November 2011
1 post
If →
I was watching SportsCenter when the coverage turned to NASCAR, whose championship was determined last night by the narrowest margin in history. It came down to the wire with…
September 2011
5 posts
on regrets, dancing, and being alive →
I had a pretty significant health scare back in the spring. It was to the point that they thought I may have had less than 5 years left. I remember seeing the doctor’s number on my phone about 20…
Borodin 2, in a day. →
As part of my gig at AACC, I come in every other week and play with their orchestra and do stuff like run sectionals and make terrible puns from the back of the cellos. I emailed the conductor and…
lesson gold →
I don’t teach many young peeps. The few that I do manage are always characters, and my two Monday kids are no exception. Yesterday, Noah and I were talking about his impending move to…
PSA →
When you walk any distance at all in the rain with a cello strapped to your back, the water drips down the case and soaks your butt.
cogito ergo sum, or not. →
I’m noticing a trend among younger students. When I ask them a question that requires critical thinking, introspection or deduction they first respond…
with silence.
And then I…
August 2011
3 posts
top 5 →
Just thought I would share the top 5 most awful and outrageous things I’ve ever gotten via the emilywright.net inbox/YouTube. Most are edited for obvious reasons.
5. “Everything…
no flinching. →
I’ve never been one to stick to the beaten path. Even when I give it a shot, and feel like I’m doing what people have prescribed as the “right thing to do”, I find myself happily…
random update →
I’m all over the map (in more ways that one) but thought that I should still try to do roughly one post a day. Here’s what I’ve got for y’alltoday:
1. Shipping my car back to CA and…
July 2011
6 posts
tales from the stage →
When I was in high school, I got to play a Vivaldi cello concerto with the orchestra. There were several concerts, one of which was mostly families, the other comprised mostly of…
you’ll know. →
If you (or your child) are considering giving up on playing an instrument, here’s a little checklist to see if it’s the right thing to do.
The Quitting Checklist:
1. Have you…
game changers. →
I was at dinner with GGP and Nancy Jo tonight, and we were talking about the Masterpieces class she gives over at AU. I brought up Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians as what I…
strange flattery →
If you keep up with me on Twittaw, you know I’ve become something of a swing dance addict. There’s something uniquely satisfying about learning a new discipline that, if you’re doing it right,…
stoke factor →
I was at a party last night where we were discussing all of our respective job situations and future plans. With about 2 weeks until my Hopkins studies are ostensibly done, the…
Lucy finds a computer →
Bless her furry grey heart: Lucy’s been trying to email you guys. While I’m gigging like crazy and finishing up at Hopkins, she was hoping for some pen-pals to keep her company. Don’t tell her I…
June 2011
2 posts
Welcome! →
Thanks for making it to the new site! Look around, drop me a line, let me know what you think.
xxoo,
Em
This. →
Pretty much the whole point of my blog. And maybe my life.
May 2011
1 post
Memorial Day. →
EW: I posted this last year but thought it was worth revisiting. Have a wonderful Memorial Day, lovely readers.
Someone whom I respect and care very much for said…
April 2011
3 posts
Striking out. →
Ryan Howard is a baseball powerhouse. He’s led the majors in things like slugging and home runs, and is known as a Big Bat, for good reason. If you’re not a Philly fan, you probably…
Rock and Roll, part 2 →
It’s been a fabulous week of playing, meeting, planning and general mayhem. It looks like I’ll be heading into the studio around the end of summer to record an EP. September should…
Rock and Roll →
In an alarming number of ways, it’s been so easy to be away from the classical world. I mean, look: everybody’s foaming at the mouth about declining audiences, gigs are scarce, and the…
March 2011
1 post
The Nice Lady →
As some of you may have gathered, I’m hustling out here in Baltimore. Gone are the days of composers calling me up for last-minute tv gigs, of weeks full of teaching my beloved…
February 2011
1 post
The Best Valentine's Day Ever →
You know you love the music. Buy it here.
January 2011
3 posts
A word about regrets. →
The perfect recipe for an unhappy life goes like this: make mistakes and either fail to learn anything from them or allow yourself to be so consumed by regret that you are not present…
The how and what of good practice. →
It happens more than it should: I walk into a lesson and the student is jaw-droppingly unprepared and the excuse offered is, “I didn’t have enough to practice.”
It was a frequent…
HotLanta workshop! →
This is starting to be a habit! For the third year running, I’m being hosted by Ann and the Atlanta Cello Project. This time around, I’ll be talking about memorization, offering tips, and passing…
December 2010
2 posts
2010: Lousy Post #2 →
While the last post was so awful and nebulous that it sparked a misunderstanding with one of my favorite cellists, this post showed me that people don’t come here to read about my non-cello life.†…
Talent on the horizon →
They say that the North American natives were taken by surprise, even though the towering masts of the Spaniards were on the horizon for nearly two days before they landed. It is thought…
November 2010
3 posts
Just a thought →
I’ve noticed that many of my students who are ready to start teaching hesitate, citing lack of experience. Part of the issue is that they associate teaching with taking payment…
Reminder! →
Just a quick reminder for my New York peeps. I’ll be around tomorrow to give a little workshop, featuring the amazing Mike. Details here: I’d love to see you! New post to come within a few days….
The quiet blogosphere: an anti-lament →
Like many blogs, this little slice of the interwebs has been quieter than usual. I am in the lucky position to actually know many of the music bloggers I recommend here and follow over…
October 2010
1 post
The Audition. →
This is what my life has been like recently.
Everything always happens at once, but of course the audition has been the focus of my efforts.
So…
March 2010
3 posts
Cheerful Relentlessness →
Maybe some of you remember Devin. He was a very special student of mine who, despite a massive brain injury that resulted in virtually no ability to retain information for more…
It's official. →
I’m moving to DC in July! More info as I get it. It’s not too soon to contact me for lessons: After my first course at Hopkins in mid-July, I’m going to have August nearly free. Although…
making some changes! →
Please forgive the weird appearance of the blog. I think something more cello-y will be up within a few days!
January 2010
3 posts
Rehabbing a busted arm →
This morning, I played 100 notes on the cello. If this is the first time you’re reading my blog, that might sound like amateurish bragging. For SRCB veterans who know that it’s been less than a…
The Sound of Music (Education) →
Lobbyists for any cause will invoke its importance, its relevance, its benefit to children. Music gets decimated because although the benefits to students are overwhelming, the people…
Words to live by. →
Whether it’s getting a book published, striving for personal growth and perspective, or just trying to take a more disciplined bow stroke, each day offers us an opportunity to either…
Secret New Year's cat thoughts →
December 2009
11 posts
with love →
Just a quick note to say thank you to everyone who reads and comments and emails here and through my site. It is nice to feel appreciated, and even when I’m critiqued, I learn how to be a…
There are only ten days of Cellomas this year. →
So, the last day of Cellomas: 2009 Failtacular is a little short (I’m writing with 1.5 hands after the surgery) but such is life. The ninth day was a warning to choose your source of…
Pretty good! →
For those of you who aren’t doing the whole Twitter thing, a quick hello from ulnar recovery 2009! Right after the surgery, I could feel more of my pinky and ring fingers than I had in…
On the ninth day of Cellomas →
My teacher told to me: Stay the course. Too often, aspiring musicians of all ages and echelons are swayed by things other people tell them. Various powerful people convince us that we’re…
On the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth... →
My teacher told to me: This one’s for the college bound youngsters, from my own experience and witnessing others. You never know who’s watching. Oh, musicians. We have our personality…
On the third day of Cellomas →
My teacher told to me: Never EVER leave your instrument in your car. For any reason. Aside from superheating /freezing our delicate wooden boxes to the point of strings popping, bridges…
On the second day of Cellomas →
My teacher told to me: Don’t ignore any pain, especially pain that playing seems to make worse. My left arm started acting up when I was about 11, and I have a feeling that the doctors…
The 12 Days of Cellomas 2009 Fail-tacular! →
Back for more, are you? Last year’s 12 days of Cellomas focused on practice habits, and looking back on them, they’re pretty good! This year, I’ve collected some stories and will share…
To the Men of Troy →
Unlike many self-assured USC fans, this season’s rocky ride was not a surprise to me. Nor was it as horrifying or depressing for me as it seemed to be for other fans. I think the secret to…
Greetings from Indiana! →
Well, it is cold here. I’m finding it more bracing than debilitating, but I’m sure my adrenaline and excitement could be affecting me. Yesterday was a big day. Mimi had an itinerary…
November 2009
1 post
Musician's Etiquette, via Oboe Insight →
Rules to Live By! Patty Mitchell’s blog is great. Upon reading this list of Do’s and Don’ts, I cringed just a little bit. It’s been a while since I was truly immersed in the symphonic…