Strings Attached
One Tough Teacher and the Art of Perfection
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- €8.99
Publisher Description
Strings Attachedis the story of a brilliant, but ferocious music teacher who came to be known as Mr K. A Ukrainian immigrant who survived an abusive childhood to become a noted resident and teacher, Mr K used music as a means of escape. The authors, who spent their childhoods in the late 60s and 70s, rehearsing and playing together as young musicians, bring the extraordinary character of Mr K to life - from his days as a forced Nazi labourer; to his home life as a husband to an invalid wife; to his heart-breaking search to find his missing daughter; to the terrifying challenges he hurtled from behind the music stand.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Journalist Joanne Lipman collaborated with her former music teacher’s daughter to craft this portrait of a passionate, haunted man who holds sway over his students long after they’ve become adults. But Strings Attached is so much more than a biography of Jerry Kupchynsky, a harsh, imposing Ukrainian immigrant who berated and humiliated his burgeoning violinists and violists—and pushed them to pursue their goals wholeheartedly. Volleying the story back and forth, the co-authors—who attribute their accomplished careers in large part to lessons learned with “Mr. K”—share candid, moving truths about their own lives and meditate on the monumental shifts in how we think about confidence, discipline, success and the relationships between children and adults. After surviving World War II and Nazi imprisonment (and enduring his unrelentingly critical mother), the adult Kupchynsky was an unrepentant advocate of tough love. Yet as the authors slowly reveal the unfathomable tragedies that befell this formidable man, their unconditional respect and affection shine through.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Part biography of a beloved teacher and father, part memoir, the book's central character, music teacher Jerry "Mr. K" Kupchynsky, looms larger than life on the page just as he did for journalist Lipman, one of Mr. K's violists, and Melanie, his elder daughter, now a violinist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. His teaching methods are extreme cracking the knuckle on a student's thumb to emphasize correct finger placement but glimpses of his family life soften his image. We learn about how Mr. K fled from both Nazis and Soviets in his native Ukraine during WWII, and about the stress he endured later in life when his wife was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The authors provide intimate details from their lives as well. Central to the book is Melanie's relationship with her younger sister, Stephanie. Lipman and Kupchynsky played together in a string quartet organized by Mr. K, of which Stephanie was also a part. In 1991, Stephanie disappeared from her apartment in upstate New York. The ensuing search, led by the Kupchynsky family and aided by Lipman, provides the mystery around which the reminiscences about Mr. K are organized. Though the book contains less educational philosophy than the foreword suggests, the authors' memories are more powerful for not being embellished with preachy conclusions. Photos.
