Although people say it's not good to dwell in the past, I like reflecting because I think it's the easiest way to determine personal growth. (ie. Situation in the past that happened, how would I deal with it now?)

Therefore I do have a few things I wish I knew that could have helped make life smoother:

• Don't make assumptions before you have all the details
• It's OK to be different because everyone is. Some are just hiding it better than others.
• Don't be afraid to ask people for help but don't let their help go to waste. Learn and adapt so you can be stronger and more useful.
• It's better to say "I don't know" than to make up something.
• Be aware of not only yourself and others around you, but also the impact you make to others through your actions.
• Goldfish only need to be fed once per day.
• Buffets are not the answer.
• Instead of being defensive, learn to throw yourself into the situation to fully understand everyone's perspective.

Is using farmland for renewable energy cost effective enough to incentivize farmers to give up productive land? Also, as the US is literally one of the biggest agricultural producers in the world, how feasible is it to replace lost agricultural capability?

For the first 9 years of learning the violin, I didn't play any scales or etudes. None of my teachers at the time told me to - I think they probably thought I was doing just fine playing concertos like Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, and Bruch. However, it soon became apparent that I was hitting a plateau in my technique. My intonation was not consistent and not improving.

I decided to switch teachers and that's when I was told that in order to improve, I had to play only scales & etudes for 6 months without touching a single piece. Peter Zhang in Sydney was the guy who fixed my technique. Thanks Professor.

I haven't read any (and probably won't) but I think creativity should always be encouraged.

Hi Ray! Do you have any violinists or other performers that you think inspired you when you were starting, or helped shape you into the musician you are today?

[removed]

Why are people down voting this answer, can we bet that it’s bots?

Hi Ray I’ve been observing my own talent on differentiating notes. I haven’t been structurally improving it, in general I just can’t get it right. Is this common or just lack of natural talent?

As someone who works in renewable energy solar is not the answer to green energy. As it stands now wind is by far a more viable solution. Solar you need a ton of space and the storage systems in place for solar are sub par and that's being super generous. Wind is by far less intrusive on the landscape and also doesn't disrupt animal habits like solar does. While it might now be the answer in the long run it definitely helps reduce emissions. Have you by any chance looked in the modular reactors they are coming out with? You should look into them. I personally think it's a great technology because according to what I've read about you can put them dang near anywhere and tremendously reduce static loss of power over power lines.

If ozone layer is getting better than why politicians start new agenda to curb methane? I mean why we always blame gases for global warming rather than deforestation?

[removed]

No more broken strings I hope! Great recovery too. :)

Hi Ray! I've been wondering how you deal with the fatigue that must come with the constant travel and jetlag. Is it difficult to jump through timezones all the time with (what looks to me after glancing at your concert program) sometimes little time to rest in between?

Also, any chance we might see you back on TwoSet's channel in the near future? Your collabs together are always my favorite :3

A report on this exact topic just came out from USC last week! https://keck.usc.edu/study-links-adoption-of-electric-vehicles-with-less-air-pollution-and-improved-health/

I asked this question badly but I want to answer the same thing. I am hoping to get back something of what i was able to do before and finish things up

Great question and excellent advice!

Hey Ray, do you have any recommended stretching / physical exercise for SCOLIOSIS violin players (particularly beginners)? I know it’s a broad question and your recommendation may not suit everyone but I’m really curious. Soooooo this scoliosis adult beginner who swore to never join the violin gang has actually started to learn the violin partly because of you! I enjoy it very much and the only downside is that my neck and upper back hurt more now. I practice around 30min-1h a day after work but I try to maintain a good posture and I don’t wanna cut my practice duration… I tried some scoliosis stretching and they did relieve my pain a bit but I wonder what works the best on you. Before I end this. Thank you again for inspiring us, creating so many positive chances, and mostly, thank you for making me like myself a bit more. P.S. Can’t wait to see you in Hong Kong for Mendy two days in a row!

How would you react if (politely ask you to use your imagination here; I can think of a few examples so reckon it's well within your cognitive purview), somehow, you learned that a chicken (or a duck, maybe) was a musical genius beyond any human in recorded history or contemporary knowledge?

[removed]

How closely did you work with Sting on What could have been?

[removed]

Awesome thank you! I'll check it out!

[removed]

I want to get back to where I used to be :-( I feel more than ever I have unfinished business as I never finished my ARCT (not ray but I am a coder)

How important of a skill would you say memorization is, and how difficult is it to memorize long pieces? I imagine some parts might intuitively be easy to remember, but others not so much.