Innovations in musical instrument teaching are often met with skepticism, at least initially. With artificial intelligence entering the arena of violin pedagogy, can high quality teaching survive?
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A magic bullet is an effective solution to a difficult or previously unsolvable problem. And if there is such an intractable problem in the classical music world, it is how to attract greater numbers of audience members to live events.
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Do Christmas carols written by Jewish composers make them Jewish music? Musician and arts consultant Thomas Wolf takes an insider view and identifies three characteristics of Jewish Musical Tradition that go well beyond Christmas songs.
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A special message for musicians: Do you know how to make certain your audience will demand at least one encore, and maybe several? I share my secret here. Audience members take note.
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The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in the Canadian Rockies operates according to a unique business model. Its International String Quartet Competition and Festival is a powerful example of one of its signature programs. What can we who work in the arts learn from Banff? Read this blog to find out.
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Musicians, do you want to improve your playing? Learn about renowned cellist Mike Reynold’s secret in my August blog.
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Our world is diminished when great musicians die. This year we lost two giants of the music world who not only gave much joy to many people but who admired one another and sometimes collaborated on memorable performances. Each one meant a lot to me personally. To learn more, read this blog.
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In a few days, the League of American Orchestras will be holding its annual national conference. Perhaps this is an appropriate occasion to ask: does every American city need an orchestra? For the surprising answer, read this blog.
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Is there any story that typifies the mass migration of European musicians to America during the early decades of the twentieth century? Every story is a bit different, of course, but here is one that typifies the high proportion of such musicians who found success in their new country.
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A heated debate at Tanglewood among orchestra leaders in 2001 considered the question of the proper role of music directors in the 21st century. As described in this blog, what has happened since that time went well beyond what people imagined.
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Most people don’t have a clue who is responsible for the most free concerts presented over the last three quarters of a century. Care to guess? Find the answer here.
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How many things can a talented musician do well and still achieve greatness? Read here to find out.
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My most recent blog argued that arts organizations are bloated with too many administrators. The piece seems to have touched a nerve with responses both pro and con. In this one, I share some thoughtful rebuttals from people who disagree.
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How many arts administrators does it take to change a light bulb m(or run an arts organization)? Some people might say “too many!” To learn why arts organizations spend so much on administrative costs and to come up with strategies to address this challenge, read more here.
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In the 1920s, someone got the bright idea that there was a way to create performing arts series in over a thousand small towns in the United States. To learn more about the brilliant concept and how it changed the face of the performing arts in this country, read here.
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Unlike writing about a novel or a painting, it is almost impossible to use words to describe a piece of music (the actual sounds) with any degree of precision so that another person can understand. In this blog you can explore why this is the case and can find a possible solution here.
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They say that it is impossible to master musical skills at a professional level if you start late in life. But on at least one occasion, that turned out not to be true. Read on to learn how one senior managed to do it.
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Why is it that the more expert we become, the easier it is to miss the obvious? Why do children often spot errors that adults make? If you want to discover how a single misprinted note led to insight on the phenomenon, read here.
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On November 15, 1940, Eugene Ormandy, music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, offered an all-Beethoven program. Such a concert would not have been unusual except for one thing. The three soloists that day were all trailblazing women. To learn more about them, read here..
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