Category Archives: Uncategorized

April  2017           JULY 20-23 at the Sheraton Parsippany Harp pioneer Laurie Riley has been there, done that! When Laurie Riley took up lever harp in 1981 there were very few musicians playing the instrument and very few harpmakers making folk harps. Laurie Riley is this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, recognizedContinue reading “I am thankful for this honor!”

Is Your Music Right-Brained or Left-Brained? Although almost no one is completely right-brained or left-brained, most of us tend heavily toward one or the other. A right-brained person is usually defined as someone who is intuitive, expressive, and creative; a left-brained person is usually defined as someone who is matter-of-fact, logical, and precise. Right-brained musiciansContinue reading “Is Your Music Left-Brained or Right-Brained?”

Every performer who has been on a stage with a sound system knows that it adds a dimension that can be either a pleasure or a challenge.  Sound systems are supposed to enhance your performance, but sometimes they do just the opposite. Here are some hints to make the sound system experience as successful asContinue reading “Working Well with Sound Systems”

Why teach? Should you? Do you? What if someone asked you to? Are you ready? Many students regard a teacher as an absolute authority, and many teachers prefer to be regarded as such. Although there are some awesome teachers out there, no one is really a perfect teacher. That is both a good thing andContinue reading “Teaching to Learn; Learning to Teach”

The real music is not on the paper. What’s on the paper is a series of symbols. You could listen to that page all day and never hear a thing. Notation is just a guideline. The music is in your head (and your heart). Unless you’re a Mozart or a Salieri, it’s nearly impossible toContinue reading “It’s All in Your Head”

Almost every musician has a favorite other musician they’d like to emulate. Mine is… hmmm… there are so many! On harp, I’d love to sound like Kim Robertson or Harper Tasche. On banjo I’d like to sound like Adam Hurt. You get the idea. Only one trouble: I will never sound like them. If IContinue reading “I Want to Sound Just Like…… But Do You?”

The mind is like a puppy: it won’t just automatically do what you tell it to do  – you have to train it.  Interestingly, training doesn’t just apply to the things we need to focus on, but we also need to practice how to relax mentally and physically, and how to develop the habit ofContinue reading “Focus and Relaxation: The Essentials of Great Musicianship”

What’s your musical genre? Have you consciously chosen one? Do you really know all about it? How does it differ from others? Can you describe its nuances? Every genre and sub-genre or style of music is characterized by specific features, some obvious and some quite subtle, without which it just isn’t really authentic. Many nuancesContinue reading “Genre and Style  –  How Much Do You Know?”

Last night I attended a concert of the Victor Provost Quartet, with guest artist Paquito D’Rivera. These are some of the world’s finest jazz musicians (google them for info). I was awed, as I always am by Victor, because his music is so amazing that I can greatly enjoy it even though I have littleContinue reading “Teaching for Passion, Practicing for Joy”

CEO’s of large companies, stars of sports and movies, and professional musicians have something in common: a large majority suffer from something that has come to be known as The Impostor Syndrome. I knew a talented young man who graduated Summa Cum Laude from an important music school, with a major in classical guitar. HeContinue reading “The Impostor Syndrome: do you think you’re not as good as they say you are?”