Frequently I converse with parents regarding the question of whether a child should be made to continue piano lessons (or start them in the first place). This question evokes a mosaic of responses from me, primarily because my own musical career would have fallen by … Read more
Wanhal, Double Bass Concerto Few people these days know the music of Johann Baptist Wanhal (1739-1813). Count me among them. Born in Bohemia (the Czech Republic), he became a prominent Viennese composer at the same time as Mozart and Haydn, and you can easily hear … Read more
Opening sentences rarely tumble out easily. I might never find this one, caught as it is in a nostalgic tangle at the chute. We are back in Texas, a state that, while not my native state, is my heart’s home. Our end goal is a … Read more
Ungar, Ashokan Farewell I like to choose something American when the Fourth of July rolls around, and this year I decided on a folk tune that has achieved a sort of iconic status. It’s not a true folk song because it’s newly composed and we … Read more
On my mind are two famous composers: Gioachino Rossini and Bela Bartók. You would be hard-pressed to find two more different figures, truth be told. Both made their careers during artistically fruitful periods (Rossini, during the early 19th century; Bartók, across the turbulent stretch of … Read more
Cui, Cinq Petit Duos, Op. 56 The simple charm of these short works, five little duos by César Cui, has tempted me to add them to our collection of A Child’s Treasure of Music. I confess to knowing little of Cui’s music, but in that … Read more
The last thing I expected to hear from the mouth of John Erickson, author of the Hank the Cowdog series, was this question: “Do you know the music of Morten Lauridsen?” Morten Lauridsen? The award-winning American composer whose radiant choral works have been described as … Read more
Daniel Elder, Ballade to the Moon I ran across a couple of news articles about the composer Daniel Elder this week. Perhaps you’ve seen them. Elder is (or was) an up-and-coming choral composer living in Nashville. Listening to Elder’s work, it’s clear that he is … Read more
Yes, Virginia, there are live conferences taking place this summer! As proof, I’m in Texas now to speak at the 2021 Repairing the Ruins national conference attended by 1000+ headmasters and teachers belonging to the ACCS (Association of Christian Classical Schools). It’s glorious to be back … Read more
Liszt, Orpheus The story of Orpheus is tailor-made for musical adaptation. In the Greek myth, Orpheus charms all things with his music-making. And the tale of his descent into the underworld to rescue Eurydice is filled with drama and pathos. The arts have turned enthusiastically … Read more