It’s been a horrible year for the Arts in this hemisphere, so it is such a relief to be able to celebrate great news from one of our sister organizations. But there’s one little problem- there’s a missing piece…
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Quick Takes: Gesturing….
My teacher Jorge Mester the first time I met him asked me this simple question “What is conducting?” I was stumped and after several feeble attempts to describe what conducting is (which is what I wanted to do with my life!) he helped me work it out. That lesson was the most profound he ever gave me and it is something I apply to this day allowing me to never lose sight of what it is I actually do and how I can apply it elsewhere……..
In the City of Big Shudders…
Wow. I had to re-read the article for a third time today because it just didn’t make sense the other two times. There’s an orchestra in the United States of America that’s threatening to go on strike? In these economic times? Guess denial ain’t just a river in Egypt, or in Chicago for that matter.
Quick Takes: What is Success?
The word success is defined for many in the performing arts as the accomplishing of a personal goal, to be continuously engaged, to reach higher positions, to be critically acclaimed and all of the above. Is it really success when it is only about ourselves? Is success not something that also given from ourselves to others? To take a great work and to give it a great performance actually pales into insignificance compared to a performance resonating to the point that that it alters someone’s being, gives them pause to reflect on themselves or even potentially saves a life!…..I pose a question….
Reflections – Life beyond Music
I’m starting a post today that is somewhat personal yet I think reflects an issue faced by many of my colleagues who make their living in orchestras. We all know that classical music faces some fundamental problems in the world today, and we are all very good at pointing the finger at various aspects of the business. But there may be a more fundamental problem – us.
“Ahhhhhh……… BACH! ………. But How’s His Curve?”
It’s nowhere near the 21st day of March yet Die Älte Mensch has been making his presence felt in my life in the most interesting of ways. When that happens my mind immediately moves to the topic of Arts Education.
Quick Takes: What’s My Job?
Every once in a while I want to post about things that I believe in, that drive me, ideas that pop up. Not necessarily related to anything that is going on specifically, but just to get the voices in my head on paper! For the first quick take:
What’s my Job?…….
Mad Mad Men…. putting the Con in Contra
For our Mad Men tribute I came across a real head scratcher. It is hard to believe that the New York Times prints such dreck sometimes, but that they did when an article was posted with the hypothetical argument to turn the video game Guitar Hero into Orchestra Hero. This is an ASS in clASSical instant classic…..