immaturity
I can’t be asked to play something like this without at least a little bit of the side-eye. Photo taken this summer while subbing for PASO. h/t to my amazing friend Diana, who is as brilliant at…
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When I started SRCB in 2007, I could not imagine what the next 7 years would hold in store. Since that time, I have: flown airplanes moved 11 times published one book and 50+ articles in Strings plus one ignominious…
Goony
It is with great sadness that I report Lucy D. Cat, aka Goony, has passed away. It happened nearly a month ago, and I have been trying to cobble together some kind of video montage to post here, but I…
workshop digest, part 1!
I promised the participants at Lone Star SCOR some kind of run-down on topics we covered during the two workshops I gave. In the spirit of “better late than never”, I’m posting a PDF with the basics from the…
Benning and Blackerby- a traveling cellist’s best friends.
Flying with any instrument is a challenge. Flying with a huge instrument is a HUGE challenge, especially with the bizarro security antics going on around the country. So when I excitedly accepted my cousin’s request to play for her wedding…
Memorial Day 2014
The thing about wishing a “Happy” Memorial Day is fairly simple to parse into sides, both of which come from decent enough places. Some say a day that pays respect to the fallen should be marked with a somber tone.…
for Cathy.
This post was supposed to be a big wrap-up of the teaching experience at Lone Star SCOR! and an overdue thank-you to the two violin shops who provided me with stellar instruments in both Los Angeles and Austin. These things…
cherry blossom time
It’s cherry blossom time in DC, so here’s an obligatory photo from the neighborhood. In a few weeks, I’ll pay my first visit to California since 2011- it seems like forever ago. We’re flying in for my cousin’s wedding and…
recital
My studio had a recital over the weekend. I hold recitals for the singular benefit of students- there’s nothing quite like the accountability of knowing your efforts will be heard by strangers to focus and intensify practice. The performance part…
the exorcism
Yesterday was Fridge Day. At the end of Tuesday’s efforts, I put all of the moldy nightmare food left by the AU s̶t̶u̶d̶e̶n̶t̶s̶ savages in the freezer, in an attempt at stench abatement. I actually heaved outside after handling a garbanzo…
new house
P and I have been renting an Edwardian-ish house that is now in the process of being sold. It needed lots of TLC before we moved in, so last July involved much painting and sanding, some rewiring, much creative use…
old school
I used to post cat videos a bit. This one is “Timo the cat and his hammock, part II”.
splat
I fired another student a week or so ago. Basically, he was a very nice gentleman who systematically refused to do anything I asked him to do. In over a year of lessons, he progressed less than any other student…
hour 7.
With my Bizarro Ultra Extreme 3000™ schedule, I haven’t been able to do much volunteering at my Henri Give Back outlets. So today I went rogue. It began innocently enough, shoveling my neighbor’s sidewalk and stairs- they have a newborn and…
She shoots, she SCORs!
I am thrilled to report that the wonderful people at SCOR! have added me to their faculty for the upcoming Chesapeake camp, taking place July 31-Aug 2. If you are an adult amateur string player in the general Philly/Baltimore/DC area,…
fin de l’histoire…henri et moi.
When I met Henri, he was a nameless cello that had come in as a consignment piece to Potter Violins, where I worked part time as a sort of gal-about the shop. He was far too loud, with too much…
working it.
The only good thing about losing your swagger is the moment when, for no apparent reason, it comes back. In case you forgot, “working it” doesn’t mean “Work to gain something you don’t have so you can be…
on impersonating cellists, falling down and Pavel Datsyuk
and now for a moment of hockey rage
Warning: Hockey content. Those of you who are regular readers can feel free to ignore this post or become rabid fans. Those of you who are visiting for the first time and are already hockey fans will surely be disappointed…
hours 3 through 6.
During my visit to Walter Reed, I ran into Chaplain Wayne Haddad, whose kind demeanor and conversation immediately put me at ease. I inquired if there might be some use for me, and within a week, I was signed…
your source for “pro session musicians”
This, from my inbox. I laughed until my face hurt. At least it’s better than those folks in eastern Europe trying to get me to evangelize about their pricey and yet somehow cheap-looking cases. I am a Music…
hours 1 and 2.
I spent the first two hours of my Henri campaign volunteer time at Walter Reed, being only moderately helpful as an assistant at an art show. The pieces were created by those in and around the Reed community who found…
rewiring project
I’m always deeply touched by stories like this, (where thousands of people are getting together to make a kid’s wish come true)– and I think part of it is because much of my childhood involved dealing with lots…
refund
A few years ago, I wrote a post about reasons I would “fire” a student. As time passes, I’m discovering that there are as many ways for the student-teacher relationship to sour as there are for it to flourish.…
on zeno, confidence and cashing out
I frequently implore my students to practice confidence. This means practice being confident, practice with confidence, practice staying confident. I’ve been thinking about the root causes of a confident mindset, and have come to the conclusion that it is largely unrelated…
chattin’ with Lucy
I have no idea how Lucy has such technical know-how, but this just happened (you may need to click to enlarge): The fundraiser got me a huge start towards purchasing Henri, and I have a sense that things will…
the home stretch
There is $6000 left to raise and 60 hours remaining in the campaign to fund Henri, and I’m sorting through mixed emotions as I prepare for the shortfall. Of course, this blog has made a name for itself…
owning an instrument
In more ways than one, I’m trying to get back to owning the cello. The 1-2-3 punch of surgery, moving and then grad school took some of the edge off of my chops. There were a few months towards…
25 days left to go: meet Henri
I got so sick of waiting for the perfect time, ideal level of preparedness or whatever. Now you get to meet Henri. No cellos were harmed during the making of this video. More soon! Donate here, si’l vous plaît!…
one month left/greatest hits
So there are 30 days left of the IndieGogo fundraiser. as uncomfortable as it may make me, I’m going to turn up the volume on my efforts a little bit. I’ve gotten emails from people I thought were well…