Music Education
What does a conductor actually do? A surprising amount
At the age of three, I remember jumping on my parent’s sofa, waving my arms in the air...
Happy New Year from Vienna
A brief history of a tradition that marks the beginning of every new year for European lovers of...
Six important practice tips for musicians
What do we classical musicians spend most of our time doing? That’s right: practicing. Nowadays this is mostly...
Anna Karenina: From Yasnaya Polyana to the World Stage
In the month of Leo Tolstoy’s death anniversary, an exploration of why the immortal novel stands out as...
The Symphonic Debutante Piccolo: Was It Really Beethoven’s Fifth?
Literature declaring the piccolo’s grand entrance into the symphony is widespread. Sharing debutante status with the trombones and...
The Essential Piccolo
“I don’t own a piccolo,” was one of the first statements the principal flutist of a local community...
Music for eye as well as ear
My son’s piano lessons afford me an opportunity to look at piano sheet music up close. Piano scores seem...
Long Live the Operetta!
Operetta, a precursor of the modern musical, is often considered less serious than opera. We delve into the...
