Sweetness comes in many forms when on tour. One such form is in the person who waits backstage or at the exit to say hello or congratulate you for a good show. They will often be a perfect stranger who wants to take a picture to commemorate the evening or who knows someone you both …
When the MO goes on tour we generally gather downstairs at MSP airport and get checked in as a group. In this case, we were separated into three separate flights although I don't know why that was the case. Sometimes you just can't find a single plane that has the space to carry all hundred …
It was the best of times, it was.... Hmmm.... no. Try again. The day began like any other day. Yecch. It was a dark and stormy night. That's better. Not completely accurate but damned close. When you plan a tour you pray for the best and expect he worst. The worst is a complete cancellation …
I love the process of teaching because of the way it marks time by virtue of accomplishment. Yesterday, Saturday the 20th of January, 2018 marked such an accomplishment. The accomplishment was not mine. Rather, it was that of a bunch of students who made the decision some time ago to get up early on what …
As younger music students grow into older ones they find that, like so much in life, the study of their art goes into progressing stages. That's nothing new for anyone that undertakes in-depth examination of an art or vocation or hobby. We begin with an understanding of the technical aspects whether it's just holding the …
This will not be a long piece. It is, however, an acknowledgement and paean to a musical soul. This weekend I have the distinguished honor of once again playing with one of those elder statesmen of music, Helmuth Rilling, born in Germany in 1933. The first time I played for him I was truly too …
Continue reading The gentility of understanding that is Helmuth Rilling
During an ugly time as a musician with the Minnesota Orchestra we were locked out. The predictable arm-chair quarterbacks weighed in speculating that they would be happy to earn the money we were being offered, regardless of the fact that it represented a huge cut. After all, they said.... how hard could it be? …
I'm a big fan of the show Jeopardy. So, for today's exercise I'll begin with the answer in the hopes that it will answer an age-old question. Answer: Well, you ask to take up an instrument and your folks shell out the bucks for it. Maybe you take private lessons, maybe you don't. Sometimes you …
Continue reading Please State That In the Form of a Question
