Some Nerve
To regular readers of this blog, please bear with me today – things are going to be a little different. There is still a video in which I perform and embarrass myself – however, I’m not playing the cello, and I’ve got some company for a change. This past weekend, I...
All In The Family, Part 5 (Birthday Edition)
Today would have been my father’s 79th birthday. He passed away over five years ago, though for me, especially today, it feels like it happened yesterday. He gave me many different gifts, and since his passing, I’ve seen them come together in ways I hadn’t...
The Arts Mean Business
Recently, it was proposed (yet again) that the National Endowment for the Arts be eliminated, which has arts advocates (and anyone who can do math, frankly) in an uproar. Just before the budget proposal was unveiled, I submitted the following piece to Movers and...
Happy 332nd Birthday!
I know it's hard to believe, but it's that time of year again - Bach turns 332 today, and he hasn't aged a bit! To celebrate, here's a video on the final movement of the first Suite - perfect party music, by the way - a raucous Gigue! We'll also learn how Bach was a...
Don’t Be So Binary
Today's video is on the Minuets from the G major Suite, and that means we have to talk about form. Wait, come back! I promise, it will be ok. As you'll see, it takes a pop musician to explain baroque paired dance form effectively, and as a bonus, you'll get to...
Dirty Dancing
https://youtu.be/pKIkBn4glkg&w=650 Today's piece is perfect for a Sunday morning - it's a sarabande, a slow movement full of repose, calm and peace. There is another side to the sarabande, however, one that made the Catholic church try to ban it. Watch the...