Do you warmup? Or do you sit down at your instrument and jump right into practicing? The main technical elements and hand positions of harp playing came relatively naturally to me so I never put much thought into warming up. Sure, at an orchestra rehearsal I'll play...
How do you design your recital programs? If you are in school you will most likely say that your teacher dictates at least some of what you play, and you fill in the rest with desires of your own. If you are a professional and are out in the working world chances...
Let me just start by saying: I’m not very good at giving myself time off. I like to go straight into the next phase without a break, and this summer was a prime example of this absolute insanity. I bounced all over the world going to different festivals (in Powell...
How much time do you spend in the car? The time spent driving to work, to and from gigs, to the store, and gym all adds up week to week. On a weekly basis during high season here in Miami I can be in my car at least 5-10 hours a week traveling around for work. On a...
Harp Column Podcast Episode 14 If you've had a chance to listen to the latest episode of Harp Column Podcast you'll know that the focus article is my most recent contribution, Adapting to Special Needs, and features guests Stephanie Ganacoplos and Jessica Bogacik....
I’m writing this as I speed through the French countryside, looking out of the train window, and watching the shore disappear, to be replaced by neat farmland, clay colored tile roofs, and herd of white cattle. I’m leaving Nice after completing my second week at the...
A little over halfway done with my two weeks studying in Nice, it's a perfect time to reflect on my experience thus far, and think about how to make the most of the time I have left! I arrived last week at the Nice (Côte d’Azur) airport exhausted from travel and two...
Hi “Can you play for free?” Wait! Climb down from the ceiling and step away from your instrument, there's more. “We don't have a budget for music.” (AKA “can you play for free or exposure?”) “We hired someone else for much less before” “Since we are (fill in the...
Last weekend I was playing for a cocktail hour at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Miami when it happened. Everything was going well. The hotel had self-parking (I'll pay $30 not to have to deal with valet any day), the event was moved inside due to rain (not to...
In today’s busy world, many of us often sacrifice our physical and mental wellbeing to get things done. Working musicians, myself included, are often heard to say “I don’t have time for exercise, I need to practice”, or “I don’t have time to meditate, I’m too stressed...
