First impressions
I have a policy in my studio of never accepting a student who cancels their first lesson. What a meanie, right? And yet, the few times in the past when I have caved into the pressure to be amenable, I…
Emily Wright
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…
Tour details!
In case you’re not on the epic GoogleWave I’ve created to coordinate the tour and are interested in taking a lesson in either DC/Baltimore or Atlanta, here is the sign up sheet. DC dates are March 1-5, Atlanta is March…
Meet Joe, the Guest Blogger!
One of the many benefits of Twitter (aside from limiting otherwise verbose people to 140 characters) is meeting people who have some very similar tastes and a whole host of disparate ones. My Twitter associations are grouped into three large…
East Coast Tour!
Things are starting to take shape, so I would like to officially announce my East coast teaching tour! If you’re in the DC area, PA, the Carolinas or Atlanta, hit me up at tour(at)emilywright(dot)net. If you haven’t participated in an…
Rehabbing a busted arm
This morning, I played 100 notes on the cello. If this is the first time you’re reading my blog, that might sound like amateurish bragging. For SRCB veterans who know that it’s been less than a month since I had…
The Sound of Music (Education)
Lobbyists for any cause will invoke its importance, its relevance, its benefit to children. Music gets decimated because although the benefits to students are overwhelming, the people charged with defending its validity appeal to things like motor skills and math…
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…
Secret New Year’s cat thoughts
with love
Just a quick note to say thank you to everyone who reads and comments and emails here and through my site. It is nice to feel appreciated, and even when I’m critiqued, I learn how to be a better teacher,…
There are only ten days of Cellomas this year.
So, the last day of Cellomas: 2009 Failtacular is a little short (I’m writing with 1.5 hands after the surgery) but such is life. The ninth day was a warning to choose your source of self-estimation carefully. Look out for…
Pretty good!
For those of you who aren’t doing the whole Twitter thing, a quick hello from ulnar recovery 2009! Right after the surgery, I could feel more of my pinky and ring fingers than I had in years. Still swollen and…
On the ninth day of Cellomas
My teacher told to me: Stay the course. Too often, aspiring musicians of all ages and echelons are swayed by things other people tell them. Various powerful people convince us that we’re worthless, or unpopular, out of sync, or nearly…
On the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth day of Cellomas
My teacher told to me: This one’s for the college bound youngsters, from my own experience and witnessing others. You never know who’s watching. Oh, musicians. We have our personality knobs turned up to 11, don’t we? Everywhere I turn,…
On the third day of Cellomas
My teacher told to me: Never EVER leave your instrument in your car. For any reason. Aside from superheating /freezing our delicate wooden boxes to the point of strings popping, bridges falling, seams opening and general archaic misbehavior, theft is…
On the second day of Cellomas
My teacher told to me: Don’t ignore any pain, especially pain that playing seems to make worse. My left arm started acting up when I was about 11, and I have a feeling that the doctors and my parents thought…
The 12 Days of Cellomas 2009 Fail-tacular!
Back for more, are you? Last year’s 12 days of Cellomas focused on practice habits, and looking back on them, they’re pretty good! This year, I’ve collected some stories and will share some of my own complete and utter, wish-you-could-turn-back-time,…
To the Men of Troy
Unlike many self-assured USC fans, this season’s rocky ride was not a surprise to me. Nor was it as horrifying or depressing for me as it seemed to be for other fans. I think the secret to my success and…
Greetings from Indiana!
Well, it is cold here. I’m finding it more bracing than debilitating, but I’m sure my adrenaline and excitement could be affecting me. Yesterday was a big day. Mimi had an itinerary for me that initially had me occupied from…
Musician’s Etiquette, via Oboe Insight
Rules to Live By! Patty Mitchell’s blog is great. Upon reading this list of Do’s and Don’ts, I cringed just a little bit. It’s been a while since I was truly immersed in the symphonic world, and the memories of…
your friend Emily, through good and bad (hair)
There was one picture involving a bowl cut that I just couldn’t put up. Sorry. As I prepare for ulnar nerve surgery this December, I am forced to reflect back on my experience with the cello. I had to sign…
meet Cheeto.
(excuse the kitchen in the background. that’s where the light was good.) I think Eric might die if he knew I had nicknamed his wonderful cello “Cheeto”, but really it’s a compliment. No, it’s not really that orange. In fact,…
btw
Don’t question the A your teacher gives you.
Human Potential, by Stephen Wiltshire
We hear a lot about musical savants, but this guy’s gifts of perception are staggering. It does beg the tantalizing question of whether we have these abilities within ourselves but lose them as we try to become more convenient personalities…
A proud Veterans Day, no thanks to Finale.
I had gotten a lot of requests for my arrangement of the Star Spangled Banner, so I thought, “This morning, I’ll notate it and put it up. Won’t that be nice?” Of course, since it involved FAILnale Finale software, I…
When to let your kid quit*
Parents have to tread a pretty fine line when it comes to encouraging/harassing/bribing/browbeating their kids to practice an instrument. My angle is that, after the age of 10 or so, it is up to the student whether or not to…
The top 10 lamest excuses I have ever heard for canceling a lesson or quitting altogether (now with retorts!)
10) It’s too hot. You don’t say! We live in the desert, in case you hadn’t noticed. 9) I’m, er…sick. (on the phone, with festive sounds in the background) You will be after the 7 vodka tonics you’re in the…
Still under construction, but…
While we’re waiting for some more upgrades, I wanted to share two things: 1) This video. I am pretty sure it’s a joke, but it is not dissimilar to people I have witnessed at the college level! You gotta laugh.…
Why Music People Should Love Sports, Part 2
Planning ahead
I’m going to try this with a slightly more cogent approach this time. AAAAAAAA!! Another teaching tour! I’m thinking March: South Carolina to DC/Baltimore to PA to Manhattan. The plan is to have two teaching days in each city: one…