musician life
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The gender question, part 1
Early on in my career I was asked the gender question a lot. I mean, A LOT. It seemed to be the focus of most of my interviews in the early aughts – what’s it like to be a female conductor in a male-dominated field? Given the increasing numbers of women on the podium, lately that questions has become less prevalent, and I suppose in a way that’s a huge positive. Women conductors are becoming more normalized and pointing out our unique experiences might act as a disservice to that process. Which is not to say that the challenges of being a woman in what is still a man’s world…
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Heigh-ho, heigh-ho
I’m currently killing time in a Burbank coffee shop before I head back to the airport – an airport I left just a few hours ago. I’ve had quite a few days like this in the last month or so, any guess as to where my meeting was this afternoon? Between the recording last month for “Little Mermaid Live” and upcoming performances of “Coco Live in Concert” at the Hollywood Bowl I’ve been spending quite a bit of time doing work that seems far away from my classical roots. Hollywood is a very, very different world, with different expectations, different attitudes, different modes of operation. I’ve always been a big…
- adventure, balance, California living, mental health, mindfulness, musician life, running, self care, travel
Reboot!
Did you know that America is the only advanced economy that doesn’t guarantee paid vacation? Think of what most European countries get – 20-something days in addition to national holidays, so a total around 34 days – and you realize what a raw deal we get. For those of us who are independent contractors, however, it can be a different story. While I try to maximize my work (given that I have no guaranteed assurance of future gigs), it conversely also gives me some flexibility in my own time off. Those of you who follow my various social media that I’ve had a particularly busy season, often on the road…
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Independence Day Musings
I just watched a Fourth of July fireworks show from the window of my hotel room. It was at quite a distance, and the sky was a bit smoky already, but well, it was something. I guess. Sigh. For some reason today I’ve found it hard not to feel a little…grinchy…? I can’t think of a better way to express it. I felt annoyed at the people at the airport adorned in red white and blue garb, at the airline lounges serving barbeque and lemonade. I mean, fireworks are making me surly. So I’ve taken a step back to give myself the space to think it through. I end up…