Playing the viola hurts. It just does. Suck it up. That’s what I was always told, anyway, by countless well-meaning teachers, conductors, and coaches in my childhood. Most musicians my age or older were told the same thing. Sure, your … Continue reading →
Late last week the city of Turku, Finland announced the launching of a new initiative, the distribution of 5,500 “cultural prescriptions”, available through doctors’ appointments at city health centers. Vouchers for cultural events ranging from art exhibits to a children’s … Continue reading →
Last night, I was playing a chamber music concert at Minneapolis’s MacPhail Center for Music with three of my favorite fellow MN Orch musicians. It went well, I thought (my evidence for this conclusion is that a six-year-old boy in … Continue reading →
I’ve been playing a lot of viola lately. And even as I write it, I realize how ridiculous that sounds, since I’ve pretty much always been playing a lot of viola lately. But the last few months have been even … Continue reading →
Okay, so there’s this dancer/performance artist in the UK who is planning to purposefully induce in herself an epilectic seizure in front of a paying audience. Not only that, the Arts Council of England has apparently endorsed this seemingly insane … Continue reading →
Speaking of acoustics, here’s another interesting bit on sound and hearing. Although it comes as no surprise! One caveat; musicians sometimes have to contend with the very real possibility of hearing loss associated with instrument-induced damaged.
I should be backstage at Orchestra Hall right now, warming up for the concert that begins in 24 minutes. I was there this morning for the last rehearsal of the week, and even stuck around afterward for a chamber music … Continue reading →
Fun and frolics at the Fairbanks Symphony – their annual “Beat Beethoven” 5K run. Why not an upgrade for next year? If taken at a profoundly deliberate pace, perhaps Mahler’s 3rd Symphony would be the perfect marathon benchmark.
Apologies for the lack of posting this week; as Sam has said, I’m gearing up for a ridiculously busy week. In addition, I’m having some hand and shoulder problems – a combination of old injuries, a ton of traveling, lots … Continue reading →
A blog post by Matthew Guerrieri today (4/18) reminded me of a conversation I had recently regarding musicians and meds, specifically Inderal, the beta blocker most often used for performance anxiety. It’s safe to say that performance anxiety is an … Continue reading →
