Not  only our bird accompanies me when I play at home, but within a last week I found this quartet (quintet if you count the mom) in the tree next to our house – they were so loud when I started playing my viola one day that I had to go and find them. If only I could figure out if they are approving my playing or if they are annoyed by it and in their bird language are begging me to stop!

I hear a lot around me about classical music being a dying art. Public schools cut back on Music and Art programs, favoring football and other sports. Kids that are involved in music have a tendency to quit because playing an instrument is challenging and requires time, patience and dedication.  However, amidst all this bleakness, some kids are still curious about classical music and its’ sounds.  Our string quartet played at the wedding in Youngstown, OH past weekend and these two kids were glued to us while we played music for the reception.  The older boy had the guts to stop us and was talking about Vivaldi’s Four Seasons – shocking to us that he knew the piece! It was really sweet and refreshing to see the interest in the young kids.  My husband took the two photos below while we were playing…

We all deal with stress regardless if we are musicians, lawyers, moms, dads, construction workers, bankers, janitors… list goes on. This is what I click on when I am stressed, and I am not the most religious person, but I do know that some unexplainable and undeniable energy is there – God is just one name for it…

www.theinterviewwithgod.com

Christmas season is one of the busiest time for musicians in Pittsburgh.  For past several years I have been a part of several Christmas services that take place at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Sewickley, Pa, a small historical town north of Pittsburgh.  The church music director hires musicians from Pittsburgh to form a chamber orchestra including violins, violas, cellos,bass, flute,clarinet and trumpet, and we perform along with the church choir.  We usually play at two evening services on Christmas Eve. with about thirty minutes of music program prior to each service.  In between the services musicians have time for a break and also for food that church and choir members so graciously provide for us!  It is one of those jobs that never quite feels like a job but more like an annual fun event, where we see the same group of musicians and friends in both, choir and orchestra.  Since I was part of the orchestra, I had no way of taking photos of us playing, but during the break I took a couple of photos of Christmas decorations at the church. It is a wonderful place with very friendly people full of energy, smiles and warm hearts. Thank you to all of you for having us play at your church for all these years!

Amidst all the hectic rehearsals, concerts, weddings, and teaching commitments, we try to have fun once in a while. Last week the two of us played an impromptu concert at a local hang out in South Park called Dorido’s. My husband and his friends go there after their respective police shifts, to hang out, eat, drink a bit and have fun. I guess my friend cellist and I decided to expose them to some culture, giving them an earful on classical music to their already “gun-trained” ears… They seem to like it! 

…We have two cats, Hobbes and Brahms (one of them had to be names after a musician!) and a dog, chocolate labrador  - Schubert. This is a photo of him, my violin and his favorite pass time – tennis ball: it is on the photo to the right of him. I can’t recall this dog ever going anywhere ( including my in-laws) without a tennis ball. On the days when I have students coming to our house, he knows the drill: the minute he hears a violin or a viola, he grunts and lays down by the student’s instrument case, patiently waiting until the lesson is over and the tennis balls can once again, become the priority not only of his but our lives. I brought my violin to the barn where my husband was working with horses that day. Of course, Schubert found a tennis from his previous adventures there! 

Today is April 4th, 2010. Last year on that date three Pittsburgh Police officers were violently shot and killed: Kelly, Sciullo and Mayhle.  Several days later, on April 9th, the caskets were laid out for public at the City-County Building.  With the help of my husband, who also is a police officer, I have asked several musicians to come and play that day.  In view of what had happened, it might not have been much – but it was better that doing nothing.  Thank you to all of those violinists, violists and cellists who took the time to come and play that day, changing their schedules last minute. One of the violin players that I have known for years, planned on staying for an hour or so -she ended up staying the whole day. Once again, thank you to all of you – it meant a lot to people, and to myself, as a wife of a police officer.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09099/961697-53.stm