Practice streaming
Once a month, I’m going to stream a practice session on Zoom that is free to join, and afterwards, you can ask questions about anything you saw/heard or your own practice! The next practice stream will be on Tuesday, October…
Reconsidering practice, part 1
In trying to come up with a grand unifying theory of performance anxiety, I proposed (at a talk I gave this summer) that the likelihood of its debilitating effects exist on the axes of two main components: preparation and self-concept.…
Rot or Not 1: Brisa Suave vinho verde
This is NOT rot! Delightful, semi-effervescent vinho verde. If it’s called vinho verde, it’s from Portugal, and although the literal translation suggests “green wine”, in practice, it just means young wine, not aged very long. Lower alcohol (as is the…
Introducing: Rot or Not
In 2015-16, there seemed a real chance that my spinal issues would cost me my career in music. My mind raced, trying to imagine a skill I was already in possession of that could become a new full-time profession. The…
Intro to Practice Modes
Students frequently ask/beg/lament: what should I practice? How much? In what order? For how long? Should I write it all in a journal? Count my reps? While these are decent questions, I think the better one to ask is “how…
October 2024 playlist
Scaffolding your shifts
There are a few ways to approach shifts, each featuring subtly different orders of operation. The approach I’ll be talking about in this post is commonly known as old finger shifting. This name always makes me chuckle, as I imagine…
September 2024 playlist
Welcome!
Thank you for stopping by! The first iteration of this site was Stark Raving Cello: a Blogger site where I took turns opining, explaining, and ranting about whatever came into my 28-year-old brain. The name of the blog was accurate!…
Lesson notes: things you don’t need to worry about as a student
If you have practiced, have faith that your instructor can see your work! Hitting a wrong note or three Take a moment and be reasonable. What do you think being a student is like? Why do we take lessons? Where…
August 2024 playlist
Lesson notes: one common thing you definitely should not do
Perhaps the most important thing a well-intentioned adult student can do is get out of their own way! Something I’ve noticed about adult learners is this tendency to—out of a completely wholesome desire to be polite and show their dedication—absolutely…