The Rite Reward
by:
Holly Mulcahy
Big journeys take preparation, patience, and perseverance, and finishing my first year with the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera was no different. Our last concert of the season was a challenging program: Shostakovich Cello Concerto #1 and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. The Rite of Spring is not the easiest of pieces to pull off, but Chattanooga Symphony nailed it beautifully. The amount of personal preparation can take months of studying scores, listening to recordings, watching YouTube videos, and of course individual practice. At the first rehearsal everyone summoned their personal ground work and ... Continue Reading
Graceful, Not Wasteful
by:
Holly Mulcahy
The “do-over” is something we never get in life. One my list of things I wish I could “do-over” is to take better care of myself and save more money during my college and early professional years. This is the second part in my three part series of things I wish I could go back and tell my younger self. The first article in the series was about how to be happy and treat our fellow humans. This installment focuses on eating better, saving money, and wasting less. It’s definitely not the ... Continue Reading
Snow Day, Snow Hill, and Symphonic Solutions
by:
Holly Mulcahy
It’s been a long, long winter for just about everyone in the country. The “Polar Vortex” blamed for the freezing temperatures, snow, and ice impacted so many! But it’s these weather challenges that create memorable situations; during my weeks in Chattanooga, the snow and cold brought out the best in everyone. Snow Hill The one of the many cool things the board members and administration of the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera have is the ability to enjoy and appreciate all kinds of music. When I was invited to come enjoy a bluegrass ... Continue Reading
Happiness Quantified, Humanist Qualified
by:
Holly Mulcahy
There is a point where we all want to go back in time and shake some sense into our younger selves. Since that is not a possibility, I’ve been passing on to students and young professionals what I think I would have found useful in music school. This is the first of a three part series I introduced last month. In each part of the series I touch on ideas I would have found helpful years ago. This month I’m touching on the importance of happiness. Happiness Quantified; Finding, Keeping, and Practicing ... Continue Reading
Caffeine, Conversations, and Christmas Concerts
by:
Holly Mulcahy
“Admits to using caffeine” was what I read in my file while at the doctor’s for a checkup. Seeing that written down in such an official capacity made me feel like an addict! But I was informed it was simply a formality. What-ever! But I do admit to a problem; the problem is there are so many fine coffee roasters and coffee shops in the city of Chattanooga it’s hard to know where to start. Finding some enablers, er, friends from the orchestra and audience wasn’t too hard. Apparently many suffer from ... Continue Reading
