Playing chamber music is one of life's great pleasures. The literature is wonderful, of course. But there also is the joy that comes with shared experience. At its best, chamber music requires developing profoundly human musical relationships that are intuitive and creative, intimate and vulnerable. Yet, many students find it difficult to access these deeper levels of communication. Some, having never felt such intensely personal…

A recent post in my husband’s blog (Steven Cornelius) describes his disciplined approach to ear training. At one point he mentions the overtone series. I can relate. This is currently at the center of my musical existence as my quartet continues to record Composer Ben Johnston‘s string quartet cycle. It also happens to be at the root of our Western…

This blog has been dormant for so long, I almost forgot it existed. Now seemed an excellent time to weigh in, as I have been thinking a lot about Ben Johnston and his explorations in extended just tuning, having recently written about him for the American String Teachers’ Association publication. Also, Kepler is deep into SQ No. 6. With yesterday’s…

Last Friday I visited the Racine Art Museum, where they had a show of works by Barbara Sorensen and Karen Gunderson. Walking through Sorensen’s ‘speleothems‘ installation was a dizzying, surreal experience. Pacing around and between these stalagmite and stalactite shaped forms, each step revealing new and unexpected perspectives, was like entering a cave on another planet in a distant universe.…

Hats, mittens, sweaters, Down coats and boots are great – but Pockets are heaven.