Tales From The Lane
Living Your Best Life as Creative Artist
Category: Teaching
Shedding a Long-Held Identity: My decision to stop teaching
I taught my first cello lesson when I was around 13 years old. It was a younger student of my cello teacher, whose parents were both busy professionals, and not at home to help him practice. They lived close to me, so Mrs. B… Continue Reading “Shedding a Long-Held Identity: My decision to stop teaching”
Getting Through a “Spectacularly Busy Time” Like a Champ
The parent of one of my chamber music students texted me the other day to say that her daughter would need to leave our next coaching early in order to get to her school music concert. She was so apologetic–she knows that the group… Continue Reading “Getting Through a “Spectacularly Busy Time” Like a Champ”
Spotlight: Laura Sinclair– Violist, Educator, and Speaker
This month’s Spotlight interview brings me immense joy and pride. Not only is our featured artist amazingly inspiring, but she’s also a long-term client and friend. Laura Sinclair has created the artist’s dream life, with her ideal balance of performances (because one really shouldn’t… Continue Reading “Spotlight: Laura Sinclair– Violist, Educator, and Speaker”
Time-Blocking: The Creative’s Best Friend
You know how “the experts” are always telling you to think about the thing that seems completely obvious to you, that other people aren’t doing, and then go out and teach that thing? Well, for me, one of those “things” is Time-Blocking. Clients… Continue Reading “Time-Blocking: The Creative’s Best Friend”
Resetting the Thermostat On Your Life
When I lived in Boston, whether I was feeling broke or simply in one of my “I should save as much as possible” phases, I would decide that I could lower the thermostat in my condo, and cozy up in wool socks and warm… Continue Reading “Resetting the Thermostat On Your Life”
In Praise of the Expected
I was incredibly fortunate to have grown up in an almost surreal musical environment where everyone was good. Like, really good. As a group of young musicians, we were almost absurdly good. The bar was high, and in our own individual ways, we… Continue Reading “In Praise of the Expected”
How to Plan For the New Year in an Age of Uncertainty
All of us planners out there in the world learned an important lesson in 2020. You can make all the plans you want, but… You know how that one ends. And it’s true, we only have so much control over how things will… Continue Reading “How to Plan For the New Year in an Age of Uncertainty”
Which Path Are You On?
Of all of the fun, awesome, “pinch me moment” kind of things I have done in my career–exotic travel, fancy-pants concert halls, getting to meet and hang out with top performers, composers, and conductors, running chamber music programs, and having recordings I was… Continue Reading “Which Path Are You On?”
The Surprising Addiction I Never Knew I Had
It’s been 3 months now since I made my decision to “retire” from being a professional performing cellist. There were a lot of expected feelings and thoughts that came up for me. I have missed the things I thought I would miss (the camaraderie… Continue Reading “The Surprising Addiction I Never Knew I Had”
An Open Letter to My Students
My Dear Students, You might be curious as to why I have decided to step away from playing the cello–after so many years of focusing my life around it. After all, this thing that you are striving towards–this ability to play well enough… Continue Reading “An Open Letter to My Students”