Category archive

Pie eater.

Sorry folks, I was so overworked at Hopkins this week that I ate your deathbed pie charts, mistaking them for actual pies. They were pretty tasty! (especially Wendy’s because she and I really like food, so it made up a significant…

Lost.

So I’m new to the area and the GoogleMaps app on the iPhone wasn’t cutting it when I would miss a turn or there would be an unexpected closure, etc. As a stop-gap between getting a full on Garmin, I…

Deathbed Pie Chart, volume 1.

The only thing† worse than having anxiety about something is the clarity of hindsight when you realize how much time you’ve spend senselessly worrying. As a former procrastinator who paid dearly for her dithering, I made a switch many years…

Happy Birthday, USA.

A good read, in case you haven’t taken the time. When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of…

On being sure-footed

Traveling with Lucy the WonderCat has been an adventure. I’m sure she’ll tell you all about it when she gets her typewriter back. Anyway, as a loyal JetBluer, I went out to get the “Jet Paws” pet carrier in accordance…

It’s a cello-y post!

Oh, internets, how I missed thee! I seriously hugged my laptop just then. Due to a screw up of epic proportions, it looks like your friendly neighborhood cellist will be sleeping on the floor in her swanky (vacant) new place…

Steps

I shed the first of what are sure to be many tears today as I reflected on one particular student’s journey. My strength as a teacher (and possibly as a human) is the same as my greatest weakness:  I invest…

The Big Game

I am so on fire for this game. Win, lose, or tie, I am living and breathing USA Soccer! …and since I promised that the next post would be about cello: Um, practice with the metronome. And then watch the…

My hero.

By now, most of you know who this guy is. In case you don’t, he’s Jim Joyce, the umpire who, if you believe the media who like to speak in catchphrases, “blew a perfect game” for Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando…

Memorial Day

Someone whom I respect and care very much for said about Memorial Day, “It really has no meaning for me at all.” I had my jaw sewn back on before she could turn around to see it hanging completely agape.…

Yeah, what he said.

Hey all: I’ve been under the weather a bit which has caused me to miss lots of lessons and neglect the blog this week. Today was rescued by the important things in life: lots of Skype with friends and loved…

Hey, cellist.

When you have a large number of adult students, it seems like everyone takes turns being injured. It’s hard on everyone involved, especially because most people hurt themselves after a breakthrough. A simple case of overuse gets ignored to the…

Geekage

After some technical difficulties rendered a new student’s camera useless, I was forced to give a first Skype lesson via audio-only. What was interesting is that I could tell what shape her hand was in by the sound she made,…

Weaving your sound

I’ve been sitting here trying to come up with the right opening for this post, and nothing is working. You know that thing that happens with the stuff and the other thing? Well I’ve Once upon a time there was a…

Mark to Market

Actual tweet from a college football player, whose name I will keep to myself: “I do not want to go to school.” As a rabid consumer of college football and active Twitter-er*, I follow lots of “student athletes”, and courtesy…

Identity Crisis

This is partly my fault. But still! Over the past few weeks, I have had numerous students insinuate that I am not a cellist, but only a cello teacher. This bizarre contradiction sometimes makes me laugh. Yesterday however, I stared…

Sitting in the fire

There are just some days where perspective fails and we are convinced that playing music sucks. Or rather, that as we are attempting it, music sucks. Both are false, but that’s not much consolation when you’re in the middle of…

for your listening pleasure

This is one of my favorite old-timey songs. It’s been that kind of day: swaying around the house, listening to crackly mono recordings, looking through old magazines, drinking experimental iced tea blends. I hope you take a moment to sway…

feedback

I’ve been secretive about book #2, but I suppose it won’t hurt to divulge the general idea: it’s a series of études for the repertoire, designed to help cellists on their first passes through some of the hallmark pieces .…

the Amazon

While it does not net me nearly as much revenue as my beloved Lulu, it is pretty exciting to have my book offered on Amazon! I am working feverishly on the next text, which is not the sequel to AMCM.…

dammit, YouTube

In response to and support of GottaGoPractice’s Fauré efforts of the same ilk, I was posting “relaxed Dvorak” videos over on YouTube. This one ran longer than 10 minutes due to one particularly hammy cat whose name begins with an…

alas.

One of my students, upon receiving my book and inspecting it offered the following: “If you’d like a nicer cover, I’d be willing to help you.” Thanks. Thanks for that.

Fired

Again, from the Twitter files: why would I “fire” a student? First, you should know that “firing” is a term I use with humor. Very rarely do I have to genuinely dismiss a student with unpleasant connotations. Normally, it’s a…

from the mailbag

Oooh weeeee I LOVE a request! Wendy wanted me to talk a little more about breathing after a conversation she had with a tuba player. (we won’t tease her too much about that). First stealthy secret about breathing: If you…

Cheerful Relentlessness

Maybe some of you remember Devin. He was a very special student of mine who, despite a massive brain injury that resulted in virtually no ability to retain information for more than 2-3 minutes, managed to make major strides on…

It’s official.

I’m moving to DC in July! More info as I get it. It’s not too soon to contact me for lessons: After my first course at Hopkins in mid-July, I’m going to have August nearly free. Although this was not…