Teensy

The 1/16th violin has arrived in our niece's tiny little hands, and she is not letting go of it. According to her parents, she practices three times a day, putting me to shame. She has also given it an official name: Teensy. The name fits.

I remember reading a book about musical instruments when I was a kid, and it said that many of the great violins have names. Some, it said, were named for the quality of their sound, such as the Del Gesu "Cannon," while others were named after distinguished owners, such as "Vieuxtemps," "Kreisler," and "Messiah."

Hmmm.