One of my personal practices, and one which I love to share with every musician who studies with me, is this: Kiss or thank your instrument at the end of every session. Why is this important or helpful? Like magic, this gesture amplifies our appreciation and our good feelings. "Thank you" means we have [...]
The second proverb in the series, this one a meditation on our blessed inter-dependence. It unpacks its meaning and its opportunity in a couple important ways and to my mind, it has never felt truer. Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine. People live in each other's shadows. As one beloved Irish teacher used [...]
Students in all my classes will attest: I love proverbs and rely on them constantly to help me think, understand, and explain not just Irish culture and language, but also life itself which the proverbs illuminate brilliantly. This morning I conceived the idea of sharing some of my favorite Irish proverbs with you in hopes [...]
If you’ve ever found yourself in the clutch of comparison (and who hasn’t? I sure have), you know how life- and pleasure-squelching it can be. In this, the fourth video in my “Creative Hurts and How to Heal Them” series, I tackle this bugbear, Comparison. I’m speaking to artists and creators, but really, that’s all [...]
It may seem to the untrained eye that I run the Bardic Academy and teach all of the wonderful students who come through these doors - but we know differently, don't we? We all know the Power Behind the Throne is... furry. Mish, that dashing Maine coon cat about town, loves the musicians, singers, and [...]
Let's say that you are a Unicorn. People have various reactions to you - to what you are. Some say, "That's ridiculous. You can't be a Unicorn. There's no such thing. Don't be foolish." Others say, "Well, aren't you adorable? So quaint. So otherworldly. A little out of touch and funny. Cute!" Also, "I [...]
Hello, friends! Here's the third video in my series, "Creative Hurts and How to Heal Them." This one is about MISTAKES. So scary to think about making them! So scary that fear of public mistakes can keep us from making and sharing our art and ourselves. I hope so much you find it helpful, [...]
Hello, friends! Here is the second video in my new series, "Creative Hurts and How to Heal Them." This one is all about that scary bugbear, CRITICISM. How do we handle it? Is there such a thing as "good" criticism? How do we put it in perspective? I also share my own story of receiving [...]
Just a little story today to cheer you. My mother told me that she went out for lunch recently and met a woman who, at age 90, fairly crackled with life and creative spirit. "If you lived here, you'd be friends with her for sure," she told me on the phone. Turns out, the woman's [...]
Have you ever been rejected from a festival, gig, journal, or contest - and then felt the burn and sting of that "no"? I sure have. I've just made a video with four strategies that help me deal with the rejection that is part and parcel of being an artist in the world. Happens to [...]
