Monthly Archives: January 2014
Names, History, Mythography
Audre Lourde called her autobiography a “Biomythography.” It was an acknowledgment of the fact that facts are hard to come by and they’re hard to sort out. Telling one’s own story is particularly fraught – if there’s anyone about whom we lack perspective it’s ourselves! Among the side quests I’m on since I started my […]
Kagami Biraki and Spaghetti Arms
I don’t normally experience playing the violin as an upper body workout, but yesterday was a high holiday. Kagami Biraki is traditionally the end of the new year period in Japanese cultures, and many martial arts descended from Japanese cultures incorporate the celebration into their new year calendars too. For my karate community, it’s a […]
Opera and the Huffington Post
I have been visiting the Huffington Post for years, but I was still surprised when I googled “classical music news” and Huffington Post’s Classical Music section was one of the first results. Prior to today, I did not know about it at all. As my first post on musical news mentioned, I am not interested […]
Fat Cats and Fourth Finger
Yesterday’s lesson was jam-packed. As I’ve mentioned, I’m getting a new song every week – Suzuki songs are sequenced to be skill-building, and this week’s is not only the longest to date, but it also brings in fourth (my pinkie) finger. I still find it quite strange how little I remember from my three years […]
Musical News
In thinking about ways to broaden my musical horizons, I have decided to periodically look into some websites that focus on musical news. But going in, I know I have a bit of a problem – I just do not have it in me to consume entertainment news, with the rumors of love lost and […]
The Right Stuff
I like the stuff of productivity – as a kid it started with an affinity for office supply catalogs and school supplies. I have a fascination with all the stuff that comes along with anything worthwhile that we humans do. People who sew, for example, need a lot of stuff – a machine, a box […]
Beethoven and Practicing Twice
On maybe four occasions now, I’ve had two practice sessions in one day. Yesterday was one – I played in the morning for a little over an hour, then late in the afternoon for about an hour. These things happen on lazy days off; it’s such a luxury to be able to devote so much […]
We Are the World
I woke up in the middle of the night and then again this morning with the megahit 1980s benefit song “We Are the World” running through my head. Remember? I’m not too sure I remember very much. I was a child of the 80s, but a young one. So this post is a memory test […]
Big Lesson
I didn’t have a lesson the week of Christmas, but this week’s made up for it. In addition to Michael being home and finally getting to meet my teacher, it was my first lesson playing with my new violin. Teacher also tested it again, and it’s sounding great; I couldn’t be happier. As I mentioned […]
Making Friends
The driver said, “Sir?” and then, more loudly, “Sir??” I looked up and noticed only two other people on the bus – the driver and his son, about age 11, standing near his dad. The driver, looking at me in his rearview mirror, asked, “Is that an instrument?” “Yes, a violin, I’ve just had it […]
Ryan Libel 