🎼 February 2025: Note to Self – Work Harder
What I wish I could go back and tell my college-age self, about how much harder I could work than I knew—and how big the dividends would be if I did.
🎼 January 2025: Always Ambitious, Joy Undimmed
Why do we make art? How do we fight off the discouragement of knowing our work will never stand alongside the greatest of the greats? How do we hold onto the joy of the thing?
🎼 December 2024: Wrapping the Year
2024: progress on my first symphony, a number of other works and performances (including two I somehow forgot about) and links to other artists!
🎼 November 2024: A Symphony (Yes, That Kind)
Choosing not to write a score for Robin Sloan’s Penumbraverse, or for Tolkien’s Ainulindalë—because I am writing a symphony, and I am going to finish it before I start something else of comparable scale.
🎼 October 2024: The Rhythm of the Work
Creative work has its own rhythms. I finally—finally!—found one that works for me in this phase of life.
🎼 September 2024: Free Espresso
How I learned to love espresso. (Yes, this is a metaphor for learning to love classical music.) Also: links to music by Baron Ryan, Anthony Plopper, and Sam Hulick!
🎼 August 2024: Songwhip is Dead; Long Live… iTunes?
Another acqui-kill gets me mulling on how to share music better; and the weird necessity of analyzing my own compositional ideas.
🎼 July 2024: Respite
On forced breathers and getting-back-into-it; and Pēteris Vasks’ Oboe Concerto, Vēstījums, and Lauda.
🎼 June 2024: Revising!
Good art always happens by way of not just doing the work, but doing it over and over and over again until it is right.
🎼 May 2024: Musical Development (…but not that kind)
On artistic endeavors that take many long years to complete (with, of course, a nod to Tolkien), some comments from readers, and a recommendation: Ryan Keebaugh!
🎼 April 2024: What is music?
The essence of music, aerial silks, an encouraging note from Jess Lin, and more.
🎼 March 2024
March 2024 update: Learning to ask more from musicians, supporting Barron Ryan's Kickstarter, and my latest music!
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