If it ain't Baroque…

A few weeks ago, composer Matt Siffert made the grave tactical error of emailing me and offering me a streaming link to his album, Cold Songs. Naturally I took his email hostage and refused to return it until he granted me an interview. Read on to learn more about inspiration, orchestration, and the emotional impact of … Continue reading »

Hey, remember that time I was whining about how much I hate playing an instrument, on account of because I, in a word, suck? Well, this is the guy for whom I almost auditioned – Yaniv Dinur, conductor of the American University symphony orchestra. Steeped in my own incompetence, I wrote him an apologetic email … Continue reading »

“Hey, send me the link to your blog,” said Allen McCallum one day. Allen is front of house manager here at Strathmore, the performing arts center and concert hall where I work. I sent him the link and had a brilliant idea – would Allen allow me to interview him? He spent many years as … Continue reading »

Hey, you guys ever notice the “like this post” button at the bottom of my updates? Well, believe it or not, occasionally people click on it! And the other day I received just such an approval from an intriguing young man and fellow blogger named Derek Kortepeter who, in his profile, claimed to be an … Continue reading »

In the concert hall, how do you tell the seasoned sophisticates from the plebes? Easy! It’s all about knowing when to clap. Everyone knows that you hold your applause to the very end of the piece; that’s just how it’s done. Last week I attended the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s concert featuring NADJA-SALERNO SONNENBERG, in which … Continue reading »

Note: By the end of this post I will ask you to create your own list of the top ten composers. I’m ruining the ending for you because I think it might be neat if you do it now, before you’re corrupted by my list or the NYT list or your grocery list or what … Continue reading »

Okay! Let’s start the new year off right, shall we? Okay, then here’s a silly story. Yesterday I went to lunch with my family, including my paternal grandmother, a delightful lady with eyes a few rods and cones away from true blindness but selective hearing. I happened to ask my mother if she was aware … Continue reading »

Let’s talk about v, ff, and w. Specifically, let’s talk about the Russians. So they’ve got their Cyrillic alphabet, and when we translate their names there’s a bit of room for interpretation. In English you’ve got your vuh sound, your ffuh sound, and your wuh sound. If translators are to be believed, the Russians somehow … Continue reading »

I made the above image for my bloggie birthday. It is some of my finest work, I think, and as such I think it deserves a place on merchandise. Perhaps you might be interested in a tote bag for your sheet music? Or a sheet of stickers for your instrument case and music folder? A … Continue reading »

Hi! Allow me to tell you a story of my childhood. When I was in, oh, I think it was fifth grade, my music class took a field trip to see a children’s matinee at a symphony; it might have been the BSO, actually (in which case, please remember that my issue in this tale … Continue reading »

Did I ever make you look at my AWESOME shirt? No? It was a graduation gift from my dear friend Elizabeth, and it will blow your mind. Observe: Looks like a standard musical score shirt, doesn’t it? Not at all uncommon. But wait! Look closer: Okay, seems fairly standard so far, except why do you … Continue reading »