heart lift
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rpOvYWd4KW4
Emily Wright
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,…
on greatness
This.
unexpected finds
I was chatting with a friend from California the other day and he said it seems like I’ve adjusted to east coast living. It got me thinking about the differences between the two places, and how moving away from…
lights out
I just realized that my primary aim as an instructor is not to convey information but rather to do whatever it takes to foster the bravery required to continue learning. In this respect, I guess I’m more of a coach than…
chestnut trees, dancing, and the cello-y life
I keep thinking about some Yeats I read a while back. Labour is blossoming or dancing where The body is not bruised to pleasure soul. Nor beauty born out of its own despair, Nor blear-eyed wisdom…