in the music.
I wonder if the arbitrary concepts of tempo, dynamics, phrasing, and expression, are perhaps more easily expressed through imagery.
To music students or teachers looking to incorporate this book into their practice, how might they get started?
Learning an instrument like the violin can be an adventure of highs and lows. Luckily, as musicians, we also know how to tell stories, and Violetta and the Venetian Violin is just one of those. However, for reluctant practisers, I’ve found creative alternatives can be the answer. By reading the book, I hope it stimulates their imaginations; and by listening to the music, I hope they will feel inspired to play it.
I believe music is important for many reasons. My violin, Ferdinand Maggini, has definitely helped me through some of the tough times, but perseverance — and a bit of thinking outside the box — can also build resilience. After all, music can take us to remarkable places. Who knows — maybe we can even time travel?
Violetta and the Venetian Violin is available as a paperback and hardback from online retailers, or upon request at your local library and some bookstores. The ebooks and sheet music books are purchasable on Amazon. The album is on YouTube, iTunes and Spotify. To find out more about these educational resources, visit Alexandra Louise Harris’ website.
This project is supported by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.
Images supplied.
