practice makes perfect. if you survive.
Originally published 12 June 2007. Near the end of this piece, I talk about resisting change and...
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Tag: list
hypothesis
Possible reasons for no blogging action/comments/emails/internet ghost town vibe of late:1) Phelps mania among blogging cellists, no time for interwebs.2) Clik-pad caused cubital tunnel issues, cannot type.3) Blogging cellists...
Read MoreHey, big spender
There are things to spend on, and things to skimp on. Here are my thoughts on getting the most bang for your cello buck.Spend on: initial beginner celloGoing the $200 cello route is like Russian roulette. Sometimes you get a...
Read MoreMaximizing your lesson experience
Nearly everything about the cello is, upon initial inspection, prohibitive. It’s big. It’s low. It’s difficult. It’s expensive. It reads that clef you didn’t really master when you took piano...
Read MoreReally good practice session
Ever the masochist, I have decided to go crazy on concert studies. In addition to the audition repertoire, I have added the 4 Bukinik studies, with a special focus on the 2nd one. People, if you don’t know these,...
Read MoreDon(ting) Juan {sic}
There’s an audition coming up in June, and I am thinking of taking it. Whether or not I do, I enjoy dusting off the excerpts and Haydn D for some critical work, which is amazingly never finished, even after 15 years of...
Read MoreThe recital
It went well. First off, lots of people attended, though not too many performed. My lovely cousin Natalie, who I have always felt lucky to be related to, showed up, as did my dad and a near stranger (a lapsed cellist, himself)...
Read Morelookin' good (soundin' bad) (for a while)
Other possible blog titles include:Acting the partAll for showTest yer gesture (ha)As many of you know, I am in the business of teaching how to play the cello. I was about to write, “I teach the cello” but then I...
Read MoreSo you wanna go to music school?
This list, like the last one, is drawn directly from my experience. This is hopfully going to be the emphasis of my next book, tentatively entitled something like, “Ignore This Book if You Want to Go to Your 9th Choice...
Read MoreBe Prepared
Maybe you don’t need this list. But maybe your students do!Things to have in your cello case:1) spare bow and rosin2) at least a good spare A (whole set is ideal, but pricey, I know)3) nail clippers4) ibuprofen for...
Read Morewamma wamma
Like an athlete on the DL, I have slowly been working my stamina up to where it was when I was in college. Sure, I’ve been playing 5 hours of lessons a day with my students and doing studio doubles, but unless the student...
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