This holiday season, the spirit of giving is everywhere. In comparison to all those who are able to get out holiday cards, cookies, and thoughtful gifts for everyone—I feel woefully behind and overwhelmed. My wife is one of those amazing women
Unwrap Your Magical Moments in Music
December, with its open-hearted spirit of giving and some of the most beautiful music ever written, provides the perfect opportunity to feel for the moments of magic in our lives. Like what happened on our road trip last week to California: My daughter, stretched out on
The Sunday Matinee Challenge
It’s 2:00 on a Sunday afternoon. The perfect time for a nap. Returning to the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall 15 hours after last night’s applause had died away, I sobered to the next phase of my challenge: Can I tap into Inspired
The Thrill of Joy in the Back of the Section
I just returned from my first major orchestral performance in 15 years. I never have experienced a symphonic thrill as I have this evening. Not only was the music remarkable, the soloist extraordinary, but the joy that I felt running
Caution: Good or Bad?
I was recently reading a book on success by the great yogi Paramhansa Yogananda, and was shocked to find the words: Be cautious, but never afraid. WHAT?!? Really? To me, caution smacks of Slow down! Tread carefully! Watch your step!
Are you courageous enough to be calm before performing?
“If you aren’t nervous, you’re not paying attention!” For countless years I thought worrisome backstage behavior was a badge of honor. It showed a high degree of awareness, care and concern, and therefore implied a higher degree of musical development. The less I allowed myself
An Audition of Freedom
“Andrew, David, and Emily, the audition committee would like to hear you again. Everyone else is free to go.” As you may know from my last blog, my challenge was to take the Oregon Symphony audition without comparing myself to any other cellist
The real difference between a performance and an audition
This Saturday I’ll be taking an audition for the Oregon Symphony, my first audition in 17 years. It is the perfect opportunity for the ultimate test: Is my process of inspired performance possible in a blind audition? Can I take the principles
Have you developed a palate for clarity?
Clarity is a refreshing pool of water for the mind. It is high-resolution inspiration from the stillness of just be-ing. Clarity is an expansion of heart and a calmness of mind that lifts us above our problems into the realm
The Truth About Music and Performance, Hiding in Plain Sight
First, I want you to think back to your most profound experiences of music: when you felt a unity with the audience, the performer, or something greater than yourself; when your mind was very calm and your heart open. Chances are,