A Week at Kneisel Hall
I recently returned from a weeklong amateur adult chamber music program at Kneisel Hall, a picturesque, wooded campus in Blue Hill, Maine and renowned summer institute founded by Franz Kneisel [...]
Music as Therapy
Recently, I received an unexpected, e-mail from a trauma therapist who discovered my website and enjoyed listening to my music. It made me revisit the idea that music can play [...]
A Second Chance
Something amazing came my way about 4 1/2 years ago. It was a viola played by my great uncle Rudy, a virtuoso violinist. Being a musician and composer, I realized [...]
Attention: Viola Players
As an intermediate viola player, I have made a disturbing discovery –there is a dearth of music literature for viola duets. I have looked online for free downloads and scoured [...]
Major Surgery Performed On My Viola
Having played my great uncle’s 100 year old viola for three years, cracks on the instrument were becoming noticeable. Over the life of the instrument, repairs were performed but not [...]
The Importance of a Great Mentor
Although music played such a vital role from the age of eight, it became a joyless experience over the years. I studied piano, voice and cello, but I lacked an [...]
The Process of Composing
As with any writing discipline, there is a process in creating a piece of music. The important step is to write down as many ideas on manuscript paper as they [...]
Finding Inspiration
On a recent trip to New Zealand I was mesmerized by the turquoise waters, lush vegetation, and fertile landscape, I felt relaxed, at peace, and appreciative to be there. I [...]
The Healing Powers of Music Therapy
Not long after man discovered the use of tools, instruments were created and music began. Music has been a part of human culture for more than 40,000 years. It is [...]
Another gift from Rudy – 88 years later
In my previous blog, I wrote about my great uncle, Rudolph (Rudy) Fuchs and the miracle of receiving his first string instrument, a small viola he purchased in 1923. In [...]