I wonder if you’ve had an experience where a leader (conductor, boss, teacher, manager, coach) tried to inspire you to give more in order to achieve their own goal of helping others. Service is always central to me as a
Facing the Great Critic
The spirit of the Great Critic accosts me as I imagine stepping back into the Eastman School of Music. From a huge Wizard of Oz-like face I hear these words echoing off the marble walls: “WHO ARE YOU? WHAT GREATNESS
snow, mistakes, and love
I put on my clunky oversized snow boots and slopped through the frozen slush. Everything was canceled, and I needed to move my body. My mind needed a break, and my heart yearned for completeness, and as I trudged along,
National Anthem of Love
I was invited to arrange and perform the Star Spangled Banner for a Portland Trailblazers basketball game on St. Valentine’s Day with Carin Miller, principal bassoonist for the Oregon Symphony. Being the day that it was, I wondered how could
Shaming – what is your story?
Many of us have endured teachers and conductors (maybe even family and friends) who used subtle or overt shaming to motivate or change. If you feel brave enough to share, I’m gathering examples that perhaps were meant to be harmless,
Unwind the Past, Uncover the Future
I lay on the massage table, ready for change. Ever since I was a teenager, my right thumb has given me problems while holding the bow, and 2 weeks ago I finally put it together – I broke my right
Becoming Tough
I have always had difficulty relating to the word tough. As a boy full of sensitive feelings, I never gravitated to fighting or dangerous stunts. The risk of hurt was not worth the effort to be daring with my body
Sound listens.
My friend lay face up on the pad in front of me for a sound healing session, seeking to ease the dark pit of grief from her mother’s passing. I told her that I had no magic notes to make
Hitting Rock Bottom – and finding my bedrock
Three weeks ago I faced the lifelong fear of being completely alone. I finally hit rock bottom. And then a week later as I came out of sedation for a hernia repair surgery, I knew that my life had just
My Anxiety and the Gift of Dissonance
Hi. My name is David. I’ve been meditating for 25 years, and I have anxiety. The low-level, disguisable, hide-it-behind-my-ego anxiety that slowly eats away at well-being. Background radio static in my energy that subtly influences my words and actions. When