Musician's Etiquette, via Oboe Insight
Rules to Live By!Patty Mitchell's blog is great. Upon reading this list of Do's and Don'ts, I cringed just a little bit. It's been a while since I was truly immersed in the sympho

your friend Emily, through good and bad (hair)
There was one picture involving a bowl cut that I just couldn't put up. Sorry. As I prepare for ulnar nerve surgery this December, I am forced to reflect back on my experience with the cello. I had to sign a waiver telling them that it's not their fault if I wake up and am unable to use my left arm, and it put my stomach in a knot. Even if that is the (unlikely) case, looking at these pictures reminds me that I have had a great run with the cello. The only way to continue playing is to have this operation. The real risk is allowing my nerve to be further damaged. The real risk is not acting.

meet Cheeto.
(excuse the kitchen in the background. that's where the light was good.)

btw
Don't question the A your teacher gives you.

Human Potential, by Stephen Wiltshire
We hear a lot about musical savants, but this guy's gifts of perception are staggering. It does beg the tantalizing question of whether we have these abilities within ourselves but lose them as we try to become more convenient personalities for the rest of the world to deal with. As a side note, since this takes place in Rome, I had a pang of nostalgia for my favorite part of the city: the famous Pines of Rome. They really are remarkable.