So far, the sweetest, warmest, and brightest moments of this holiday season have taken place at the piano. Helping a student play a carol he or she loves and witnessing the moment of connection - when the music comes into the hands and heart and mind - is delicious fun, and a great privilege. All [...]
Today I walked deep into the woods to a swampy clearing where lilies grow and beavers build dams. It's muddy and ringed with poison ivy, and it's one of my favorite places on Earth. You could hardly stand in a more breath-taking spot when the wind blows. A hawk mewed in the pine tops, [...]
Believe me, I thought long and hard about how to price my ebook on Amazon. There are books three and four times as long as mine selling for half the price or less. Before I hit the button to set the price at $9.99, the usual questions and worries swarmed in my mind: But [...]
OK, so my title is indeed facetious, but this is an offer I've received many, many times. Of course, it does not come phrased in these words. Usually, it sounds more like this: "Would you like to perform at our festival/event/fair/market? Our audience is quite large, and you can sell your CDs." When you [...]
I heard someone on the radio yesterday who sounded a lot like Bob Dylan.* I don't know if this singer consciously intended to sound like him or if it is just one of those accidents of nature, so I'm not casting aspersions. All the same, it got me thinking about imitation and so-called "sure-bet [...]
When it comes to clothes, I must admit I have a flair for the dramatic. I like cloaks and capes and shawls. I like swirling skirts and long hems, embroidery and abalone buttons. I like hats and tall boots. I like lace, velvet, faux fur, silk, leather, and well-sewn linen, and there could never [...]
Dramatic, yes? Perhaps a little bit, at least in the way I've expressed it. But true? Definitely. As soon as there is a whiff of obligation about pretty much any relationship, what happens? The death of freedom, excitement, engagement, and JOY. Think of friendships, family relationships, and work relationships. As soon as one person [...]
Mornings in The Bardic Academy begin with practice - this ancient love affair that never flags. For the last five or six weeks, Bach has been at the heart of the practice. I find myself visiting the piano three, four, five times a day to play through a sequence of fourteen of his short, [...]
I am a baby knitter. No, I'm not knitting babies (though one day - who knows?). I'm a beginner, at the wax-on, wax-off stage of learning. So far, in the space between Christmas and Epiphany, I have knitted three hats. This, in itself, is something of a Christmas miracle. Knitting patterns look a little bit [...]
The first part of this conversation actually happened, so I'll reconstruct it here. Mama: Do you still have that stretchy thing I got you from QVC - the thing to tone your arms? Me: Yes, I do. It's down cellar by the treadmill. Mama: You ever use it? Me: Not for a long, long [...]
