Category archive

der Bogen

Well, no matter what crazy antics I’m up to , there’s always room for Cello. Technique. *rimshot* Since I’m not sure if this is going to make it into my book, I thought it might be cool to post some…

real or fake?

I get lots of emails like this through my website. I never reply to them because they just seem like spam. Thoughts? i’m interesting about cello lesson.but my house is burbank. i cannot go to your studio.can you came to…

Spectacles

Leaving Los Angeles, at dawn. Palm Springs wind farm. Somewhere in the tail end of Arizona or the beginning of New Mexico. This turned into a real hum-dinger. Just outside of Las Cruces. I had a big thing here about…

Nathan talks about the Swan

I know I’ve made this point before, but you people need it hammered into you: Kids don’t have some magic ability to tame instruments. The main difference I see is they lack the self-loathing and expectations adults bring to the…

Change up your practice.

Try this: it’s like interval training for cello, and it got me over the hump when I was crashing on Rococo Variations. 1) Play a scale really slowly. As many octaves as you’re up to. Slur 2 to a bow,…

the forecast

Early July calls for mostly sunny skies, some fireworks, with a chance of Emily coming up the 15, 70 and 35 through CO, NE, IA and MN! Everything is tentative, but it looks like I will be once again making…

Two years!

I am in the absolute throes of book finishing right now. I hope you are patient enough (and that this blog and my site have been compelling enough) to wait and see the transformation I have planned for the whole…

Last night’s gig

I played a benefit last night. These are my driving shoes. I got to sit next to these orchids, which I thought were the most beautiful thing! This art was donated for the event. They’ll never know. Practice hours played,…

working on the book

Aah, zee cello. Look how relaxed and peaceful she is when playing zuh second finger wis good techniques. Zut alors! It is ‘orrible, zis shape! Yes, I am actually going to put that second one in the book. 🙂 photos…

this is the best I can draw.

I had quite a day on Monday. Here are the highlights! Creme de la Crepe cafe in Redondo is my favorite for light French fare. This is a cremeux espresso: double shot with fresh whipped cream. Les serveuses there are…

Ché settimana!

It’s been a crazy week. I was lucky that I could count on Lucy to fill in for me, there. I have 3 days until the book editing party, and I still have to take a bunch more pictures and…

in lieu of 6,000 words

What my life looks like these days when I’m not teaching: exhibit A: Obscene amounts of writing, re-writing, and other syntactical manglings. exhibit B: The artist finds inspiration. exhibit C: Inspiration is fleeting. What is everyone else up to? Must…

knowing the signs

Does this sound like you or anyone you know? Calloused hands, a closet full of full skirts and/or ‘comfy’ black pants, referring to people in strange code languages (“I was just thinking about GGP” “I can’t believe how long it’s…

Frazier/Ali

It’s interesting how much I learn from teaching. Over the past year or so, I have had four or five students rise quickly to the “uh-oh this is serious!” level of intensity with their cello practice and approach to playing.…

high maintenance

It’s funny that Cello Muser, aka @risktical asked for a post on periodic cello maintenance because until recently, I hadn’t been doing too much of that. In fact, I had been on the ignorant side of many things cello, like…

great lessons

Well, as if to prove that there is some balance in the world, my lessons today were miraculous. My first student is a professional musician and an accomplished teacher with the most destructive habit of denigrating herself. She brings me…

inbox

It has been a nightmarish week (my weeks run Thurs-Mon), full of last minute cancellations, which were followed by strongly worded emails about my lesson policy, which were followed by aggressive responses or sheepish apologies, which were followed by multiple…