February 2010 Blog Posts (14)

Aubrey Johnson, the founder of The Jazz Half and contributor for The Examiner covering Cincinnati Jazz Scene, features Christian in his February 1 article and also makes Christian's performance at The Blue Wisp tomorrow, February 27th, the featured event of February in…

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The sheer volume of education sessions at the 2010 American String Teachers Association National Conference can, as one teacher put it, “leave your head spinning.” That’s why it’s important to catch a performance when you can to recharge your batteries, whether it be in the lobby, in an exhibitor booth, or in the hall of the National Orchestra Festival.

My day kicked off with the intriguing session the Russian Violin School: Myth or Reality,…

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There's nothing better to cap the 2010 American String Teachers Association National Conference than a performance by the 2010 National Orchestra Festival Grand Champion. After all, inspiration is why teachers attend the conference. And inspiration was served in a heavy dose by the champion, the San Domenico School Orchestra Da Camera of San Anselmo, California.

Even though the Strings office and the school are nearly neighbors, this was the…

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Sleep didn’t come easy last night. Wired from pre-conference sessions at the 2010 American String Teachers Association National Conference and eager about the loads more that were lined up for the next day, I was too busy planning my schedule to count sheep.

The first official day of ASTA saw hordes of teachers running to and from sessions and panels as well as the opening of the exhibit hall, which also had a healthy turnout both from stringed-instrument-related…

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New York City, February 18, 2010 –



Jonathan Russell, the award winning fourteen-year-old jazz violinist from the Bronx has received an Honorable Mention in the 2010 ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Awards for his piece “Danny’s Groove”. The ASCAP Awards are presented by The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers with additional support from The Gibson Foundation and were established in 2002 to acknowledge and encourage composers younger… Continue

‘How to save your orchestra program' certainly was the big topic of the evening before the 2010 American String Teachers Association National Conference, which will offer up educational sessions, master classes, concerts, and panel discussions through Saturday in Santa Clara, California.



Music-education leaders addressed a sparse crowd of hopefuls during the Advocacy Discussion Panel, and talked about ways people have saved their orchestra programs. To be fair, attendance was low… Continue

Photo taken from one of our concerts during the 2nd annual Creative Strings Workshop, in 2006.





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I have several violins and bows (French, German and Italian makers) that I am considering auctioning off. My question to this very knowledgeable group is .....what is the best venue for greatest visibility? Internet auction vs. live auction, NY vs. Europe and string instrument focused vs. a prominent generalist? Any advice or experience you…

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Hello everyone,

I'd like to remind violin, viola and cello students that they can save 200 Euro by registering early for the 15th Litomysl International String Master Class, July 25 - August 15, 2010.

Come to Litomysl, Czech Republic, the birth town of composer Smetana for one of the intensive programs anywhere. All students receive:

6 one hour individual lessons in solo…

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Who said gigging would slow down for me once I started spending more time in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio? Even when I'm not traveling, it can get pretty busy.

On this long day of gigging I started with a pair of rock and roll church services at the Heritage Church, followed by an hour of solo playing at an artsy event held at the local Cafe Brioso, , followed by a rehearsal and performance as soloist with the Westerville Symphony Orchestra. (Still get to pull out those…

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Learning any difficult craft can end up being a metaphor for our relationship with ourselves. No sooner have we picked up the bow than a tree falls right in our path, preventing… Continue

Publicly funded city arts programs won't face cuts by the LA City Council, though savings will have to found in the budget.… Continue

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Proceeds from two concerts Sunday will be dedicated to rebuilding blind violinist Romel Joseph’s New Victorian School in Haiti. Joseph, who had been trapped for 18 hours under his collapsed music school following the January 12 earthquake, rescued, and flown to a hospital in Miami, vowed to rebuild the center when he returns to Port-au-Prince. Editor Greg Cahill spoke with Joseph, and you can catch that article in an upcoming issue of…

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