Category: Blog

Blog

Jessie Montgomery’s Rhapsody No. 1 for solo violin
More solo violin goodness for your quarantine...

Posted on

Hi Friend!  Here’s music from the brilliant composer and violinist, Jessie Montgomery: her Rhapsody No. 1 for solo violin, written in 2014.  I love both the pensive vibe and the surprising and luscious harmonies. Deceptively difficult, I so enjoyed learning this delightful piece and hope you enjoy!  Stay safe, warm, and healthy <3 Like what you hear? Please Like […]

Blog

IIRY Podcast: 36. Jennifer Fawcett. “Perfect isn’t interesting.”
On Imposter Syndrome and why we should "keep going and do it anyway."

Posted on

Do you struggle with Imposter Syndrome? Today, we revisit a chat from 2019 with my friend, playwright and fiction writer, Jennifer Fawcett, where we talk about: how do we give ourselves “permission”?; the importance of making your own “stuff”; struggling with “who cares” and Imposter Syndrome; how powerful and necessary it is to tell our own […]

Blog

Knuckle-busting Paganini
Paganini Caprice No. 13, aka "Devil's Laughter"

Posted on

Hi Friend! One silver lining of this seemingly never-ending pandemic is that I have time to practice for practice’s sake. Usually I’m practicing in “putting out fire mode” aka, I have a concert and I just need to NOT FALL ON MY FACE. Normally I wouldn’t have time (nor the inclination) to practice Paganini’s knuckle-busting Caprices for […]

Blog

IIRY Podcast: 35. 2020: “What would you tell your younger self?”
An end of year review, with advice to help you on your creative journey in 2021.

Posted on

Saying “2020 has been a weird year” is an understatement. Nevertheless, I’m really grateful when I look back at the inspiring guests who were generous enough to sit down and chat with me this year. So, I thought, wouldn’t it be great to revisit some of the most popular “Is it Recess Yet?” episodes of […]

Blog

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! BTS (방탄소년단) Dynamite Solo Violin Cover!
BTS (방탄소년단) Dynamite Solo Violin Cover!

Posted on

Hi Friend! I made a solo violin arrangement of BTS (방탄소년단) Dynamite! BOOM! Unless you’ve been living under a rock, I don’t need to tell you about BTS, the world dominating South Korean boy band phenomenon! I had a blast covering DYNAMITE, their infectious dance track that currently boasts more than 700 million views on YouTube. This was so fun! […]

Blog

IIRY Podcast: 34. Miki-Sophia Cloud. “Why am I doing this?”
On the importance of great mentors and choosing to find joy and purpose in music.

Posted on

I’m excited to revisit the very first episode of the “Is it Recess Yet?” podcast, from 2018. My dear friend and colleague, the wonderful violinist and human, Miki-Sophia Cloud, graciously agreed to be my first interviewee. In our chat, we talk about her former life as a strolling ‘gypsy violinist’; playing by ear versus playing from sheet […]

Blog

IIRY Podcast: 33. Dr. Noa Kageyama. “Focus on growth.”
On growth mindset versus fixed mindset and what we can learn from making music.

Posted on

Check out my 2018 podcast interview with performance psychologist, Noa Kageyama, where we learn what he meant at age 2 when he said “oa wike mugas”; what it was like to studying with Mr. Suzuki himself in Japan as a little kid, how inconsistency in his performances lead to his study of performance psychology at […]