Yes indeed – I have an eye imbalance where

I was wary of trying a double strung lever for this reason so I’m taking it slow with trying to keep my eyes open while I play it.

I just realized in reading these posts that the problem is changing focus from the music to the strings, isn’t it? In order to read my music I have to keep it right under my nose anyway so that helps me a little. When I play viola it’s very difficult for me to be a stand partner, except of course for the fact that it’s then the conductor and the music, not looking at the viola.

I had bought stick on magnifying lenses but they didn’t work for me either, so I have returned to my childhood propensity to memorize everything. I guess this precludes learning highly technical music but maybe I’ll be able to wear contacts by then.

Rod –
I had this problem, too.

I used to practice my harp while

Bringing your own background is a great solution – until last weekend at a wedding, the only place for the harp was beside the guests sitting down in the “audience”.

I can think of only one time that the background really threw me. It was about 10 years ago when I was giving a solo recital for the Connecticut chapter of the AHS. It was in a church meeting hall and the rug was a vibrant green with HUGE red roses all over it. Holy Christmas did that throw me. I managed to find a solid color blanket to place on the floor area that I would be looking at through the strings and that took care of it.

One of my very first jobs many many years ago was a very crowded cocktail party with me jammed in and people almost on top of me – a lady in a light beige dress with red and black horizontal strips came and stood with her buns about 18 inches from the strings on my right – not only that, but she moved side to side as she chatted so my strings disappeared completely and I got slightly seasick – took her a good 20 minutes to wend her way out of my visual path.