A Musical "Wanderjahr:" Lawrence Violinist Awarded $22,000 Watson Fellowship

APPLETON, WIS. -- Growing up in a home where Bach, Beethoven and Brahms were staples at the family dining table, Julianne Carney honed her appreciation for classical music at a young age. That appreciation will get seasoned with some Old World flavor later this year when she begins a year-long study at some of the most prestigious violin schools in Europe.

A senior from Birmingham, Michigan, Carney was one of 60 national recipients of a $22,000 fellowship announced this week by the Providence, R.I.-based Thomas J. Watson Foundation. The fellowship supports a "wanderjahr" -- a year to travel and explore the world -- on a topic of the student's choosing.

Beginning in August, Carney, 21, will spend a year abroad studying the modern legacies of historic European violin schools, concentrating on the pedagogical techniques of master teachers of several different violin traditions. She will focus her study in three cities renowned for their place in the history of music and violin traditions -- Vienna, Prague and Karlsruhe, Germany -- with additional shorter stays planned for Paris and London.

"These schools have developed their own attitude and approach to technique, which has been passed through generations of violin players and teachers going back to the 17th century," said Carney, a music performance major with a 3.9 grade point average. "Even the most basic issues such as how students hold their violin and bow remain different between each of the schools. Other differences in technique involve how a student should stand and how the left hand approaches the neck of the violin. Differences also exist in the etudes and repertoire as well the theoretical approach to training musicians."

"This is just an incredible opportunity," Carney added. "I'll be exposed to some of the world's most historically important violin techniques and traditions. Ultimately, I'll be able to incorporate what I learn into my own teaching method. That's really what thrills me the most."

Carney began studying the violin with Suzuki lessons at the tender age of five, but admits she didn't get terribly serious about her music until high school. She experienced an epiphany in the summer of 1994 while attending a camp at the famed Interlochen Center for the Arts.

"I came away from that experience feeling so strongly about the joy of making beautiful music," Carney said. "I've been passionate about music ever since then and it's my dream to share my passion with other people."

Carney's career ambitions include running a successful violin studio while also performing, either as a soloist or a member of a quartet or symphony. Her resume already includes performances as a member of the Detroit Symphony Civic Orchestra while still in high school and principal concertmaster of the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra. And she's gotten a head start on her teaching, tutoring a half dozen 6th-10th graders through the Lawrence Arts Academy, a community outreach music program.

Most of Carney's time abroad will be spent as an observer, watching and studying how teachers at the different schools work with their individual students. Because musical training in Europe occurs within a different cultural context, it is generally taught differently than here in the United States. As a result, Carney hopes to address such fundamental questions as: how do children begin their studies in musicianship; what are the major differences between state-run and private conservatories; and are the different schools still "distinguishable" or has the emigration of teachers blurred the lines, producing a more homogeneous "modern school" of violin study.

"To be a great violin teacher, you need to be a great player. They go hand in hand," said Carney. "The Watson Fellowship will allow me to experience firsthand historical violin traditions that are not accessible in the United States. I'll be able to explore the art of teaching violin by gathering new perspectives, practicing methods and teaching tools. I'm excited to see how this experience will impact my own teaching style."

Carney was chosen for the fellowship from nearly 1,000 nominees representing 50 of the nation's top liberal arts colleges. Since the program's inception in 1969, Lawrence has had at least one Watson Fellowship recipient every year but two. Watson Fellows are selected on the basis of the nominee's character, academic record, leadership potential, willingness to delve into another culture and the personal significance of the project proposal.