In an interview recently, I was asked the obvious question: "How many concerts have you played?" And I answered truthfully: "I don't know." I've thought about it before, even wishing I had kept track better. I might calculate the number by studying my old calendars and printed programs. (Could I have notched the leg of a piano bench?) It's got to be hundreds. As I was speculating about this, I asked another question: "For the purpose of this … [Read more...]
Dress like a banker — Dress like a rockstar
At Juilliard, the Old Guard piano teachers came to school dressed like bankers -- ties, jackets, well-polished shoes. (Musicians -- those Bohemians! -- needed to show they were respectable.) For the last fifteen years or so, classical musicians, at least some, try to dress like rockstars. Jeans, shoes you can't polish. (To show that musicians are not necessarily part of a stuffy "Establishment"?) … [Read more...]