Mickey Mouse & Mozart
. . .one of my longer rants. Professional symphony orchestras in the United States face an annual challenge that we refer to in jest, belying the utter seriousness of the…
Orchestra
Secrets of Conducting
We know what you’re thinking! Who is “we?” We conductors know what many audience members are thinking when you attend our performances. From your perspective, it looks like a lion…
How Shall We Study Music?
Last week I was given the privilege of speaking at a conference on the campus of Princeton University presented by the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association and the Foundation…
Report From The Field
As a member of the American Federation of Musicians, the national musician’s union, I receive regular email and snail mail communications from the Federation. Today’s email was disheartening but not…
Why Classical Music Is Still Cool!
Jon Levine, in a March 8, 2015 post on Music.Mic entitled: Why Isn’t Classical Music Cool Anymore? gives us three principal factors – Cost, Time and Alienation. I love those…
I just listened to the first episode of this (Dvorak’s “New World” Symphony) and can’t believe how fortunate I was to run across this on Prime. I have heard Maull lecture many times before performances and now here he is right on my computer screen and with the clearest of visual aids. I promise if you listen to one of these you will understand a piece as never before. And, I have discovered from past experiences with his lectures that I always listen to any given piece with a greater connection. These “home” viewings of Maull’s lectures are such a gift! Highly recommended.