Before the class was let out for the summer, the old tuba player had one last piece of advice, “Maybe your name is Harold or maybe it’s Betsy, either way […]

Small dead racoon on the forest path. Looking closer couldn’t see any signs of a predator but insects already inspecting its unblinking eyes, still ears and dry nose. Looking up, […]

So if I’m always going to be bummed about my chops, if I’m always going to fixate on what I don’t do well with my instrument, if that’s like you […]

Every day Sheila wished she could play that passage and each day faces the fact she can’t pull it off and curses herself. Tanner, her conductor friend, said once you […]

Occurred to me earlier today while daydreaming about older musicians in their 80s, that eventually, at the funeral when Paul McCartney dies, some the gatherers will be thinking to themselves […]

Borris, a decent musician, absorbed many techniques yet found himself always sounding like himself. This resulted in a feeling of defeat. He held the view that his musicianship could reach […]

Monique, young Misha’s mother, arranged for him to study with Mannie, the musician whose music had made her cry and altered for the better the emotional states of her friends […]

There is a trick with sacks of potatoes. The string looks machine sewn, I know there must be a simple way of cutting one spot then the whole thing opens […]

“he’s so fine [oh ya] got to be mine [oh ya] sooner or later [oh ya] i hope it’s not later [oh ya]” Favourite rhyme in recent days, later with […]

Saw a major chain book store, walked in and asked if they had any copies of my book. They had it on order but pointed out other outlets already had […]