Turning an issue into an asset
Learning any difficult craft can end up being a metaphor for our relationship with ourselves. No sooner have we picked up the bow than a tree falls right in our path, preventing forward progress with its clear message of: Turn back, moron. This way is not for you. Devastation. Served hot daily. I sometimes feel […]
Rehabbing a busted arm
This morning, I played 100 notes on the cello. If this is the first time you’re reading my blog, that might sound like amateurish bragging. For SRCB veterans who know that it’s been less than a month since I had my ulnar nerve removed from the epicondyle tunnel and sewn back under my forearm muscle […]
On the ninth day of Cellomas
My teacher told to me: Stay the course. Too often, aspiring musicians of all ages and echelons are swayed by things other people tell them. Various powerful people convince us that we’re worthless, or unpopular, out of sync, or nearly as damaging: that we’re supreme beings. Do not make the mistake of buying into any […]
To the Men of Troy
Unlike many self-assured USC fans, this season’s rocky ride was not a surprise to me. Nor was it as horrifying or depressing for me as it seemed to be for other fans. I think the secret to my success and perhaps the key to the Trojans’ struggles come from the same place: I am, after […]
When to let your kid quit*
Parents have to tread a pretty fine line when it comes to encouraging/harassing/bribing/browbeating their kids to practice an instrument. My angle is that, after the age of 10 or so, it is up to the student whether or not to continue. If the teacher’s guidance is rebuffed for more than 3 lessons (and you need […]
Do you really warm up?
Ask yourself this: is my warmup a truly physical warmup? There is a difference between warming up your technical chops and just plain getting your body used to the crazy things we ask it to do while playing. This is true for most players, but especially essential for those of us who are recovering from […]
never good enough
I have a long-term student who has been very up, very down, all over the map in terms of her dedication to the cello. Of late, prodded on by the Galamian scales with martelé that every one of my students is slaving away at, she has made a tremendous amount of progress. I can always […]
Having tough lessons? You have a choice.
The way I see it, there is this thing, this Difficulty (capital D, for emphasis) to playing the cello. And it’s there; sitting, waiting, towering, looming, quivering. Many a student has tried to devise strategies to get around this Difficulty. Example A demonstrates that you cannot cover the Difficulty with laundry. Example B depicts what […]
how to get good
One of the hardest things about teaching kids is that you have to watch talent languish. I routinely run into situations where a student just turns off to the whole learning process but, thinking that I can be fooled, turns up the charm and tries to stall during the lesson or make excuses for failing […]
the post with no name
Chameleon drawing from this online coloring book site!
