Author: Emily Wright

upgrading your rig, part 1

upgrading your rig, part 1

Posted by | Dec 21, 2017 | , , | 2 |

There are a million ways to spend money on cello stuff: cases, stands, stand lights, strings, premium rosin, super premium rosin, bows, bridges, time spent at the luthier’s table- you get the idea. When I was a young cellist, buying a set of new strings had not yet become the momentous decision it is now. Prices exploded in the late 1990s, and it seems like the cello is ever more a sport for the rich. The next few posts will focus on where to spend and where to splurge, based on my experience and that of my students. Spend:...

Read More
fermata

fermata

Posted by | Dec 20, 2017 | , | 2 |

I talk to lots of musicians in pain- if there’s one thing I’m grateful for after all these years of questionable medical care and countless wrong turns, it’s the education the experience has bestowed upon me, so I can at least be a useful resource to others who are new to the “is this going to kill my career/quality of life” rumination. I recently had a long talk with a brilliant high school student who seems destined for the conservatory as a double threat: piano performance major with a minor in violin. A colleague who coaches her had messaged...

Read More

Banishing the student-y sound

Posted by | Dec 18, 2017 | | 0 |

Here’s a wee presentation I did a few years back at a workshop. There’s no voiceover…although maybe at some point I’ll add it, if you think that would be useful. The single most important thing that contributes to artistry on the instrument is the idea that every note matters, and that nothing happens accidentally. I hope you enjoy it, and take it to heart. Oh, and since the thing advances slides every 5 seconds, you may need to pause every now and again to read the entire slide. 🙂  ...

Read More
retrospect

retrospect

Posted by | Dec 17, 2017 | | 0 |

There was a piece going around on Twitter a few weeks back- an acclaimed author had posted a thread about how much of his success was about luck and privilege, and that it’s completely possible to be good at what you do and work hard and still not come out a winner. It’s so refreshing to hear someone who is never going to have to worry about paying bills step down from what seems like a great height and acknowledge things like luck and advantage. Especially in the humanities, there’s a pervasive trope of the immaculate success; one that...

Read More

Pay for lessons, sponsor a student, or make a donation!