Have you ever experienced art such that you can feel your senses coming so alive that you yourself are in the art, tasting, seeing, smelling? I hope that you have. One of the more sensuous art experiences I’ve had was while reading Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. It’s my favorite book for that […]
During my senior year of college, I had the honor of being chosen as a student composer for a reading with Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho. I didn’t have time to write a new piece, so I arranged a simple piece I’d already written for the three instruments available at the reading. My advisor suggested I give […]
I’ve been substitute teaching for about half a year now, mostly at the high school level, and one of the most striking differences from when I went to high school (I graduated not even ten years ago) is the presence of what I will call leisure gadgets. Technology and electronic devices that do not serve […]
Whether you use voice recorders, sketch books, or good old pen and paper, it’s imperative that you write your creative ideas down as soon as they come to you. Even in the process of putting an idea together, writing down thoughts as they come to you is crucial in the development process, not to mention […]
Thinking about entering a composition competition? Is something holding you back? For me there is. It’s the thought that I likely will not win. But as composer Eric Whitacre has pointed out, that’s not really the point. Yes, it’s nice to have that monetary award, the experience to travel to the premiere, the possibility of getting published, […]
A musician friend of mine once told me a story of how her instructor was frustrated at her for writing a symbol in her part to indicate something different from what the symbol actually designated. That’s not what it means, the instructor claimed. But my friend responded, Well, to me, that is what it means. […]
The days of wifi being as prevalent as cell service aren’t here yet. Until then there’s Pocket. If you haven’t got it, get it. Pocket lets you store articles, web pages, and videos for viewing in non-wireless zones. For those of you who don’t have a 3G tablet, this app is great for more than […]
