Whats in the case

So what do you keep in a case for travel?

This is a list of stuff that I have in my case so that I am always ready and still keep it lightweight.

Shoulder rest. I actually can’t remember what kind it is. The label is extremely small and in Latin I think.

Mechanical pencil. Every musician must have a pencil. This pencil has an extendable eraser which is awesome!

Tool for the chin rest. If your chin rest falls off, you better have a way to put it back on.

Rosin. Currently I am using Pirastro Obligato. I like the rosin, but I don’t know if I am going to stay with it. This has been a trial run.

And last but not least, the toothbrush. Why do you have a tooth brush with no tooth paste? Well the tooth brush is not actually for brushing teeth. It is for combing the bow hair. Why comb the bow hair? A friend of mine showed me that a violin bow can sometimes have too much rosin and that it can clump up in spots on the bow. By combing the bow it gets rid of excess rosin and smooths out the clumps. I don’t do this every time. Only when necessary.

Mic. Depending on the type of music that is being performed or recorded, I may need to use the mic.

Bach six Sonatas and Partitas. Every violinist should carry a copy of this with them everywhere they go.

Spare strings. You never know when one might break. I use Obligato strings with the gold E.

New skin. Back during the last semester of college I ended up doing a LOT of intense playing.  I was playing about 12hrs every day for a couple of weeks. I found out that your body can not keep up with that for prolonged periods of time. My index finger split and bled like a faucet. My teacher showed me New Skin. It works great to seal up open cuts while letting you keep mobility unlike a regular band aid.