A “cheerleader for the arts” – that’s what one symphony-goer called me last week after hearing my pre-concert talk for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. I was flattered by his gracious assessment. I rather like that description because it captures my conviction that the Arts matter. … Read more
Well, it was a smash. The Gala Concert celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Van Cliburn Competition exceeded anything we dared hope. Most marvelously, Mr. Cliburn addressed the audience right at the beginning. The crowd roared its love for this lion of a man who … Read more
How do music history, homeschoolers, and the Van Cliburn Series come together? On an airplane, of course. Airplanes present a peculiar work environment. On the one hand, everyone is miserable, stuffed into a tiny place with dozens of similarly compressed folks. Add in the crying … Read more
Our journey down the Rhine presented featured both a rapid progression of riparian cities and the relaxed intimacy of a small ship with endless opportunities for conversation. (My favorite new buzz-word is riparian—of or relating to the riverbank.) Travel is a beguiling perfume. The common … Read more
How far are you ever from water in Amsterdam – the Rhine delta? As rain pounded the metal roof of our hotel last night, I was reminded of the very thing that will occupy us for the next week: the force of water. Water is … Read more
Travel-blogging is not new. We just do it via high-tech nowadays. But other than that, most of the elements have stayed the same across the centuries. Have you noticed how water inspires travelers to write? Maybe that’s because it’s hard to hike up a steep mountain while … Read more
I first heard the song 32 years ago, sung by a beguiling Slovakian soprano (well past her prime) who stared at me incredulously: “You do not know Dvorak’s bea-uuuu-ti-ful “Songs my Mother Taught Me? Wvat is de matter with you?” With lightning speed, she plopped … Read more
Which matters more: science or the arts? The answer is both, particularly at the magnificent 17th-century French court of Louis XIV. Louis XIV was one of the first monarchs to establish institutions called academies to promote “research and development” in specific areas of the arts and science. … Read more
I’m waiting out a storm. We’ve moved everything that could get damaged by hail into the barn. Since it’s Holy Week, the menacing clouds and thunder seem right in tune. In my lap is a 1956 edition of The Baptist Hymnal. I now have 35 of … Read more
Earl Scruggs has left this world. Called by some the “Prometheus of the Banjo,” he was a musical hero to many of us. He’s credited with popularizing a style of picking (3-finger) that “super-charged” the banjo style. Tunes that our pepper our musical landscape today … Read more