Two cellists rehearsing.

When we commit to making chamber music with a group of musicians, we put ourselves in a very vulnerable position. Musically, everything we do is audible and affects every other musician in the group. Interpersonally, we risk harming others or being harmed,...

A little over a week ago, I had the pleasure of being with the SAKURA Cello Quintet as they rehearsed for a video shoot and their upcoming Spring 2024 concert tour. Along the way, I witnessed the group employing some skills that make the music better...

You’ve put your chamber music group together. You’ve scheduled your first rehearsal and found a place to have it. Everyone has been practicing their parts, and everyone is excited to get started. What else do you need to think about? What goes into making...

Among the most rewarding and memorable experiences any musician can have is to perform as a member of a small group—a group that plays chamber music. If you’ve been a member of a band or orchestra, you know what’s expected of you: practice to have a good...

Let’s say you have a new composition or arrangement and you have found a publisher who wants to publish your piece. It’s really good, and no one else has anything like it! You’re really excited about bringing your great music to musicians. What’s the...

“Wow, that was such a great concert!” Isn’t hearing that from audience members what we musicians live for? In the end, the musical experience that musicians bring to their audiences is the reason every one of us got into the music business. But getting...

What I have learned I received quite an education during my forty-year career with the St. Louis Symphony. What a gift I received every day from conductors, soloists, and my orchestra colleagues. Sound qualities, phrasing, balance, interpretation, articulations,...

Music took hold of me at an early age. I remember my four-year-old self conducting the music playing on the record player with a Tinker Toy while standing on my little bathroom stool. When I was old enough to operate the record player, I played my parents’...

Most of us work hard to get what we have. We have to give ourselves credit for the work we put in to get what we have. We might have a college degree or a job or a house. We might have a great musical instrument that we worked hard to save for. Even a...