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L.v. Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major op.61 (1806) Manuscript 1st mouvement Manuscript 2nd mouvement Manuscript 3rd mouvement J. Brahms Violin Concerto in D major op. 77 (1878) Manuscript M. Bruch Violin Concerto in g minor op.26 (1866) Manuscript F. Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor op.64 (1844) Manuscript W.A. Mozart Violin Concerto in A major K219 (1775) Manuscript R. Schumann Violin Concerto in in D minor WoO 23 (1854) Manuscript P. Tchaikowsky Violin Concerto in D major op.35 (1878, Clarens, Switzerland) Manuscript

Dear readers, Here my favorite tools for organizing my year and projects. Some links may be affiliated. Happy organization!

COMPOSERS Piero Buscaroli: Bach Joel Lester: Bach's Works for Solo Violin: Style, Structure, Performance Meredith Little/Natalie Jenne: Dance and the Music of J. S. Bach Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra: Bach Art Bach and the Art of Improvisation: Volume 1 Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra: Bach Art Bach and the Art of Improvisation: Volume 2 Stanley Ritchie: The Accompaniment in "Unaccompanied" Bach: Interpreting the Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Benjamin Shute: Sei Solo: Symbolum?: The Theology of J. S. Bach's Solo Violin Works Helga Thoene: Ciaccona Helga Thoene: Sonata in A-moll Helga Thoene: Sonata in C-dur Ludwig Van Beethoven: Epistolario 1783-1807 (I) Ludwig Van Beethoven: Epistolario 1808-1813 (II) Ludwig Van Beethoven: Epistolario 1814-1816 (III) Ludwig Van Beethoven: Epistolario 1817-1822 (IV) Ludwig Van Beethoven: Epistolario 1823-1824 (V) Ludwig Van Beethoven: Epistolario 1825-1827 (VI) Piero Buscaroli: Beethoven William Kinderman: Beethoven: A Political Artist in Revolutionary Times Friedrich Kerst: Beethoven, the Man and the Artist, As Revealed in His Own Words Romain Rolland: Beethoven Franz Wegeler/Ferdinand Ries: Remembering Beethoven Robin Stowel: Beethoven, Violin Concerto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: The Mozart Violin Concerti: A Facsimile Edition of the Autographs Piero Buscaroli: La morte di Mozart Georg Nikolaus Nissen: Biografia di Wolfang Amadeus Mozart Niccolò Paganini: Epistolario 1810-1831 (1) AA.VV.: Niccolò Paganini, Note di una vita sopra le righe Vittore Castiglioni: Paganini Biografia Giancarlo Conestabile: Vita di Niccolò Paganini da Genova G.I.C De Courcy: Niccolò Paganini. a chronology of his life Edward Neill: Niccolò Paganini, il cavaliere filarmonico Nino Salvaneschi: Paganini, 23 donne e il diavolo Fausto Sartorelli: L'uomo Violino Riccardo Muti: Verdi, l'italiano. Ovvero, in musica, le nostre radici Franz Werfel: Verdi: L'uomo nelle sue lettere STYLE AND INTERPRETATION Clive Brown: Classical and Romantic Performing Practice 1750-1900 David Jacobson: Lost Secrets of Master Musicians Nikolaus Harnoncourt: Le discours musical Nikolaus Harnoncourt: Le dialogue musical Frederick Neumann: Ornamentation in Baroque Kris Parlmer: Ornamentation According To C.P.E. Bach And J.J. Quantz Arnold Schönberg: Style and Idea HARMONY & MUSIC THEORY Nikolaj Rimskij-Korsakov: Trattato Pratico di Armonia Jean-Philippe Rameau: Trattato di Armonia I & II Jean-Philippe Rameau: Trattato di Armonia III % IV Arnold Schönberg: Trattato di Armonia HISTORY OF MUSIC Peter Burkholder/Donald Grout/Claude Palisca: History of Western Music Frederick Martens: Violin Master, Interviews With Heifetz, Auer, Kreisler And Others Enzo Porta: Il Violino nella Storia Yuri Yankelevich/Masha Lankovsky: The Russian Violin School MUSIC Daniel Barenboim: La Musica sveglia il Tempo Daniel Barenboim: La Musica è un Tutto Daniel Baremboin/Edward Said: Paralleli e Paradossi Riccardo Muti: L'infinito fra le note MUSICIANS Herman Krebbers/Niels Le Large: MasterClass Yehudi Menhuin: Voyage inachevé Nathan Milstein: From Russia to the West Riccardo Muti: Prima la musica poi le parole Tedi Papavrami: Fugue pour violon seul Louis Spohr: Autobiographie Eugène Ysaye: Sa vie, son oeuvre, son influence PEDAGOGY FOR VIOLINISTS Leopold Auer: Violin playing as I teach it Lucien Capet: La technique supérieure de l'archet Simon Fischer: Basics Simon Fischer: Practice Carl Flesch: L'Arte del Violino Vol.1 Carl Flesch: L'Arte del Violino Vol.2 Ivan Galamian: Principles of Violin Playing and Teaching Francesco Geminiani: Art of Playing the Violin Robert Gerle: The Art of Bowing Practice Kató Havas: Il Corso di 12 Lezioni Kató Havas: Un Nuovo Approccio al Violino Dominique Hoppenot: Le violon intérieur Leopold Mozart: I fondamenti della scuola di violino Ruggiero Ricci: Left Hand Technique Ruggiero Ricci: On Glissando Stanley Ritchie: Before the chinrest Louis Spohr: The Violin School Giuseppe Tartini: Art of Bowing PSYCHOLOGY, PRACTICE & PERFORMANCE Madeline Bruser: The Art of Practicing: A Guide to Making Music from the Heart Kató Havas: La paura del pubblico. Cause e rimedi Gerald Klickstein: The Musician's Way: A Guide to Practice, Performance, and Wellness Glenn Wilson: The psychology of performing arts PERSONAL GROWTH Andrea Favaretto: Il sistema del successo senza sforzo Timothy Gallwey: Il gioco interiore del tennis Eugen Herrigel: Lo zen e il tiro con l'arco Michael Neill: SuperCoach Ken Robinson: The Element Robin Sharma: Il Club delle 5 del mattino Mason Currey: Daily Rituals: How Artists Work POSTURE & BODY HEALTH Elizabeth Langford: Mind and Muscle Edoardo Oddone: Anatomia violinistica LITTERATURE Johann Wolfgang Goethe: Le affinità elettive Haruki Murakami: 1Q84 libri 1&2 Haruki Murakami: 1Q84 libro 3 Haruki Murakami: L'assasinio del commendatore Irene Nemirowky: Il ballo Lev Tolstoj: Anna Karenina Marguerite Yourcenar: Memorie di Adriano Janice Weber: La violinista Janice Weber: Hot ticket

MOVIES Anna, 2019, Luc Besson Interstellar, 2014, Christopher Nolan Lucy, 2014, Luc Besson Anna Karenina, 2012, Joe Wright Pride & Prejudice, 2005, Joe Wright Mrs. Doubtfire, 1993, Chris Colombus Hook Capitan Uncino, 1991, Steven Spielberg Stradivari, 1988, Giacomo Battiato SERIES La Casa de Papel, 2017-2021 Games of Throne, 2011-2019 House of Cards, 2013-18 Breaking Bad, 2008-2013 The Dead Note, 2003-15 Alias, 2001-06 Sex and the City, 1998-2004

A few days ago we recorded in Basel the program "VIA HOLLIGER" for the Swiss Chamber Concerts. I felt fortunate to realize this project, even if not live, and play incredible music together with Heinz Holliger, Hanna Weinmeister, Jürg Dähler, and Daniel Haefliger. The freshly renovated Hans Huber Saal in Stadtcasino Basel is a beautiful "little" gem (around 400 places). Let's hope we could perform for a real audience soon in the upcoming months! The video production will be streaming for free TOMORROW, Friday 22nd January at 20:00 on the website www.swisschamberconcerts.ch. Simply visit the home page ten minutes before the start and you will find the information to access the video streaming. UPDATE: You can watch the concert again on YouTube!

As maybe a lot of you, I am part of a generation that has never seen historical catastrophes or social crises of this magnitude. We lived the rhetoric of 'we will fight', 'we will get out', 'the hero doctors'... then the clash with reality: the deaths, the way as politics has treated the suffering of individuals, military controls in the neighborhoods, the heavy fines for a mask accidentally worn badly, the cancellation of any type of cultural activity. People were unable to get answers and were treated like children to whom the hard truth cannot be told. I have been very, very depressed. "It will be all right," I said too. Then, a blow to the heart for another loss, without greetings or warnings. Artistic & social isolation It was months, from March to June, full of important projects and great artistic activities, but honestly, I felt: now I don't serve.The suffering that I have experienced has crushed my heart, preventing me from moving, creating, even sometimes to breathe well. After launching the fundraising campaign for independent artists, I retired from everything for a while. A choice to give peace to those who suffered - me included - and space for those who fought at the front at that moment. I stopped posting on social media, putting myself in the shoes of who were suffering. It didn't seem appropriate to me to see artists show their talents among the various 'music will save the world' and a thousand other trivia. A light in the black Having received the cancellation of all the concerts until October, I was very pessimistic about the Summer Camp for violinists "Violons dans les vignes" which, since 2018, I organize every July with Madeleine Murray-Robertson. Madeleine, on the other hand, has not stopped believing it, driven also by the strong interest shown by many violinists, and has pushed us to wait for the provisions of the Swiss Federal Council. So, as many years ago, we found ourselves helping each other, with the violin as the common denominator to our deep friendship. Today we have an almost sold-out masterclass, which will take place as scheduled from 6 to 9 July in Aran, Switzerland. (more info: www.pour-quoi-pas.com) Social commitment POURQUOIPAS didn't have a precise plan for our call to supporting independent artists. We didn't know who the money could serve best, including myself. Shortly after my call-to-donations video, I became aware of the critical situation that a couple of dear friends, both independent musicians, were experiencing in their city of residence, in London. On the top of an already critical situation - without concerts confirmed until January 2021, with a small girl to raise and schools closed until September - one of the parents was diagnosed with second-stage cancer. Having received confirmation from the Canton Zurich that we, artists in Switzerland, would have received a refund of 80% of the cachets lost due to COVID-19, it seemed completely natural to us to devolve part of the donations to this couple. From the start of the campaign we have raised CHF 4,786.50  and donated a total of CHF 4,390 to this family to contribute to medical costs. The donations received specifying "contributions for POURQUOIPAS projects" have been retained for our association and will be used for this purpose. I hope that this news meets our donors' satisfaction as much as they make us proud. A look at the past ... and a step to the future Sometimes I find it better to think that behind certain events there are hooded men, rather than incompetence. I have a dubious feeling that the issue of Coronavirus management at the European level has not been thoroughly investigated. Continents, Nations, Regions, and even Municipalities, each acted in the panic of their individuality, exposing counts of convenience, hiding denial to tampons ... Yet another party exploitation, a race of ego to those who show themselves stronger. But unfortunately, in this case, nobody can win. We are all losers. Losers in health, in rights, in freedom, in equality, in justice. Nobody tells us, to date, how things really went and probably we will never know. Everything will be fine? I do not know. I know that I love everything a little more. And that now it's time to come back on stage. Sending many greetings, Irene

Dear friends and colleagues,  I don't usually comment on newsworthy events, and I won't much here either. But I've been closely following the development of COVID-19, as I'm sure many of you have, since it affects our lives and jobs. As you know, all public events were canceled and the interdiction of going out is just around the corner. All freelance projects have been canceled without fees or reported without guarantees. Especially for independent artists, which have no financial assistance or insurance, it's a dramatic time. Independent artists without the public are lost. Beside practicing the violin, making sport and reading books, I am working with my cultural no-profit association POURQUOIPAS to raise money to support independent artists in sever trouble. POURQUOIPAS also finances projects for independent artists as well as considers requests for urgent help from individuals. MY CALL FOR DONATIONS DONATE NOW ASSOCIATION POURQUOIPAS Chemin du Carroz 10 - 1091 CHENAUXBanque Cantonale Vaudoise - Place Saint François 14, 1001 LausanneIBAN: CH09 00767 000U 5366 9843      BIC/SWIFT: BCVLCH2LXXX www.pour-quoi-pas.com

Back in July 2007, at the Tibor Varga Summer course. After having worked on the repertoire for my Violin Degree (6 Paganini Caprices, Tchaikovsky violin concerto, Tartini Devil’s Trill, Mozart Concerto n.5...) he asked me to play a scale. Surprised and a bit in troubles, I started a G Major scale. When I reached the higher note and began to come back he stopped me. “Hey, not three octaves, go on. Four octaves”. Since then, when I skip my four octaves scales routine I think about him and search to find a moment for it. I also recall his absolutely wish to hear my 5th Paganini Caprice with the original bow. He in fact played half of the piece for me to show how it should be done. I still keep his edition of Paganini Caprices, it is precious. Happy 87th birthday Maestro, one of the most lovely teacher and incredibly talented violinist I worked with and keep in my heart. ABOUT VICTOR PIKAYZEN A protege of David Oistrakh, he is a former prize winner at the Paganini, Queen Elisabeth, Tchaikovsky and Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud International Violin Competitions. Professor Pikayzen served a long term (1966-2016) teaching position on faculty at the Moscow Conservatory. Listen his legendary interpretation of Wieniawsky 1st Violin Concerto Wieniawsky/Gounod Faust Fantasy

Making plans is one of the most widely used productivity tactics. For years, I collected dozens of plans on paper. At the end of 2019 I decided to review my rich documentation. Here what I discovered. It seemed that I knew really well what I wanted as I repeated myself in the years - over and over, and I wrote down the same plan - over and over, and read books about how to reach my goals - over and over. I also realized that I was surrounded by motivational stickers and post cards full of imperatives. There were just imperatives everywhere. Basically I lived with a virtual dictator that unconsciously remembered me everyday that I wasn’t happy enough ("be happy!"), living the moment enough ("live the present!") and all those similars phrases that everyone knows. I felt in a over-burned situation. All of a sudden everything felt so heavy on my back. Why do I overcomplicated my productivity? Why did I come up with a dozens of to-do-list, manuals, books and diaries for something as simple as few tasks? Do I really need to be organized as the Head of Intelligence, to search for motivation as a permanent maniac-depressive and to read how to do plan my life as an incompetent? I asked my husband to light a fire. I took all papers, dairies, manuals and just threw everything in. While watching burning “never let go of your dreams” I actually felt better than when I watched at it on my desk. Suddenly those dreams, which often seemed a long way off, were much closer to my reality. Planning and being surrounded by motivational quotes was maybe not wealthy as I expected (or as told), as it insinuates that our life is imperfect and lets us feeling not enough. What I left in the past decade: ash. What I figured out and brought into 2020: there's nothing so worthless as doing efficiently what shouldn't be done at all. I don’t need a plan or a coach. I just need to DO the job! Welcome 2020!

We are used to reading and sharing on social media only about our successes and great experiences, hiding what is all around that. So here I share with you some of the things happened behind the stage of my American week. One week ago I was leaving New York with the feeling of great satisfaction. That is true!  But I will not write that it was easier, because actually, it was not. First, the difficult weather conditions, that changed in a night from a warm sunny Autumn day to heavy windy and freezing cold Winter atmosphere, had a significant impact on my violin. And on my bones too...! Plus, I had an annoying infection on my right ear, from the previous week, that didn't want to heal. Our apartment seemed like a sauna, as I steamed water all day to compensate for the very dry air. The first meeting with the cultural journalist Ilona Oltuski and young talented pianist Albert Cano Smit preparing our music visit at a public High School (for GET CLASSICAL IN SCHOOL) was very interesting, but also challenging. There were so many questions regarding the organization and repertoire. How to get teenagers' attention? How to "sell" classical music to who never heard about it? Should we make more "cover - soundtrack - contemporary" music, or should we stick on the classical repertoire? Confident in our strong interpretation and point of view, Albert and I agree on presenting very traditional classical musical pieces by Vivaldi and Bach. We would eventually manage the situation at the moment, depending on the students' reactions. At the end of our visit, we were astonished by students' behavior: they were the most incredible audience we ever could imagine. We were amaz ed by their replies and interactions, and we received incredible notes afterward (watch a little trailer here and found the notes below). It was a great teaching for us as classical musicians. We are told mostly by our environment that classical music is old-fashioned and difficult to be understood by the new generation, so we question ourselves and try to make it "cooler". But this is not true. Classical music IS cool without forcing it, if we are convinced enough of what we offer and if we do it in a deep magical way searching for meaning and connections as the composer conceived it. In that way, anybody would be enchanted, I bet. And that is the magic of music. During the week I followed a bit the activity of 7 members of my family who came to visit NY with the occasion of my concert. Took the time to share some moments together was challenging too... but also very much moving to have everyone there. I would never ever imagine it! While I was preparing for "Get Classical in School" and meeting here and there my family, I had rehearsals with the Chamber Orchestra of New York and Maestro Salvatore Di Vittorio. I was glad to greeting old friends from our 2016 collaboration and making new ones. Then, time for rehearsing came. My interpretation of Vivaldi Four Seasons is definitely unconventional, including very personal phrasing and musical effects, managing with freedom and a little craziness. The moment where an orchestra meets my interpretation is always a bit scary. My question isn't if they will like it or not, but about if they will do things with me... or against me! It could sound silly, but it isn't and that's why. Especially on very known and millions-of-time-played pieces, orchestras have their own way to go - which is normal -, but they are not always available to questioning it. I was relieved to feel very soon a great curiosity from M° Di Vittorio and his musicians, and we started building up our collective interpretation with a wonderful spirit of collaboration. The morning of the concert was maybe the hardest moment of the week. I remembered very well the feeling in 2016, and I was scared that it would come again. It did. I am rarely stressed before a concert, but with Carnegie Hall that definitely happens every time. The feeling is a sort of complaining-mood going from "why am I doing that" to "I need to be rescued". Fortunately, once I quit the apartment to reach the hall, the focus came back to the music and so I found back a comfortable feeling. The Four Seasons were like home: once I put a step in them, I felt chez moi. About nerves, Steve Isserlis wrote a very interesting article on his website, check it out! http://stevenisserlis.com/nerves/ "...Well, giving concerts is a scary activity! It’s the price one has to pay; but when it all goes well, it’s worth it…" In conclusion, my concert performing Vivaldi Four Seasons at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York ended with a generous and spontaneous standing ovation, a memory held deep in my heart. Those are the moments where all efforts, sacrifices and hard work (some of them you just discovered above) find their meaning. Last point. Maybe some of you saw my post on social media about that famous D# or D natural in the Vivaldi Spring Concerto. We all have in the ear famous recordings with D# but based on the score and on harmony analyze, it should be probably D natural. So in the end... did I play D# or D natural??? That is the funny part. I played for 15 years D#. Dozen of concerts. This time I decided to play D natural. I practiced it for months and rehearsed it. All went good until the concert came. ... My finger played D#! At the moment where I've heard the first D# I was so surprised by myself that I was tempted to play the following one D natural! Obviously I didn't, although it would have been so funny. End of the story: muscle memory is much stronger than we could imagine... be aware of that. Hey, I had a fantastic time in New York !!!

In June 2018, during my studies at Bern University of Arts, I made a fascinating and worthwhile research on “The Violin School” by Louis Spohr. Today, on the 160th year from his death, I share with you my PowerPoint presentation as an invitation to read the original treatise and eventually explore Spohr suggestions on the violin. It worths the time, especially for the old-school guys as myself! (In the Part 1 he suggests not starting playing the violin as a hobby whenever the person can devote less than 4h a day for practice. I let you discover his opinion on making a professional career out of it). I am currently reading his entertaining and informative Autobiography, published posthumously in 1860, which I will review very soon! - The Violinschule (The Violin School) by Louis Spohr, published in 1832, is a treatise on violin playing which codified many of the latest advances in the violin technique. At that time Spohr was regarded not only as The Greatest German Violinist but also as one of the most influential living composer. With the extensive section on bowing, containing 57 different examples, discussion about style, articulations, shiftings, intervals, bow management, double stops, chords, arpeggios (…) it became a reference work of instruction. - Louis Spohr (5.4.1784 - 22.10.1859) was a talented and charismatic violinist, composer and conductor. During his long adventurous and influential life he invented the violin chinrest (ca. 1820), he was one of the first to use a baton and also inventing rehearsal letters to save time by asking the orchestra or singers to start playing "from letter X”. DOWNLOAD MY PRESENTATION .PDF Free versions (IT-EN-FR-DE) of Spohr's 'Violin School' on IMSLP

My parents were very strict with our education. Beside other important values, they thought my brother and me to ignore others lives and focus on our dedication. During the last decade I struggled with social media, suspending impulsively my accounts several times trying to focus on real life. Without any attempts of analysis or psychological explanations, I always lost the battle and found myself again on news feed wall. Today I reached the awareness that made me act in order to change my time management. Twenty days could seem a too short experiment to reach conclusions, but I learnt so much and changed many things in my daily life that wanted to write about that. Note: This is my experience. Whenever you are satisfied with your life and your social media, I am happy for you! As a convinced and proud independent artist I am responsible of my communication and public marketing. Feeling I had to improve those aspects, I ordered a marketing plan from a professional agency. In short, I should post: - on Twitter at least 5 times a day - on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram 4 times a week (on a specific time and days) - make stories everyday - reach at least 500 following on Twitter - reach at least 500 contacts on LinkedIn - write a newsletter at least once a month You probably have heard about the experiment of the Solo violinist and Grammy winner Hilary Hahn #101dayofpractice on Instagram. Taking advantage of starting a new communication routine, I decided to begin a cycle of habits and virtuous behaviours. Since my nature resists any attempts to copy or emulate others ideas, I designed my ‘101 days for me’. The rules were very simple and conceived as 5 daily tasks: - practice violin - move my body (stretch, yoga or fitness) - take care of the home (one activity of max 30 minutes) - make one thing from my ‘101 things for me’, the list of my favorite activities to recover (ex. journaling, paint, watch ‘that’ movie, read ‘that’ book, go horse riding, take a hot bath...), - follow the marketing plan. Everyday. So on Monday 30th of September I started. I scheduled all the activities with calendar reminders and was motivated to follow them carefully. Monday was a productive day, with the proud feeling of following a plan and be stick to it. Tuesday was also a nice one, although I started already feeling weird. Wednesday I was not well, but I couldn’t understand why: I was posting as planned, practicing violin, doing sport and taking care of me. Finally, Thursday I understood. That ‘social media’ thing was theoretically the only disturbing element in my very clean and productive daily routine. I needed a break to understand why I was so uncomfortable with my tasks. So I moved in a folder all the apps concerned (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram) and decided to not open them anymore. I didn’t have a plan, but I knew I needed some rest. This is was happened than. STATE 1: SELF-DEFENCE. Social Media: pure addiction. Not all of us have the same response to addictions. For example, I was never stocked on smoking or drinking alcohol, while - as everyone - I have tried it. Somehow social media fucked my survival defence.I started observing how many times I opened the phone automatically to check my profiles. I stopped before open the applications and told myself: "Ah! Here you are. What are you searching for?" STATE 2: ANALYSE. The pressure of producing contents. The timeline to publish posts was way faster than my life rhythm. Obviously I could post my breakfast, my socks, my violin, my makeup... but what was the goal of doing that? Where the hours of practice searching an authentic musical phrase find the place there? I wanted to publish interesting contents concerning my profession! What is the value of a community that want to see how I brush my teeth? Not too far ago that was still called ‘stalking’ or ‘peeping Tom’! At first, I questioned myself. I wondered if my life was too boring, not interesting enough, at the point I felt so under pressure that I though about planning activities in the week just to be able to have contents to post. Finally, in the kitchen, sharing my ideas with my husband I realised that I didn’t want to live in order to post stuff.That my life had nothing wrong. On the contrary, everything was finally the right way to go, with the exception of social media activity. The obsession of posting at the speed required by those plateforms to reach results (with the consequences of not having enough quality contents and become mad about it ), the obligation of being present and interact on all social media - which included also browsing and interacting with others contents - made me completely burned out. I was disgusted, discouraged. I felt notavailable to live that way. STATE 3: ALTERNATIVES. Entertainment substitutions. In the absence of occupying my brain with uninteresting news of others lives, I started to fill up the silence with documentaries on Netflix, readings on Medium and several types of podcast. This behaviour lasted for 5 days, decreasing gradually. Now I know what I was avoiding: silence. I was addicted  to be entertained non-stop. STATE 4: NEW MINDSET. Peace of mind. At day 6 suddenly I started to stretch without needing a podcast company, to eat a snack listening to the noise of the chocolate under my teeth, to iron watching wrinkles disappearing... I started focusing on what I was doing in the present moment. Opening my closet I noticed that my taste concerning style and brands was changing. My endless-luxurious-shopping-wish-list has undergone a certain revolution, getting only very few items. Living permanently on advertising directed massively my taste and desires. That was such a powerful awareness: me, the women proud of her independence, completely slave of the market! That was a non-go. I remember walking in my husband’s office and saying: "since I experiment silence and accept absence I am feeling as I live in constant state of meditation." I just felt the need to practice my violin and take care of me and my family. Enjoying silence. CONCLUSION It happened several times in my life, that I embraced a trend when it was not popular, and I quit it once it reached street cred, always for complexes reasons far to be just « live against the grain ». In 2008 I’ve become vegan, when even the definition of the therm was unknown in Europe (in fact it was almost impossible to find vegan meals). Ten years later, in 2018, when the supermarket shelves were getting full of vegan stuff, when the etiquettes 'vegan' have invaded food packaging (included... bananas ! ), when at every corner a new ‘vegan cafe’was born, than I changed diet. I feel I’ve always lived out of fashion: clearly too early. Today I spend a max. of 10 minutes a week on social media, growing my mailing list with who's authentically interested in my work, meeting people live and making phone calls, in order to be able to eventually delete my social media accounts in the next future. From my past experiences, I can only predict that in 10 years massive amount of people will do the same and start back to nourish their own authentic dreams, free from external approvals/suggestions. The question is: where I would be than, and what I would do next? DOWNLOAD THIS ESSAY .PDF