Kumbaya, Richmond, Kumbaya

It is puzzling – the tendency of an organization to shoot itself in the foot.  After so many obvious examples of what not to do there is, more often than not, that institutional moment which causes one to quote that great American Philosopher Homer Simpson – “D’OH!!!”  These days Homer is speaking in a mid-Atlantic accent.

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I Got Grand Rapids!

Every professional musician has had “that” happen to them.  You somehow find yourself in a random conversation with a stranger and the subject of profession comes up.  You sheepishly let slip that you are a musician……… a professional musician………….. a professional classical musician……. and you get “The Look.”

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Perpetual (E)Motion

I took my eldest to a batting clinic recently.  He’s an aspiring Little Leaguer with a live arm and a fantastic sense of the game.  The coach was trying to get him to make this particular adjustment, which for some strange reason he was having trouble with, and I yelled “it’s just like practicing your violin!”  That got me some strange looks.

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Mirror Mirror

A funny thing happened on the way through SocialMediaLand.  I ran smack dab into the difference between what professional musicians perceive and what “normal” people perceive.  If this doesn’t prove a disconnect then I don’t know what does.

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KILL THE NEA (Redux)!!!

A couple of months ago I wrote a post titled “Kill the NEA.”  To my surprise that garnered a lot of attention, though in retrospect perhaps I shouldn’t be so naïve about the power of the internet (please rf. Tunisia).  Now that some of the political establishment are hellbent on following my advice I’ve got a better idea.  And I suspect that they aren’t going to like it at all.

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Time for a Laugh…

Look around the world of the Arts these days and it’s a pretty depressing mess. I could hop on that bandwagon (as usual) or perhaps take a hard left turn and provide some much needed amusement for a Tuesday morning. Survey says…….

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