Sarah and I have both written before about the seemingly intractable debate over the health of classical music in our pop culture-obsessed society. While I doubt the two of us agree on every facet of the issue, and both of … Continue reading →
An orchestra, like any large organization, is prone to periods of disharmony, but sometimes the conflicts reflect a much larger issue than the usual ebb and flow of the complex interrelationships, as discussed in this New York Times article. There … Continue reading →
This is how I want to spend my 99th birthday: in a recent NY Times article Daniel J. Wakin writes, “Now here’s a way to celebrate your birthday: Gather hundreds of affectionate fans in a theater, sit as they watch … Continue reading →
An interesting article on the hidden perils of our job. Hearing is the the bedrock of musicianship – without the ability to discern the slightest varieties of intonation, to hear the smallest nuances of tone, any other skill is practically … Continue reading →
Sorry for the light blogging this week. In addition to the usual rehearsal schedule, I’m actually moving across town this week, so today will likely be the last you hear from me in this space until the weekend. I actually … Continue reading →
Because this was too funny (in that horrifying, it-could-happen-to-anyone way – in fact listen to our first podcast for the retelling of a similar incident that happened with the Minnesota Orchestra) not to repost (thank you Alex Ross), a “Messiah” … Continue reading →
A glance at next week’s schedule at the Minnesota Orchestra indicates a rather diverse week; three performances of Handel’s “Messiah”, a duo of Holiday Pops shows and two Family concerts. It’s typical fare for the holiday season, which is most … Continue reading →
There was another pleasant surprise in last week’s Grammy nomination announcement – six old friends of mine who make up a ridiculously innovative chamber ensemble called eighth blackbird got a nod for their latest CD, strange imaginary animals. (One of … Continue reading →
Well, as of a few hours ago, we are officially your Grammy-nominated Minnesota Orchestra! The list of noms came out this afternoon (not that we were sitting around waiting for it, you understand… ehrm… well, maybe we were just a … Continue reading →
I love procrastinating. So that others can join me in my time-wasting today, via Soho the Dog, a wonderful little meme/questionnaire. The Rules: 1. Put your iTunes/ music player on Shuffle2. For each question, press the next button to get … Continue reading →
