Sometimes it feels like everything I am doing is a distraction from something else, but perhaps that is because I am plate spinner. Just this afternoon, I went outside to take the trash out, and noticed a few weeds in the garden bed. Before I knew it, I was donning my gardening gloves and pecking at those weeds until they were gone, gone, gone. But then I noticed some more in [...]
Our 13 year old cat Tilly is an "indoor cat," but occasionally enjoys a little saunter in the garden outside my office. In her own cat-like way, Tilly asked to go out. I opened the door and she stepped out into the world.Then she changed her mind. I understand how Tilly felt. I lived in Manhattan for nine years and sometimes fantasize about moving back. The restaurants, the theater, [...]
I was lucky enough to receive an invitation to return to the beautiful Mohonk Mountain House (pictured here) to perform a concert. Located upstate New York, this beautiful inn is surrounded by acres and acres of preservation land. There are gorgeous gardens to walk through, a maze to get lost in (or find yourself in), hikes to take, boats to row, rocks to climb, bike paths to ride on, [...]
On Friday, my 18th recording quietly launched into the world. And that was kind of perfect, because the recording itself is quiet, subtle, and filled with nuance. A few months ago, I dared to allow the recording engineer to hit the record button while I dreamed up piano improvisations with the intention of quieting my own worries, and those of anyone else who might later listen to my musings. [...]
"In the weeds" was cocktail waitress speak for pre-Broadway hour. Back in the 1980's, my shift began at 4pm with the lighting and distribution of candles on small round glass tables in the Broadway Lounge of the Marriott. The lounge sported a view of Times Square and it was moving. Literally. The room moved. It was one of those 360 rooms that slowly, ever so slowly rotated so that each [...]
It’s “Finals Week” at the university. Today wraps my first year as a college professor and I can honestly say I liked the gig. As I write this, my students are taking their final exam in my “International Music Industry” class. We covered trends in the music business around the world: music consumption, censorship, the ins and outs of live touring, technological advancements. How and why do I know this [...]
A while ago I posted this photo of my mother, who joined me during an east coast concert tour. It was so lovely having her with me for company and conversation. She has been "in the wings" for me as long as I can remember. These past two years I have been in the wings for my daughter while she explored her college options. We visited schools and then visited them [...]
I remember first grade more vividly than other school years. Where Kindergarten was full of play, first grade was serious business...or at least it seemed that way to me. I missed my mother. Some days I cried. Embarrassment over being weepy made me cry even more. I was an anxious first grader. But I cheered up at music time. We'd gather around the piano in Mrs. Schwartz's classroom and sing our [...]
Happy Autumn! Here is my newsletter for Oct/Nov.
I was talking with a girlfriend the other day and she said, "How do you know so much about gardening?" and I laughed and told her I really didn't know anything about gardening. And that made her laugh, because to her I am some sort of garden expert. I guess there is so much to learn about a subject as big as gardening that I never figured I knew much [...]
