Active Violinist
This post highlights Günter Raphael (1903-1960), a composer who battled many obstacles during his relatively short life and career including the Nazi Regime, and Tuberculosis. He wrote quite a bit for violin and it has been a delight to get to know him and his music. I’ve been exploring his violin duets (by myself) and have included one here for you to enjoy as well.
Read MoreThe first installment of my Yoga + Music blog posts. This one is all about Dharma, a topic I’ve been pondering often these days. What is our duty? As musicians, in life, and beyond.
Read MoreThe music of East Germany is particularly fascinating because of the rich history full of notable and significant composers and performers. The divide that occurred after World War II did not foster wide-spread acclaim or acceptance of musicians living and working behind the wall even though plenty of music was written and performed. You can learn more about the region and political climate of East Germany in my most recent blog post.
Read MoreIt's time. I'm doing my happy, nervous dance as I admit my goals and aspirations for the coming year. If you know me, you know I LOVE setting resolutions every year, whether I'm successful or not. The accountability of putting it out into the world means I'm much more likely to follow through on at least some of these goals. So here they are for 2021.
Read MoreThe annual goals and resolutions review post. How did I do in 2020? Did I crush some goals? Fail miserably? What were my resolutions anyway? Read on to find out!
Read MoreHi Readers! I’m excited to announce a new blog series on Active Violinist. Once per month I will be exploring the intersection of music and yoga, in my life and beyond. I’ll be talking about asana, pranayama, history, philosophy, teachers, and so much more. You’ll definitely want to subscribe to stay up to date as we journey forward together.
Read MoreThis month, the spotlight is on composer Ottmar Gerstner. He is difficult to learn much about BUT I’m excited to share a rough recording of myself playing a movement of his violin trio. He was a Nazi sympathizer during his lifetime which put him in a precarious political position after the war and he chose to move to Soviet German (later the GDR) which better aligned with his ideals and politics.
Read MoreI’ve been making Timani hints for month now and alluding to the training I did this summer for months now. You can finally read a little bit more about why I signed up for the training and about how magical this stuff really is. Timani is a game changer for all musicians!
Read MoreI finally finished season 1 of The Umbrella Academy. I’m a Vanya. The symbolism of her character hit my like a ton of violin cases. Also tied to this musings on TV shows, super powers, and violin playing is the notion of authenticity. Read on to find out about MY Vanya evolution.
Read MoreInstallment number 5 in my exploration of East German composers features Fidelio Finke who sadly seems to have slipped into oblivion and has very much been forgotten, even though he wrote plenty for strings and the violin. Read on to find out a little bit about him and his music.
Read MoreHello, and welcome to my rant about yoga culture in the United States and why I finally decided to become a certified teacher. This blog post is minimally edited on purpose. I am confused about yoga teachers' role in society, and I have mixed feelings about adding my name to that pot. So Buckle up and enjoy the tirade.
Read MoreOver the past few months I’d tweaked my daily habits a little bit and figured out some simple yet effective practices that I’ve managed to stick to! I thought you couldn’t teach old dogs new tricks si I’m extra impressed with myself for changing and “enhancing” parts of my day that are often on autopilot. Read, tell me if any of these work for you, AND tell me your routines and rituals that help you find success in your days.
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