Eating Greens at the San Francisco Symphony

So, I went to San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall on Sunday afternoon, a warm, sunny, Indian-summer-that-just-won’t-go-away kind of day that we here in Northern California seem to be experiencing without end. No coat, at least, to have to stow under my seat or by my feet during the concert. Which, by the way, nice weather … Read more

Play the violin in 5 easy steps!

  I know, it sounds like a horrible, cheesy infomercial. But the truth is this: if you’ve always wanted to play the violin, or have mused about what it must be like, but you’re thinking, nah, too much involved, well, I’m just saying, the opportunity might be closer than you imagine. 1) Go to a … Read more

Haunted by St. Saens’ Organ Symphony

Being haunted by music sounds like something I should be blogging about in late October, but with the sunlight growing autumnal, here in September, and nights growing longer, cooler, I think it will still work. And there’s no better way to describe the hold that Saint-Saens’ Symphony no. 3 has on me right now. Perhaps … Read more

The Story Needs Music

So, I fired my characters the other day, the whole lot of them. They stood there, dumb with confusion, as I raged at them. “You’re dull, you’re cardboard cut-outs, you’re not revealing anything to me, no matter how many hours I sit at the computer or in front of my notes. I’m here, floundering, and … Read more

Debussy’s “Beau Soir”

August 22nd  was Claude Debussy’s 151st birthday. To mark this, a fellow Violinist.com member, Riz Ramadhan, shared a recording, his performance of Debussy’s classic, “Beau Soir,” (arr for piano and violin by Jascha Heifetz). Beau Soir translates as “beautiful night” and Claude Debussy composed this little piece while still a student, based on a poem … Read more