what I’ve learned in 2012
I tell my students that much like gasoline is a byproduct of the oil refining process, frustration is a symptom of learning. It means that changes are happening, that you’re bumping up against things that hold you back.…
Emily Wright
the science of productivity
Guess which part I screamed “YES” at?
finding a way home
In late October, I watched the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “Broke”. It details the oft-repeated parable of young professional athletes coming into giant sums of money in the early part of their careers and the subsequent inability to cope…
happy birthday.
The day before Veteran’s day is the Marine Corps’ birthday, and this year I was lucky enough to score an invite to the MCB Quantico ball. As the evening began, we had cocktails and chit-chatted with the people at…
heart lift
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rpOvYWd4KW4
my mind, the penalty box
I have spent much of my life being critiqued. As musicians, we never stop being on the receiving end of strong opinions from our instructors, conductors, snarky colleagues and music critics. Mostly, we vacillate between periods of…
I have the best students.
As a thank you for helping him choose an instrument, one of my students drew this for me: a Marine playing the cello. This could not be a more timely reminder of what’s important. I really do need my…
the giving tree
Once there was a tree, probably germinated in the Bavarian forest around the turn of the 19th century- and this tree was felled, bucked, hauled and delivered to the workshop of a luthier. Although we cannot be sure of…
Mozart and cool people vs the snobs (and maybe Wagner)
So I write for Strings. Some reviews, some technical pointer style pieces- for the past 6 months, I’ve been churning out a series of articles condensing some of the workshops that took place at this year’s ASTA conference. They’re…
stick figure mania!
Through the magic of Twitter, I was contacted by the fabulous English composer Alison Wrenn, who wanted some stick-figure illustrations for her book of beginning cello trios. Of course, I couldn’t resist. They just went on sale here,…