Demetrios Constantine Dounis: the philosophy behind the methods
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Abstract
Demetrios Constantine Dounis was a concert violinist, mandolinist, conductor, and medical doctor. Above all, he was a teacher who developed some of the most innovative methods for violin playing of the 20th century. Dounis carefully observed the technique of the great masters of the violin, both privately and in concert, including Jascha Heifetz, Fritz Kreisler, and Eugene Ysaye. His keen sense of observation played an important role in the development of his methods. Dounis's background in medicine helped to form the anatomical and physiological basis for his technical principles. Although it is often assumed that Dounis's teaching was exclusively technical, he referred to his technique as "Expressive Technique", signifying that a violinist without technical limitations is a violinist with inexhaustible expressive potential. An explanation of these principles are presented in this dissertation, according to Dounis's published works on technique, as well as the author's acquired understanding of the technique through the tutelage of former Dounis student, George Neikrug. This dissertation also explores Dounis's unique approach to teaching, his philosophy on practicing, as well as his methods of facilitating technical change for his students. The final chapter is an exploration into the cognitive aspects of achieving physical habit change in violin technique. The struggle to change the technical habits of violin playing is both physical and mental on many levels, and this difficulty is the main reason as to why Dounis's unique methods have often been met with resistance.
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Thesis (D.M.A.)--Boston University