Well, folks, I’ve done it! As of Monday, May 18th, I’ve survived one whole year in the “real world.” It’s been a whirlwind twelve months, filled with new opportunities, experiences, and perspectives, and so in light of this anniversary, I’d like to take the opportunity to share some of the many insights I’ve gained along[…]
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Unless you’re living under a rock (or in a practice room), you knew about the Minnesota Orchestra’s historic tour to Cuba last week. Presenting two concerts on May 15th and 16th, the orchestra’s visit marked the first significant cultural exchange between America and Cuba following President Obama’s initiative to open a new chapter in the[…]
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Next Monday, May 18th, marks one year since my graduation from Eastman and subsequent entry into the “real world.” That year, which I’ve chronicled to some extent on this blog, has been one of enlightenment, growth, and discovery–but it’s also been one of surprise. It turns out that there are a wide variety of roles[…]
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A year ago last week, I packed a small duffel bag, placed my cello in a secure corner of my Rochester apartment, and walked a short ways to the Rochester Amtrak station to catch the noon train to Boston. The trip was momentous for a couple reasons: for one, it marked my first return to[…]
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Those of you who follow me regularly will know that “athleticism” is not a word that appears in my vocabulary. I can’t hit a baseball to save my life, couldn’t do a somersault if you paid me, and have always associated “P.E.” with the words “Physical Embarassment.” Thus, for the majority of my college years,[…]
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The other night, I was watching TV when a commercial came on for the new Dodge Challenger. As the proud new owner of a 2015 Honda Fit, I don’t pay too much attention to car commercials these days, but perked up when the advertisement began to deviate from the usual new-car-driving-through-CGI-landscapes variety. In the commercial, which[…]
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Last Sunday, I experienced my first spring concert as a faculty member in the Music for Youth Suzuki program based in Arlington Heights, IL. Originally started in the 1970s as a result of cuts to music programs in Arlington Heights’s primary school district, Music for Youth is unique it that it offers stringed-instrument instruction to[…]
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Greetings, everyone! This is the latest installment of my irregular, infinite-part quasi-series, “Updates from the Real World.” Things have gotten quite busy out in these here parts–a spring concert is already on the horizon in one of the programs I teach at (ironically, our last rehearsal had to be cancelled due to a snow day)[…]
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These days, the “theory” behind classical music’s decline in pop culture is common knowledge: the genre evolved out of rigid traditions in the church and monarchical regimes, became indelibly associated with the upper class, and maintained prominence until the beginning of the twentieth century, when cultural interest began to shift to new popular genres and[…]
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When you have three different teaching jobs, run a website, and blog for two more, you end up spending a lot of time on email. This is what I have learned over the past few months as I’ve juggled a variety of burgeoning professional obligations, all of which require a significant amount of regular email[…]
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Happened upon this post after seeing that Axe ad on late night TV and googling "Schubert in an Axe commercial."…