My studio had a recital over the weekend. I hold recitals for the singular benefit of students- there’s nothing quite like the accountability of knowing your efforts will be heard by strangers to focus and intensify practice. The performance part…
Yesterday was Fridge Day. At the end of Tuesday’s efforts, I put all of the moldy nightmare food left by the AU s̶t̶u̶d̶e̶n̶t̶s̶ savages in the freezer, in an attempt at stench abatement. I actually heaved outside after handling a garbanzo…
P and I have been renting an Edwardian-ish house that is now in the process of being sold. It needed lots of TLC before we moved in, so last July involved much painting and sanding, some rewiring, much creative use…
I used to post cat videos a bit. This one is “Timo the cat and his hammock, part II”.
I fired another student a week or so ago. Basically, he was a very nice gentleman who systematically refused to do anything I asked him to do. In over a year of lessons, he progressed less than any other student…
With my Bizarro Ultra Extreme 3000™ schedule, I haven’t been able to do much volunteering at my Henri Give Back outlets. So today I went rogue. It began innocently enough, shoveling my neighbor’s sidewalk and stairs- they have a newborn and…
I am thrilled to report that the wonderful people at SCOR! have added me to their faculty for the upcoming Chesapeake camp, taking place July 31-Aug 2. If you are an adult amateur string player in the general Philly/Baltimore/DC area,…
When I met Henri, he was a nameless cello that had come in as a consignment piece to Potter Violins, where I worked part time as a sort of gal-about the shop. He was far too loud, with too much…
The only good thing about losing your swagger is the moment when, for no apparent reason, it comes back. In case you forgot, “working it” doesn’t mean “Work to gain something you don’t have so you can be…
Warning: Hockey content. Those of you who are regular readers can feel free to ignore this post or become rabid fans. Those of you who are visiting for the first time and are already hockey fans will surely be disappointed…
During my visit to Walter Reed, I ran into Chaplain Wayne Haddad, whose kind demeanor and conversation immediately put me at ease. I inquired if there might be some use for me, and within a week, I was signed…
This, from my inbox. I laughed until my face hurt. At least it’s better than those folks in eastern Europe trying to get me to evangelize about their pricey and yet somehow cheap-looking cases. I am a Music…
I spent the first two hours of my Henri campaign volunteer time at Walter Reed, being only moderately helpful as an assistant at an art show. The pieces were created by those in and around the Reed community who found…
I’m always deeply touched by stories like this, (where thousands of people are getting together to make a kid’s wish come true)– and I think part of it is because much of my childhood involved dealing with lots…
A few years ago, I wrote a post about reasons I would “fire” a student. As time passes, I’m discovering that there are as many ways for the student-teacher relationship to sour as there are for it to flourish.…
I frequently implore my students to practice confidence. This means practice being confident, practice with confidence, practice staying confident. I’ve been thinking about the root causes of a confident mindset, and have come to the conclusion that it is largely unrelated…
I have no idea how Lucy has such technical know-how, but this just happened (you may need to click to enlarge): The fundraiser got me a huge start towards purchasing Henri, and I have a sense that things will…
There is $6000 left to raise and 60 hours remaining in the campaign to fund Henri, and I’m sorting through mixed emotions as I prepare for the shortfall. Of course, this blog has made a name for itself…
In more ways than one, I’m trying to get back to owning the cello. The 1-2-3 punch of surgery, moving and then grad school took some of the edge off of my chops. There were a few months towards…
I got so sick of waiting for the perfect time, ideal level of preparedness or whatever. Now you get to meet Henri. No cellos were harmed during the making of this video. More soon! Donate here, si’l vous plaît!…
So there are 30 days left of the IndieGogo fundraiser. as uncomfortable as it may make me, I’m going to turn up the volume on my efforts a little bit. I’ve gotten emails from people I thought were well…
I’m not the only musician fostering a love/hate relationship with social media. The other day, I lamented that there was this constant pressure to provide evidence of work- and worth. There’s a lot to be curated: a web site,…
So after an explosive start, the weekend fundraising was…nominal. I suppose I’m trying to see how things develop organically without cluttering up the internet with frequent posts that will only annoy the people whose support I am trying…
Day 1 was epic and incredibly emotional. I am overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity that has been shown to me. Within 4 hours of launch, nearly $3500 had been raised! I was particularly moved by a donation from…
Go here if you’d like to contribute to the cello fund. I’ll try to keep it as low-key and unobtrusive as possible. Thank you for all of your support over the past few years. even if you can’t contribute…
Goals 1. Fundraise, without shame, the remaining $16,000 balance on the cello that is currently lying on its side next to me. It’s taking a long time to edit the video the fundraising site requires, and…
“I don’t want to hear myself cry”. I find incredible depth in those words, and in their timing. Ellen took it to the next level. PS: She rocks the half sleeve like a boss.…
I was talking with someone about the upheaval that’s been a characteristic flavor of the past few years, and he said, “Well, I know you: it’s about time for your next reinvention.” At the moment, I didn’t think…
I need your advice. I have a teenage student who has not responded positively to any approach, though he is progressing as well as anyone who has a pulse and thrashes away at the instrument a few times…