Did anybody see Yo-Yo Ma’s performance of the Sarabande from Bach’s 6th suite at the Academy Awards last night? The piece was supposed to serve as a requiem of sorts for the folks that passed away this past year. But the audience’s clapping for the deceased, who had their pictures flashed on the giant screens […]
Two weeks ago, a friend of mine, the charismatic flutist Amy Porter, gave me an article she’d just reprinted in her flute club newsletter. The article, written by Derek Mithaug and excerpted from the Juilliard Journal, discusses the two ways in which most musicians approach their careers—they either FAN or CAN.
To FAN means to Find-A-Niche […]
After 2000 miles, three successful recitals, one radio broadcast, one review in The New York Times, and many great memories, (and, of course, a wonderful review from David Salvage), I’m home.
What a trip. I actually set out last Sunday in order to get to New York for a Monday morning masterclass at the Manhattan […]
Live in-studio performance and interview. WGDR FM 91.1, February 19, 2005.
You’ll have to forgive me for not posting as regularly as before. I’m in the final preparations for the New York Debut and I’ve had to devote most of my energy to that.
I’m off to New York tomorrow for what promises to be an exciting week. On Monday, I’ll give a masterclass for the saxophone […]
Virtuosity fascinates me. It’s interesting to trace the term through history and see how its meaning and the perception of virtuosity has changed.
Virtuoso is an Italian word, which comes from the Latin, virtus, meaning excellence or worth. As currently used, the word refers to a performer who is especially adroit in the practice […]
I recently watched the film Rivers and Tides: Working With Time (2001). It’s a portrait of the artist Andy Goldsworthy, who works exclusively with materials found in nature, like stone, wood, leaves, and ice. His work is stunning. Ephemeral. Fragile. Trascendent. Beautiful. It’s all of those things. But what also struck me about Goldsworthy was […]
I’d like to follow up a bit on the discussion from the previous post. The issue that emerged from the comments was one of catering to an audience versus playing (or composing) the music that one believes in. What’s really at the heart of the matter here is finding and defining a personal voice.
I think […]
Shouldn’t we play music that people want to hear?
A colleague I respect very highly asked me that question recently. And I’m pretty sure why he asked. He knows that I collaborate frequently with emerging composers and that the resulting work sometimes exists outside of certain listeners’ comfort zones—his included. Like Ms. Gould from a previous […]
Tour de France climbing categories are assigned subjectively based on:
length of the climb
altitude difference from bottom to top
average (and steepest) grade
summit elevation
climb’s position on the stage (early or late)
width and conditions of the road
After considering all these factors, the Tour’s director sportif makes his recommendations after driving over the stage routes a couple of months […]