My passion is to help others in the community, young, old, and everyone in between, find relevance and joy in learning, performing or listening to classical music.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

What do I love to do?

So what makes me tick as a musician, as a person?  They are one and the same, really.  Here goes.

I love playing music, mostly with other people.  And I don't need to be playing with other "experienced" musicians.  Sure it can be exhilirating to be reading music or performing with colleagues but it can also be thrilling for me to be playing music with young people and with amateurs.  I am a shy person in general so for me, music making is a "safer" way to get to really know people.  It's thrilling, challenging, fun.  I just love it.

I love helping people learn how to practice more efficiently.  I love to watch all of the "aha" moments that appear once a student starts to see how effective it can be to actually plan out practice sessions, to be thoughtful about all aspects of music making.  And what's fun for me is to see how young a person can be for the techniques to start working.  Confidence-building is an awesome activity to be a part of.

I love performing...love it, love it.  And I love to share my excitement for music with my audiences.  I love to be up on stage and feel the energy from the audience.  Who needs drugs when you can get a rush like that.  It is the best thing in the world and kind of addictive, I must admit.

I love fancy, beautiful dresses.  There, I said it.  I am lamenting the fact that it seems that fancy dress may be going by the wayside and that it may not have much of a place in modern day performing.  I'm grappling with that right now.  I don't want classical music performances to seem elitist, out-of-reach, stuck-up...but at the same time, I feel so good in beautiful clothes and love performing in them...sigh...something I need to figure out, I suppose.

Those are my thoughts for now.  I good way to start off this blog.  More later.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Michelle Obama tells international audience why the arts matter | Culture Monster | Los Angeles Times

I was thrilled to read this article in the Los Angeles Times about the First Lady's address about the arts.  The government has so much on its plate right now but I am encouraged to know that they feel that the arts play an important role in society.

Michelle Obama tells international audience why the arts matter | Culture Monster | Los Angeles Times

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