“Actually, you can only expect a fulfilling life if you dedicate yourself to finding out who you are. To finding the ineffable, idiosyncratic seeds of possibility already planted inside. There is some surrender required here.” ~ Stephen Cope When I think about the times in my life when I felt the most engaged and focused […]
The Conductor as Yogi: Seeing Ourselves Whole
“Yoga allows you to rediscover a sense of wholeness in your life, where you do not feel like you are constantly trying to fit broken pieces together.” B.K.S. Iyengar It’s hard to believe I am starting my fifth year writing this blog. My intention in those early days of the pandemic was to encourage conductors, […]
The Conductor as Yogi: What Have We Learned
“In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.” Phil Collins There is a pause, if we choose to take it, after a concert season, academic year, major project, or significant life experience. Like savasana at the end of a yoga practice, we take the opportunity to assimilate, to feel the effects of […]
The Conductor as Yogi: Ordinary (Extraordinary) Wisdom
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” Henry David Thoreau I don’t know how often we think of ourselves as “wise.” That word seems reserved for the sages, the super seniors with long beards or gentle voices and twinkling eyes, sharing mic-drop pearls that stop us in our tracks. Yet, […]
The Conductor as Yogi: Q & A on Yoga with JW Pepper
About a month ago, JW Pepper reached out to me about doing a piece on yoga for their CUEDIN blog, supporting their outreach on topics related to musicians’ wellness. They had followed my work through this Conductor as Yogi blog and my 2021 Choral Journal article on the topic and had some specific and practical […]
The Conductor as Yogi: Abilities vs. Gifts
Our professional life’s journey is very much focused on developing our abilities—the ability to play or sing, to read music, conduct, plan effective rehearsals, and understand the context of the music we teach. In time, we get really good at it, and even receive pieces of paper to demonstrate that we “made it” in our […]