The sounds of nature are all around us all the time wherever we are. But we have to pay attention and somehow listen through the noise of our daily lives. Hearing the music of bird songs, waterfalls, and wind through…
Jul 23 2018
May 20 2018
A Die Walkure to Remember
"This high-intensity performance will surely rank as a legend in Dallas musical history."
So writes Dallas Morning News Special Contributor Scott Cantrell following the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's concert performance of Wagner's Die Walkure -- a performance I was fortunate…
Jan 27 2018
What does it mean?
Recently I heard a series of episodes of "Exploring Music" in which Bill McGlaughlin investigated music and meaning - certainly an elusive concept.
Soon after, I attended a concert and was moved by performances of Francis Poulenc's "Stabat Mater"…
Oct 2 2017
"It tolls for thee."
I wrote the piano piece "It Tolls for Thee" as a response to the killing of five police officers in Dallas in July of 2016. However, it could have been written in reaction to the mass shooting in Las Vegas…
Jul 11 2017
Dale Cook
Our musical community lost a friend and colleague to a freak accident. Drummer Dale Cook played with Peter Nero and Doc Severinsen, among others. He was a first call session player, and can still be heard on many familiar sports…
Jun 3 2017
What a Musical Week!
It's been a musically exhilarating few days. I caught the excellent documentary "Chasing Trane" about John Coltrane - his life and musical journey. And subsequently purchased two more of his albums. I'm streaming the 2017 Cliburn Piano competition and watching…
May 16 2017
Good Morning, Midnight
Emily Dickinson wrote many of her poems in a hymn-like form - with four line stanzas, rhyming schemes, and meter. In her poem "Good Morning, Midnight" her words "sing" in the form of The Blues. What she says and how…
Feb 22 2017
Possibility
I am always encouraged and rejuvenated after reading this poem. To me it extols creative expression in poetry, music, and the visual arts. It communicates a refreshing attitude toward life. I dwell in Possibility --
A fairer House than Prose…
A fairer House than Prose…
Sep 13 2016
The Saddest Music Ever Written
That title caught my eye. Yes, it refers to Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings. Certainly, anyone compiling a "top ten" list would have to include this piece at or near the top. But what is it about this music…
Jun 28 2016
The Joy of Music
For expressions of sheer joy, just look at the faces of the artists in the documentary The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble. The documentary tells the story of the Silk Road Project from its…
Mar 30 2016
"For Eileen"
My mother celebrated her 90th birthday recently. Those family members who could came and ate and laughed and retold the timeless stories that never seem to age. And neither does my mother. "For Eileen" is based on a song written…
Jan 14 2016
Fireworks in the Brain!
Check out this TED-Ed video - "How playing an instrument benefits your brain." Then dust off some music and practice it. Give your brain a workout! f