Here are my videos of this year's GMEA All-State First Round Audition Etudes. As always, please pass them on to students, teachers, and colleagues. Enjoy!

Here are my recordings of the first round audition etudes for the 2013 GMEA All-State Orchestras. It was a great learning experience for me to tackle the challenges posed in each etude - lyricism and sound quality for middle school, rhythm and dexterity for 9/10, and articulation and intonation for 11/12. Please pass the videos on to your students, teachers, and colleagues, and be sure to "Like" them on YouTube. Thanks for watching, and best of luck on October 20.

I recently came across this article from last year. While I liked all of the author's ideas, a couple of points really jumped out at me.

1. "Pick the right instrument" -  Indeed, it took me a few tries to find the right one. As a young pianist from the age of four, I was always lukewarm about music. It wasn't until I discovered the violin at 10 - and consequently began making music with other kids in youth orchestra - that I really started enjoying music. Since I was always really tall, it was when I found the viola two years later that things really started to take off.

6. "...reward your child with a new sheet book of music of his choosing or a trip see a local performance" - Yes! Please take your kids to the Opera, the Symphony, chamber concerts, etc. Little Leaguers are always inspired by going to Turner Field, and the same goes for young violists and Symphony Hall.