Ray Chen talks to Olaf

Рет қаралды 23,097

Күн бұрын

Master Violinmaker and restorer Olaf has a violinshop conversation with Ray Chen...
We chat about how it all started, supporting players through the Tonic app, balancing life as a soloist...
How does Ray prepare a piece?
And we talk about his beautiful Stradivarius violin and how it is working for him.
Want to stay motivated and have fun while you practice? 🎉 Join the Tonic community today: tonicmusic.app/practice-now
Be fully informed when you buy your next instrument. Get Olaf's free 7 essentials when buying an instrument report here: olafgrawertviolinstudio.com/7...
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:26 Why did you start playing the violin?
03:44 Were you motivated to practice?
05:05 What is 'Tonic'?
07:01 When did you consider becoming a soloist?
09:20 How did the way you practice change?
11:36 What do you love about performing?
13:25 How do you prepare a piece?
16:10 How do you balance life?
24:20 How is your relationship with your violin?
30:39 What is important to you in a violin set up?
36:03 How does 'Tonic' support players?
36:45 What advice would you give to learners?
38:50 Conclusion
Website:
www.olafgrawertviolinstudio.com
Social:
/ olafgrawertviolinstudio
/ olafgrawertviolinstudi...

Пікірлер: 95

@wakingtheworld Жыл бұрын

When you 'like' before the video starts! Edit: Did NOT disappoint. What an lovely, fun, friendly, inspiring interview. 36:58 Was NOT expecting this advice, Ray. Yet, it gets overlooked, as you say! "SPEND A LOT OF TIME INVESTING IN YOURSELF" I could add that your violin will respond accordingly. 😊 Thanks, Olaf, for this. Little did I know, 3 years ago, that a violin would change my life... Forever grateful... and one day my BAE and I will make beautiful music.

@sarabaldeschwieler7763 Жыл бұрын

Ray is so generous with his time and insights. Thanks Olaf for letting us know him a bit more.

@gabir.b.5077 Жыл бұрын

Funny how Ray's Aussie accent keeps on getting stronger as the conversation goes on 😊 Olaf thank you for this thougthful interview!

@stevefranklin9176 8 ай бұрын

Yeah I noticed this too, was refreshing and nostalgic as I’m in Germany now.

@huitrecouture 3 ай бұрын

Will you people EVER stop with the accent comments.

@laralovesviolins6510 Жыл бұрын

So lovely to hear the Tchaikovsky concerto snippets, I wish you had played the whole thing in Olaf's shop, Ray! 🤩But so instructive to hear you fellows talk about violins. 🥰 Such a treat to see Heifetz' Dolphin Stradivarius, too! 😊

@AskOlaftheViolinmaker Жыл бұрын

Yes I was quietly thinking... Keep playing... Don't stop 🥰

@ssb73q Жыл бұрын

Hi Olaf, great interview of Ray Chen, thanks for sharing. It was a special pleasure seeing that original Strad.

@germangabrielreyesferrufin2629 Жыл бұрын

Man I've stopped watching Olaf's videos a year ago and i definitely don't know why. He's such a good man and makes such genuine and good vids :)

@eddavidson3051 Жыл бұрын

I would LOVE to see Ray’s hat collection! I’ve done something similar by creating little rugs in different styles. Stand on the Mozart rug, and absorb the Mozart style, mannerisms, etc. it’s kind of like the floor under the rug is the basic skill set to play anything. Then the rugs contain whatever knowledge is needed to customize the pieces. I’ve found it helpful.

@Love-Is-Kind 11 ай бұрын

Thank you both, Olaf & Ray, for sharing your valuable time, knowledge, wisdom, and experiences with your viewers. So cool! 😎😎 Sending hugs of hope, encouragement, and strength! 🫂💕💯😇 Take care. 🤗🤗

@elfin1218 11 ай бұрын

Ray is so very personable and it does come across when he is playing. As is so often said it's not just can you play the notes but can you play with intention and convey emotion. Thanks Olaf for this very informative talk with Ray.

@ellisc.foleyjr9778 Жыл бұрын

Great Video Olaf, and Ray thanks so much for letting even a layman/listener of 80yrs. share in your insight to many aspects of your craft//artistry. I often wondered how many Violin makers take into consideration the difference in the size of the hands going on an instrument. and what if any modifications they make is it per customer or are there just plans old standards and they have to live with them? I cn see custom fitting an instrument to the individual's physical make-up. makes sense to me. but then again I"m only a neophytein the game. thanks for sharing. ECF

@wakingtheworld Жыл бұрын

And as I've learnt watching Olaf's vids, a bridge can be cut to accommodate 'fatter' or 'thin' fingers by bringing the strings closer together or further apart. Adjustments have to be made at the 'nut' end as well. Olaf is my violin education. Be many a year (decade?) before I need to rehair every few weeks though!!

@LC-th1hy Жыл бұрын

Ray Chen is one of my favorite artists I would listen to almost emulate for playing. It was such a delightful interview hearing feedback from both of you! ^o^ Hope you keep going for playing Ray! Thank you for being an inspiration for players!

@ynot5478 Жыл бұрын

Great questions! Thank you for sharing this interview. The ease you have with each other is heartwarming.

@hesterchou 2 ай бұрын

Hi Mr. Olaf, thank you for this great interview. As a non-musician, it is very inspirational to learn the outstanding musicians’ practicing lifestyles. More you enjoy, more you practice. A good cycle in the life.

@georgebulyga6717 3 ай бұрын

Lovely to hear Ray talk with an Australian accent !

@williamkauffman5745 Жыл бұрын

Ray is so cheerful, he seems unreal...a great violinist though

@TinyDream88 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for amazing interview. Very nice to watch!

@katyb2793 Жыл бұрын

RAYYYYYYYY!!!!!! 😍😍😍😍

@wuguay5526 Жыл бұрын

“Leveling each time!” Love Ray!

@fritz8498 Жыл бұрын

Drinking game: drink every time Olaf says "yeah"

@salossi Ай бұрын

Hahaha

@amandas.6500 Жыл бұрын

Great content!

@milanchristi7939 Жыл бұрын

Excellent conversation ! Thanks for sharing!!

@gailrivas762 Жыл бұрын

Love your content. Love the very talented celebrities you talk with.

@procrastipractice Жыл бұрын

What a wholesome interview! Thank you❤

@wakingtheworld Жыл бұрын

THAT sums it up!

@hendrikzuhlke4078 Жыл бұрын

Hallo Olaf, herzliche Grüße aus Deutschland. Ich verfolge deinen Kanal schon eine ganze Weile und es ist jedes mal erfrischend, wenn du ein paar Worte auf deutsch sprichst. :-) Vielleicht ist es für dich auch erfrischend, mal einen Kommentar auf deutsch zu lesen. ;-) Ich habe im letzten Jahr damit begonnen, die Geige zu lernen, (mit 41 Jahren) inspiriert von zwei bekannten KZfaqrn aus Australien, die dir sehr bekannt sein dürften. :-D So bin ich auch auf deine Videos aufmerksam geworden, bei denen ich sehr viel über das Instrument gelernt habe und die mich schon vor vielen Fehlern bewahrt haben. Danke für dein Engagement und deine Videos und viele Grüße aus dem fernen Berlin!

@KonradTheWizzard Жыл бұрын

Ray, no need to feel bad about not liking the weather in Germany. We think so as well, we just resigned from complaining. But it does explain a lot! Bach is so difficult, so his students wouldn't finish early, go outside to play in the mud and catch some deadly virus or worse. Nietzsche had his mood ruined by constant rain and cold. Even our national poet Goethe had to flee to Italy for a while to get some bright ideas to write about. But on the positive side - it does make vacations abroad more memorable...!

@ellisc.foleyjr9778 Жыл бұрын

P.S. As for the weather in Germany, I spent two years there in the early 1960's stationed in Giessen. and traversed the whole country, and the winters there seem mild to me coming form New England area, in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. I rather enoyed them compared to what I grew up with home. ECF

@AskOlaftheViolinmaker Жыл бұрын

Agreed... It's not that bad.. It's just that we get so many glorious days in Brisbane... Especially in winter

@epicman8614 Жыл бұрын

Very Nice

@mattgreven7615 3 ай бұрын

So excited! Ray is coming to my local venue, the Palladium in Carmel, IN!

@AskOlaftheViolinmaker 3 ай бұрын

How wonderful! Enjoy 😍

@mattgreven7615 3 ай бұрын

Pisser. I’ll be at rehearsal for Verdi requiem-45 min away, bc ray has the hall that night!

@Darkstar001 Жыл бұрын

I think when speaking to someone who constantly says yep and stuff. It stifles the flow of conversation. It would be like clapping for every few notes a musician plays. A gentle nod of the head is much better.

@AskOlaftheViolinmaker Жыл бұрын

I noticed that too... It's just me being me... Hopefully I will learn to keep quieter as I get better 🙂

@nicolasmartinez1317 Жыл бұрын

I was so distracted at the very beginning when Olaf said: "Welcome to *Violin Shop Conversation*"... I heard "Welcome to *Violin-chan* Conversation" 😅

@libertangowu-8117 Жыл бұрын

wow🎉

@adelaidefoster7320 Жыл бұрын

Ray back to his Aussie accent

@GeorgeMoore-wi3is Жыл бұрын

Hi adelaide🌹 How are you doing?

@bob1dole Жыл бұрын

Nice conversation with Ray. One thing I’ve noticed in your conservations with him and others is that you tend to agree and talk through peoples conversations with saying yes and yeah a good bit. My suggestion is to tone it down a bit. Otherwise great content and really enjoy your videos!

@stevefranklin9176 8 ай бұрын

Just an Australian thing.

@susanbryant6516 Жыл бұрын

Good questions Olaf.

@GeorgeMoore-wi3is Жыл бұрын

Hi Susan🌹 How are you doing?

@mellissadalby1402 3 ай бұрын

Ray Chen ROCKS! (Just sayin)

@calvingyasi8292 Жыл бұрын

Did anyone notice that Olaf tried hard to avoid touching Ray's violin?

@AskOlaftheViolinmaker Жыл бұрын

Haha... The owners have pretty strict rules about that...

@fordsrestorations970 11 ай бұрын

you need a valve Outlet to let off nervous energy , some opera singers would do Fusion of Classic and Punk Rock , on Violin as you're burning through the atmosphere you can finally start soaring like an eagle into the most beautiful sounds .. You guys are like co-razy funny😁

@enhanzhao 4 ай бұрын

Ray: exists Olaf: yeah, yeah yeah absolutly m8

@its.me_angie Жыл бұрын

Is it just me, or is Ray’s accent more prominent here than on his own channel? 🤣

@lizzie7654 11 ай бұрын

As an Australian living overseas my Australian accent softens and I tend to subconsciously change / adapt to the language around me (it's not in purpose it just happens). However when I talk to an Aussie (even on the phone) it immediately goes back to normal 😅 ... So it's entirely possible that his accent shifts a bit.

@maxheadroom1506 4 ай бұрын

This happens with all accents this has to do with people trying to please each other in conversation (learned this at a linguistics class) but I would hardly call his accent softening this is a full change. I never knew he was Aussi until this interview. It is like Aussie actors who make their aussi accent disappear in movies but they use language coaches. Daniel Craig makes his aussi accent turn Engligh in James Bond or Nicole Kidman who makes her accent turn American in her films. @@lizzie7654

@sabrinai Жыл бұрын

Ray sounds so Aussie here 😂.

@mighty-mechagodzilla Жыл бұрын

I have a question: Is it true that the color of Guarneri's violins is darker? If anyone knows the answer please let me know

@JonAhlquist Жыл бұрын

19:30 Ray Chen takes out the violin he has on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation, the Dolphin Strad, that Jascha Heifetz used to play.

@BachGuitarServices Жыл бұрын

My new drinking game is to take a shot every time Olaf says "yeah yeah"

@AskOlaftheViolinmaker Жыл бұрын

That'll make for a fun night 😜 Yep... Inexperience+nerves make an interesting mix. I'll get better... mainly annoyed with myself because it takes away from what Ray is saying

@stevefranklin9176 8 ай бұрын

It’s a lot harder to be in front of a camera than a lot of folk think Olaf. Just give it time and review as you go along. We love your interviews. And remember… Practice. Don’t stop. We’re with you buddy.

@teawithtams6596 2 ай бұрын

how are you even alive right now?

@cuypers1800 Жыл бұрын

How does Ray go back and forth between an American and Australian accent?

@lotsabirds Жыл бұрын

I've heard that all strads played today have been altered. That originals had shorter necks and fingerboards. Is that true?

@ErikWilliamsviolin Жыл бұрын

Yes.

@lotsabirds Жыл бұрын

@@ErikWilliamsviolin Thank you!

@caleblenard315 Жыл бұрын

What country are you in olaf?

@dadrillplayssmallcello Жыл бұрын

australia

@ceruti1866 6 ай бұрын

The violin industry. Baahhh...

@Obigrobi666 Жыл бұрын

Yeah. 😂

@user-kp2ub8ww7e Жыл бұрын

How du i tune a barok violin? I only know 414hz what are The other strings tune in hz

@zeferinoarroyo7673 Жыл бұрын

Ray... I'm a big fan of you both... As a, dermatologist I noticed the rash on your left neck... Does it bother you?

@AskOlaftheViolinmaker Жыл бұрын

A lot of violinist have a mark there

@JustAnotherBuckyLover Жыл бұрын

Ahh the violin hickey. A common side effect of 40 hours a day practising.

@aredesuyo Жыл бұрын

I had one too until I quit lessons at age 14. It was gone in a year or so.

@mellissadalby1402 3 ай бұрын

Really? The parent is supposed to be involved with the child student in Suzuki method? I guess I got gypped then because my teacher was teaching me by the Suzuki method (1964) but at home I was totally on my own. Then one day when my Mother told me to quit playing outside and come inside to practice the violin, she gave me an ultimatum (practice now or the violin goes away) and I quit. Oh well, I'm playing now. I think Olaf is 100% correct that it must be FUN! Fun is excellent "kindling" for a passion of music.

@sara505sings Жыл бұрын

I wish Olaf would simply be quiet when his guest is speaking. Let him speak. No need for all the yeah yeah yeahs.

@WilliamJohnston Жыл бұрын

Agreed, i suspect that’s a learning curve for anyone new to conducting an interview, by all means nod for approval, but while the ‘yeahs’ might seem right in a conversational setting, for the interview, let the person be heard 👍

@sara505sings Жыл бұрын

@@WilliamJohnston definitely a learned skill, and I only mention it to be of help because I noticed the same issue in another of Olaf's interviews. It partly comes from enthusiasm, I'm sure, and maybe some nerves.

@AskOlaftheViolinmaker Жыл бұрын

It's just me being me... And maybe slightly nervous... Interviewing is a learned skill... I've definitely noted it and will work on it...

@sara505sings Жыл бұрын

@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker I completely understand. ♥️

@stevefranklin9176 8 ай бұрын

@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker you notice Ray is not put off or pissed off… it’s just our way.

@maxheadroom1506 4 ай бұрын

WOW Ray Chen with a full blown Aussi Accent. What does he do that it comes out on demand???? This accent non existent in all his other videos until he meets you Olaf. LOL

@peaceofkake1085 Жыл бұрын

Olaf, to be honest, I have very mixed emotions about this interview. Ray gave great answers to your questions but the amount of times you said "yeah" during his answers was just way too much. I'm thinking it was probably anxiety but it made it difficult to watch and enjoy.

@shreddershane240 Жыл бұрын

soo, Ray puts on an American accent for his channel? weird

@DarthSagit Жыл бұрын

His accent varies with where he is at

@AskOlaftheViolinmaker Жыл бұрын

It's like his playing... He adapts to the piece/country... When I'm in England I'll suddenly start getting an English accent 🤣

@shreddershane240 Жыл бұрын

@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker yeah it just threw me off lol, I'm so used to hearing him speak differently on his channel. I've noticed my southern drawl come out around certain people too, so guilty myself

@AskOlaftheViolinmaker Жыл бұрын

@@shreddershane240 I think musicians are naturally good at listening and picking up accents

@reeser8 Жыл бұрын

In America there was a girl in my high school from South Africa who put on an American accent out of being self-conscious for being noticed for the accent all the time. She wanted to fit in. Ray was just a kid when he went to Curtis. I can imagine a kid that age wanting to do the same.