Yeah, what he said.
Hey all: I’ve been under the weather a bit which has caused me to miss lots of lessons and neglect the blog this week. Today was rescued by the important things in life: lots of Skype with friends and loved ones, a Harry Potter marathon on TV, and a visit from my student/soul sister Wendy, who brought me a ton of stuff, including a book containing this Mahler quote: “The important thing is to never let oneself be guided by the opinions... Read More
The Fringe Benefits of Failure, by JK Rowling
This was brought to my attention by a good friend who is familiar with the general theme of my teaching, and has been witness to some of my greatest triumphs, most of which sprung from the sting of utter failure. It ties in nicely with my upcoming seminar series about The Talent Code, where the author states (and I agree) that adversity is essential to becoming an expert at anything. I believe that is true of the cello and of life in general. J.K.... Read More
Turning an issue into an asset
Learning any difficult craft can end up being a metaphor for our relationship with ourselves. No sooner have we picked up the bow than a tree falls right in our path, preventing forward progress with its clear message of: Turn back, moron. This way is not for you. Devastation. Served hot daily. I sometimes feel bad for certain of my colleagues. They have been so naturally blessed with ability that they don’t deal with that inner obstacle... Read More
Words to live by.
Whether it’s getting a book published, striving for personal growth and perspective, or just trying to take a more disciplined bow stroke, each day offers us an opportunity to either persist or buckle under the strain of it all. I say persist. Read More
Why Music People Should Love Sports, Part 2
random acts of iTunes
I was folding laundry the other day and allowing the iTunes DJ to make song selections for me. As I was listening, I thought, “Now this is why I play the cello.” Not all of it was cello music, but one doesn’t need to listen to only classical or string music to be inspired to play it. In fact, I get amped up for most of my performances with either hip-hop or classic rock. Anyway, I thought it might be neat to offer 5 people whose... Read More
But more importantly
Today, we lost the amazing Kay Yow. She is not a hero to me because of her stellar record in college basketball, but because she lived a decidedly purposeful life throughout her decades-long battle with breast cancer. My mother has been relatively successful in her many battles with cancer, and she too, belongs to that club of amazing people who are confronted in a very direct manner with the mortality we all talk a big game about but never truly... Read More
cometh
I think it was in this month’s Shambala Sun magazine where I read that in dark times, you should give the most of yourself. It makes sense, especially as related to the cello. It’s been a tough year, as my years have gone. I try to greet each day with gratitude because I am truly ignorant of what tough is, but that seems to bring only irony, not comfort. So I’m going to try a more direct route and reach out to the community. My idea... Read More
becoming what you are
I am a big believer in messages to (and from) the universe. I think that everything one does is a message, a request. It’s that “you get what you give” thing, where the style of life you live is, in very little time, slingshot right back to you because you asked for it by example. As we continue to live and struggle and become what we really are, there is a sort of distillation that happens, where, for good or bad, we receive back... Read More
Devin
Devin Barlow is a student of mine. We meet once a week, for 30 minutes. Sometimes it feels like 2 hours to Devin, and not just because I am long winded and overexplanatory. Devin has very little short-term memory because of a catastrophic mountain biking accident in 2003, and sometimes the passing of time feels different to him than it does to the rest of us. What I find interesting, and hope to research, is why Devin is beginning to remember and... Read More
