A circle game The image on this card is of dancing chamber musicians. You may remember circle games from your own childhood such as Ring Around the Rosie. I find humor in the thought that a group of classically trained chamber musicians would play such a game together. In case

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“How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.” With practicing, you harness the power and energy needed to launch the moonshot of your music career. But your mental state is important too. I remember the summer of 1969 when the first human beings walked on the moon. It

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As a professional musician there are times when I seem to go from gig to gig. I am currently in one of those periods of time. This post is particularly timely for me. I am writing today about the various ways to warm up and the positive impact on practicing

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When life is challenging, practicing gratitude helps us appreciate the abundance that exists all around us. Appreciating our colleagues and peers is the perfect example. A stand partner who pencils in the perfect fingering. The colleague with the dry sense of humor who lightens the mood when there is tension

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So often we get caught up worrying about what other people are thinking about us. We obsess about playing accurately in tune, playing on the finest instrument and bow, and playing with impressive technique. For so long the classical violin world has been dominated by virtuosi, each one trying to

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Judgement can be painful to receive. It takes strength to not take it personally. A way to assert boundaries is to ask for it to be constructive and not overly personal. Even when the intention is solely good, the judgement can be triggering. However, one can still learn by uncovering

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On CBS Sunday Morning this morning I heard some much needed inspirational words. When asked an imposter syndrome question, comedian Michael Che responded “it’s a good con.” I like this because what I call “outlaw energy” frequently helps me get out from under negative thinking. World’s Central Kitchen founder, José

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The drawing on this card was an attempt to view the violin from the violinist’s perspective. Drawing this card may cause you to take a close look at feelings and attitudes you hold that may be discordant with reality. I have been learning how to release obligations from the past.

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Sweet, bitter, sour, acidic, salty, divine, delicious, dry, gooey, fruity, rich, gamy, hot, spicy, juicy, peppery, picante, dry, flavorful, rancid, pungent, savory, succulent, tart, tangy, tasty, yummy.1  All words describing the way food tastes. Musicians can borrow these words as well. When practicing the violin, we can delve into the

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We can learn an awful lot about how to save the environment from musicians. Musicians are experts at sensing subtleties, they live outside the normal 9 to 5 hourly work construct, and think “outside the box.” Look at the lives of musicians for how to sustain the natural world. Respect

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