OnCampus Blog

Broaching the Taboo of Performance Anxiety

Last week, I wrote about the many benefits that regular exercise can afford performers, including that of reducing “anxiety sensitivity” (reacting negatively to anxious symptoms). Fittingly, this past weekend I was asked to speak on the matter while teaching at a high school orchestra retreat. The retreat, which took place at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater,[…]

Read More

A Musical Incentive to Hit the Gym

Those of you who know me personally can attest that “exercise” is not a word that appears in my vocabulary. I can’t jog a block without stopping, I can’t throw a basketball to save my life, and if the grades I received in high school gym class had actually counted in my G.P.A., I definitely[…]

Read More

What I Learned from a Malfunctioning Smoke Alarm

I once had an intriguing conversation with a mentor about whether we tend to take concerts and all their formal trappings too seriously. Sure, it all seems to be a big deal, but in the grand scheme of things, such events don’t even compare to other, more serious life experiences. My mentor related this observation[…]

Read More

Concertos, Concerts, and Websites–Oh, My!

I’ve been keeping busy. Over the past ten days, I launched a website, rehearsed and performed two separate chamber music programs, and played a concerto with an orchestra in Chicago’s Symphony Center. It’s been a grueling couple of weeks, but now my schedule has finally leveled off, and I at last have a chance to[…]

Read More

The Human Factor

My summer concert season has officially begun! Currently, I am writing from the beautiful peninsula of Door County, Wisconsin, where I am once again in residence for the Midsummer’s Music Festival. As some regular readers may recall, I spent a good part of last summer here as an intern, and this year I’m pleased to[…]

Read More

If You’re Traveling Abroad With Your Instrument This Summer, You Need to Read This

By now, most of us have heard something about the Obama administration’s ban on commercial trade in elephant ivory, but its direct implications for musicians traveling internationally have been continuously changing, and somewhat overwhelming to decipher. As a result, a lot of discourse on the matter might have fallen under the “tl;dr” (too long, didn’t[…]

Read More

Defining Success

Sunday, May 18th represented a milestone in my musical and personal life: my graduation from the Eastman School of Music. It was certainly a momentous occasion, and I celebrated by participating in all of the obligatory Commencement Day activities: being blinded by multiple photo shoots, attempting not to choke on my windswept tassel, and praying[…]

Read More

What’s the Beef with “Arts Entrepreneurship?”

Arts entrepreneurship is a hot topic.  Many music schools and conservatories are exploring the idea of entrepreneurship and what it may mean for musicians via courses, workshops, institutes, departments, and more.  To be clear, not every musician needs to be an entrepreneur.  Not every musician wants to be an entrepreneur.  And not every musician should[…]

Read More

Pomp and Circumstance

It’s that time of year again. Finals are over, juries are but a distant memory, recital season has come to a close, and all that remains is the pinnacle event of the school year: commencement. Of course, commencement time does not merely entail the usual ceremony with its stuffy gowns, flashing cameras, and a speech[…]

Read More

Classical Music’s New Marketing Strategies: Sex, Drugs, and Alcohol?!

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak to students participating in “From the Top” here in Rochester. The morning after their concert, they took part in an “Arts Leadership Day” at the local radio station, which entailed multiple activities and discussion sessions intended to promote entrepreneurial thinking. My presentation centered around what I believe to be[…]

Read More
1
Broaching the Taboo of Performance Anxiety
2
A Musical Incentive to Hit the Gym
3
What I Learned from a Malfunctioning Smoke Alarm
4
Concertos, Concerts, and Websites–Oh, My!
5
The Human Factor
6
If You’re Traveling Abroad With Your Instrument This Summer, You Need to Read This
7
Defining Success
8
What’s the Beef with “Arts Entrepreneurship?”
9
Pomp and Circumstance
10
Classical Music’s New Marketing Strategies: Sex, Drugs, and Alcohol?!