In my life, I have had the dumb luck of benefiting from a class system that provided protection for me (a roof over my head, FOOD, clothes, parents, an education, a support system, etc., etc.). On top of that, I grew up an “able” bodied person who never had to navigate my world with a disability (until I gave parts of my body to “Uncle Sugar” in the name of “Army Readiness”).

I’ve noticed a strange phenomenon among the newer classes of college music graduates, maybe over the last couple of years or so. I’m not sure where it comes from, but I think it could be completely naive. Perhaps it’s learned in the academic setting - sadly, very few programs teach about the critical “business” of music, after all. Maybe it’s an indirect result of the global pandemic and sheltering inside during a very critical part of development…I don’t know.

The choice of active and passive verbs used to describe the experience of attending a live performance is fascinating. Did you ever stop to think about it, or why it matters? Do people “see” or “hear” a performance? Is an artist “heard” or “seen” by an audience? Weren’t super mega rock stars “seen” back in the day, or “heard” at a particular venue?

I used to know her name: my first teacher. I would purposely recite it year after year, just so I would never forget it. And then one year, I forgot to recite it, and she fell away with so many oth…

YouTube video by Bob Reeves Brass Mouthpieces

Come support women veterans on June 5, 2025 at 12PM EDT on the steps of Capitol Hill. We will have a brief rally, with prominent speakers. Then we will split into teams (we will have a lead for each ...