Missing Blogger Report

Goodness! That was a bit of a hiatus!

Hello! Sorry I was MIA for so long - a few of you actually sent me private messages to see if I was still alive. I really appreciate the thought! And I REALLY appreciate that people appreciate this blog! Wow! Sometimes I think it is just my mom (hi mom!) who reads this so what a delight to discover that others enjoy it too. 

The end of the orchestra/school/teaching/performing/finals/juries/recitals/gigs/lessons season is always chaotic. This year was no different. In an attempt to keep up with all the essential and time sensitive deadlines that I was frantically running around trying to stay on top of, I neglected my blog....and then fled to Michigan for a little family time and a break from the daily grind. SORRY! (not sorry - it was great! Who knew napping was so awesome!? I see why babies love it!)

But now I'm back - and I mean really back!

As in, this is the summer of writing. I have this little thing called a dissertation to churn out and according to my New Years Resolution, it must happen this year. This little 'document' is so far requiring beaucoup hours in front of the computer and not so many hours practicing and performing.

So FINALLY this blog will take a turn towards its original purpose; as a place for me to flesh out some of my thesis ideas and topics. If you're not a violinist bear with me! I promise to sneak in a few 'not so academic' posts in there too so y'all don't jump ship in search of a more entertaining violinist.

In the meantime check out my updated summer events and concerts. Hope to see you at one or two of them.

Have some wonderful fun in the sun (with sunscreen). I'll be back soon!

Some Not-So-Obvious Adult Life Lessons

~A few of the unlikely "Oh Duh"s of being an adult and also sometimes a musician.~

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Never mix the oil into peanut butter while wearing ‘professional’ clothes.

Good posture is more attractive than a fancy new hair cut.

Answer emails ASAP or suffer the hiring freeze.

Don’t eat popcorn while driving. Trust Me.

Just because somebody offers their advice/opinion/approach does not mean they are more right than you are.

I still eat Peanut butter and Jelly sandwiches for dinner.

Iron fancy clothes before the very last minute.

I have yet to get sick from eating raw cookie dough.

Telling your teacher you didn’t practice this week will guarantee you a failing grade for that lesson.

Don’t walk to a gig in your concert shoes no matter how close it is. Just don’t.

It is not your job to police your standpartner.

Always have a friend or 2 who are more than proficient at doing hair and makeup. They will come in so handy at recital time – BELIEVE ME!

Strapless performance gown? Toupé tape is your best friend.

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What else? The seemingly simple and silly things that you figure out as an adult. Share yours below!

Spring Semester Studio Play List

This post is primarily for my students. I thought it might be nice for them to have easy access to some of my preferred recordings and performances of the repertoire they are currently working on. Granted, the super famous violin virtuosos of the world have not recorded some of these wonderful and charming pieces (at least not that I could find on the internet anyways) but the following videos are certainly appropriate for study support and reference. Recitals, auditions, and juries mean that easy access to study materials makes life just that much easier. Wherever possible I have included video footage so one can see AND hear how the bow is used. In some cases I just couldn’t resist a few recordings. That’s the great thing about performers – no two sound the same!

These are of course great pieces of music and should be enjoyed by all. So if you’re not one of my students please use this as an excuse to get your hands dirty with the Not-So-Top-Of-The-Pops Violin Classics.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Variations. - Okay, this is not alphabetically placed but it seems like the appropriate first recording to include.

Marche, C.P.E. Bach from Barbara Barber's Solos for Young Violinists

Waltz, Johannes Brahms from Suzuki Book 2.

Humoresque, by Antonin Dvořák - These are 2 classic recordings. Not to be missed!

La Cinquantaine, by Gabriel-Marie

Sonata in F major for Violin and Keyboard, George Frederick Handel

Piano Trio in C Major, Joseph Haydn

Sonata for Piano and Violin No. 21 in E Minor K. 304, W.A. Mozart

Theme from Witches' Dance, Nicolo Paganini

The original....

the Suzuki book 2 version....

Theme and Variations Op. 59, Guido Papini

Violin Concerto in G major Op.24, Oscar Rieding

Le Cyne, Camille Saint-Saëns

Two Grenadiers, R. Schumann

Violin Concerto No. 5 in D major, F. Seitz

Violin Concerto No. 23 in G major, Viotti

Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor Op.22, H. Wieniawski

Enjoy! 

Please feel free to leave any feedback below!

The Spring Break Slow Down

GO BIG.

LIVE LARGE.

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE.

GO THE DISTANCE.

NEVER STOP HUSTLING.

GIVE IT YOUR ALL.

These Ra-Ra sayings are meant to fire you up and get you out there achieving, accomplishing, winning, conquering, and succeeding! Yes! Do it all!

But it is really hard to wake up and win every single day and not feel burned out at some point, or let things fall through the cracks, and ignore important life needs in the quest for awesomeness.

I’ll be honest; I’m tired! Everyday during school semesters I scramble around trying to stay on top of assignments, making sure I’m ready for all of my lessons, practicing for rehearsals at, night, studying, and prepping content for this site. I haven’t had a weekend off since the beginning of January and I barely have time to invest in what I’m doing – let alone do anything extra. And I’m the teacher!!

This year I am devoting my spring break to slowing down.

I’m calling it the Spring Break Slow Down.

Some people go on epic spring break adventures, some people stay home and do homework, and some people just hang out and do nothing. This is not what the Spring Break Slow Down is all about.

I am encouraging all of my students to do the same. If I was smart and savvy about it I would have started some Instagram challenge and given out prizes, crowned winners, and made it a real thing. Bit it is so not about that. It is the opposite. You can’t win this competition.

So what is the Spring Break Slow Down?

It is:

A return to the process.

An opportunity to check in with yourself, to listen, and improve without an imaginary finish line.

A return to feeling like things are back under control, in their right place, healthy and whole.

My spring break to do list is limited to a few PROCESS driven activities; practice technique, work on my dissertation, file my taxes (sometimes being an adult just has to get done), and workout everyday. Nice and simple – mind, body, and soul are being tended to and nurtured. Slowly.

I’m back to my tried and true technique regime, I bookend my days with a vigorous 20 minute workout in the morning and a low, slow yoga session at night. I’m giving myself permission have non-social media surfing free time to fill with reading and sunshine. I’m using my dissertation work now to start making connections between readings, and my thoughts by finally putting them down on paper…or a computer screen.

I’m encouraging all of my students to relax, take some time to sleep, recover, and recharge. No, this is not a license to put their instrument away and not open the case for a week. It is an opportunity to practice slowly, to listen to those shifts, the steadiness of spiccato, the length of a phrase and not just frantically scrape away at your violin homework in hopes of passing on to the next etude, scale, or whatever.

I gave all of my students purposely slow tempo markings. I don’t even want them trying to play fast. I just want them to focus on doing it right. The process. If you’ve read any of this post (or my previous posts) you know I am a big fan of the process.

There is simplicity and joy when life isn’t so goal oriented. You have the chance to find the cracks and crevices where dust has built up in life and clean them out. I’m talking mentally, physically, emotionally, violinistically, musically, and intellectually; all of it. There are always little cobwebs growing in the corners of our lives that a good spring-cleaning. Cracks that need attention. Aches that need stretching, and sleep that needs sleeping.

Welcome to the Spring Break Slow Down; An annual tradition from now until forever.

Minute Meditation

Invest in the process. 

The process yields the results. 

This thought occurred to me while practicing shifting exercises. Sure, you can throw your hand around the violin and hit the correct note sometimes. But if you want to guarantee you'll hit the correct note EVERY TIME stop focusing on the goal and concentrate on the action. 

Don't focus on where you're going; focus on how you're getting there. If the mechanics/thought process/work ethic/discipline/tools/form/etc. is in place, only then will your goals be reached (and of course with time, dedication and patience) and yield more fruitful and effective rewards. 

In the practice room AND in life. 

Active – Half Marathon Birthday Parties

I thought it might be time to include a post dedicated to one of my ‘Active’ pursuits.

A few months ago I coerced my dad and boyfriend into running the Route 66 Half Marathon in Tulsa. It was my birthday weekend and I was celebrating a big one so I really felt like I held sway over how we should celebrate. Truthfully, they both happen to be endurance junkies – my dad runs marathons like some people go to brunch (as in all the time), and Jeff does long training runs without batting an eyelash.

I started training a little bit later in the game than is typically advised. I think by the time I decided I was ‘all in’ we had approximately 9 weeks to go from 0-13.1. We have all run our share of races in the past but admittedly I was not in ideal half marathon shape. I put myself on a modified training program knowing that it was unlikely I would have enough time to commit to an advanced training program that involved very specific running workouts including hills, speed work, and additional endurance runs and demanded 5-6 runs per week.

This year my training runs were faster than they had been in the past. Some were even down just above 8minute miles. That used to be my dream! I used to think that people who could run 8:30 and faster miles were made of gold! They were highly revered endurance athletes in my eyes with amazing resting heart rates and training runs that were so fast, and so effortless that I envied their speed and agility. Somehow I had joined the ‘elite’ – and realized it hurts just as much, your lungs don’t feel any more comfortable, your heart is still pounding, your brain is still screaming SLOW DOWN… you’re just moving faster!

In late summer and early fall I started working to improve my overall body strength and stamina. This actually grew out of a frustration in my yoga practice. I felt I couldn’t fully access and use some core muscles needed for pressing into handstands. I was also starting to realize that some of my inflexibility and stiffness was due to weakness in opposing muscle groups (ex. my hamstrings are tight because my quads are weak). I had tried going to the gym to weight train with machines, but honestly that is just not my scene. Too many over developed dudes grunting and straining their neck muscles. The sight just made me cringe. I had started using Amanda Bisk’s Fresh Body Fit Mind program in order to address these weaknesses and also build cardio health (One of these days I will talk about how this workout system along with a highly structured practice regime helped me prepare for and win two orchestra auditions within a month of each other). I also kept working on a home yoga practice that focused more on the tight corners of my body (hello hips!) rather than just the fancy pretzel poses. The result? Strength and flexibility really do yield results in running and endurance sports.

Other than it being my birthday, there was one other reason I really wanted to run this race; one of my heroes was coming to Tulsa for it. BART YASSO!

It is important to have role models who inspire you. Bart Yasso is one of my heroes. He took something so simple and used it to turn his life around. He used running as a means of exploring the world, pursuing adventure, and bringing order to a life that was headed in an unhealthy direction. He was also diagnosed with Lyme disease and yet even as his body ails he stays committed to running, he doesn’t abandon what gave his life purpose. Even though he can't run as much as he once did, he is still so actively involved in the culture and community of running. He makes running not only seem worthwhile but also life changing, inspiring, and just generally cool. I’ve read his book, Runners World articles, follow him on social media, and even watched his Comrades Race videos. I am a big fan and have always really wanted to meet him. This was my chance. He gave a presentation at the Route 66 expo – and guess who sat in the front row like a fan girl? Yep – the birthday girl. Meeting him was definitely the icing on my birthday cake this year.

Me, Bart, my dad, and jeff at the expo before the race. I'm trying to play it cool and not look like the over excited fan girl I really am

The Race/Birthday weekend finally arrived. Everyone was excited. Well except maybe my mom who  was talked into cheering us on at not one but TWO mile markers. We pass on birthday cocktails and a late night of reveling in favor of an early bedtime, ample protein, and some serious hydration. This was clearly the beginning of a new era in my life. We set out our clothes, shoes, chews, energy tabs and cold weather gear and go to bed. It was time.

The morning of the race was cold! We got downtown early and huddled in the lobby of a hotel trying to stay warm. We had all registered late so were put in the last coral reserved for slower runners (and late registrants). I ran this race several years ago and it is now at least three times bigger than it was then. There were so many runners everywhere!

My dad is all about family bonding before the race. Making promises to 'stay together, run this as a family' blah blah blah. I know from running a marathon ‘with him’ that this is just lip service. As soon as the race starts he promptly leaves you in the dust and heads off at a clip most people can’t keep up with. At least I certainly can’t! (Jeff tried – but he couldn’t either). Once I had been officially abandoned I plugged in my headphones and focused on MY running. I was aiming for negative splits (the last half is faster than the first half) but was also worried about not starting too slow. Tulsa has hills – it is not flat like most of Oklahoma. I had also run into some dull knee aches late in training and was anxious to finish without pain and without having to stop. I definitely played it safe with my pace….or so I thought.

Before (top) - Waiting in our coral for the race to begin looking cold but excited. After (below) it was all over with celebratory beers in the sunshine courtesy of the Route 66 race sponsors. Cheap beer never tasted so good! Family bonding pre and post run.

I always like to give myself a challenge when preparing for a race or event. Nothing fancy like win the gold medal or anything (although that would be pretty awesome), but more along the lines of pushing myself to always improve. This is the 3rd half-marathon I have run. Each year, and with each race I try to get faster.

My goal for the Route 66 was to beat 1:56 – my finishing time from the REVEL Rockies half-marathon the previous summer. That course was purported to be fast; aka it was a dramatic descent down the side of a mountain. You spent the entire run trying not to tumble down the course. It was harder to stop than it was to breathe, and trust me – it was hard to breathe! (High altitude is no joke!) I couldn’t walk for days after that event. My quads were destroyed. But I had completed my goal of finishing in less than two hours.

I was the last of my little family we-don't-stick-together group to finish. My final time was 1:52. I had beaten my previous time by 4 minutes! Who cares that my dad finished 8 minutes ahead of me and won his age division! I was so happy that training had paid off and my race time was still improving. It definitely called for an enormous celebratory brunch…and a nap!

All said and done it was a great birthday! My parents and Nana came to visit, I ate great food, I ran a race AND beat my speed goal, I met one of my heroes, and I heard from so many friends and family members all over the world who thought of me on my birthday. If that doesn't scream success I don't know what does!

There are so many lessons to learn from training and endurance events. Here are just a few from those months of training:

• Set goals. You can’t run a race without a goal. With each event your goals can change. But by deciding to participate you have already set at least one: show up!
• Pace Yourself. You don't want to give everything you have at the very beginning. There is maybe a kernel of truth to Slow and Steady Wins the Race
• Training programs are not a one size fits all solution. Jeff and I did more or less the same training and his knee did not ache at any point during the training and he finished before I did. Some training runs were easy for me, some were tough. 
• Discipline and perseverance. Much like with practicing the violin, sometimes you just don’t feel like it. We all have lazy days but with a race, if you haven’t done the (almost) daily work, you will suffer at the event and that suffering could be an injury.
• Take care of your human needs – Eat good for you foods! Drink water! Sleep! For consistent and continued improvement do not ignore the non-running elements of life.
• Strength and Flexibility reap rewards in all aspects of life. Don’t focus solely on running. You will exhaust yourself, get bored, and max out faster than if you improve your entire body and increase mobility, stamina, and strength. How can you apply this to the rest of your life? That, my friends is an entire post in itself!
• Be competitive with yourself. Endurance events are fun, and sure maybe you are an elite athlete and can compete with someone or a group of people but focus on yourself. Use the event to motivate your own improvement.
• Reward yourself for a job well done. Whether you had to walk or stop or slow down, you completed the race. Do something special – however small – to acknowledge that.
• Listen to fun stuff. Interesting books, fun podcasts, and good music. I love that workouts and runs become an excuse to learn new things or dive into a new work of fiction. I like to listen to audition repertoire during speed workouts and runs. Nothing makes me run faster than Mozart or a Mendelssohn scherzo! (well maybe Prokofiev).

Somewhere around mile 10. Finally at a flat spot. I remember feeling tired but happy at this point - only a few miles left until food!! 

Checkpoint: Mile 20 on the Musical Marathon I am Currently Running

Greetings! This last month has been jam-packed full of music: A totally exciting journey of different genres, styles, conductors, cities, ensembles, stages, rehearsals and performances. O the places you will go!

It is quite a thrill to go from a monumental program of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, Prelude to the Afternoon of the Faun by Debussy, and Shostakovich Symphony No. 11 directly to a week of Gershwin, followed by classic love songs for Valentine’s Day, only to turn around and play a fully staged production of Prokofiev’s ballet Romeo and Juliet and not three days later begin rehearsals of Mendelssohn’s Reformation Symphony and Beethoven’s Pastorale. Throw in a violin duo recital of 20th century folk and American music and musically I’ve certainly hit some high notes! Today is my first day off in over a month. Don’t get me wrong, I am certainly not complaining – it is never a bad thing to be hired to do the thing you set out to do- but that nagging “I should be writing” feeling starts to creep in at the edges of of this performing, rehearsing, practicing life.

Internet forgive me for it has been  a month since my last blog post.

The funny thing is I come up with all sorts of things I can’t wait to sit down and discuss on here…while I’m practicing. Timing is everything. I literally have pages of notes and musings hurriedly scribbled down that grows longer with every concert program I prepare. There just aren’t enough hours in the day!

What I have really appreciated about the diversity of these programs is the entirely different challenges each composer and violin part demands. There is a different type of listening one must do when rehearsing Beethoven Symphony No.6 than is required when playing Peter Schickele’s Duo Caprice. Likewise when preparing Debussy on the same program as Mozart and Shostakovich. The sensitivity required for each is separate, yet equal. I really do feel like I have been stretched and expanded as a person and musician because of this.

I also appreciate how each informs the other. Playing Gershwin one week and Prokofiev the next actually makes the music resonate a little differently. You notice chord changes and harmonic colors in a way that almost disregards history. I played Beethoven AFTER Bartók but all of a sudden I notice glimmers of Bartók in Beethoven. Does that make sense? How about this: The musical correlations I make are based on my personal timeline rather than a historically accurate progression. There is something pretty cool about that. In many ways this is actually how culture works and moves. For example; I notice a new fashion trend, a beautiful dress or style and think ‘Wow! I love that!’ and realize only later that that particular designer was looking to the past for inspiration. I then appreciate an earlier version of what I have just discovered first from the modern version, and consequently as it highlights history. You can hear these influences in music all the time. I call it the 'batman progression' (trust me you know it when you hear it) but in fact Shostakovich was using it way before the comic book was even a glimmer in Marvel's eye. Now when I hear that progression in Shostakovich's music (or anyone's music really) I think BATMAN! 

Anyways – Hi! Nice to visit with you again! Hopefully I’ll see you at one of the upcoming performances. Next up is André Previn’s Opera A Streetcar Named Desire followed closely by a performance of Mahler’s Second Symphony. Pretty good stuff! As always leave a comment and start a discourse with me on this post/rant/observation. I’d love to hear your thoughts and musings on the music, art, and culture in YOUR context.

Be Present (aka Think Rational Thoughts)

I know this sounds like some sort of yoga hippy tag line but hear me out! 

The following thought occurred to me recently while practicing:

As performers we must be fully invested in every moment. Stay present in exactly the task at hand or mistakes and thoughts from the past will disrupt your future.

Staying present on stage is so hard!

I find that getting caught up in the good OR bad while performing often has deleterious effects. If I catch myself thinking ‘Wow! That’s the best I’ve ever played that run!’ or ‘Oh No! Here comes that part I always screw up!’ chances are I will either miss the section I was just fretting about, OR blinded by my relief from successful execution of passagework I will be distracted and make a mistake somewhere else.

There is so much to think about and keep track of when you are onstage – and not just musically speaking! It is hard to keep thoughts quiet, calm and organized. 

My performance mantra is THINK RATIONAL THOUGHTS.                                                                              This is also my practice room mantra as well. One must practice thinking rational thoughts.

I try my best to focus on the things within my control. How tight my bow is, where my contact point is, what position I am playing in or shifting to. If I focus on the HOW of the task at hand; it helps me stay completely present. Instead of thinking “AAAHHHHHHH!!! I hope I hit all of the notes!” I turn my thoughts towards a calm checklist of things that must be taken care of in that moment; inhale, shift to 6th position, move contact point, exhale, etc. In this way I have no mental time or space to worry about what went right or wrong in previous seconds, minutes, phrases or sections. It is too late.

You have to let everything that has already happened go. If I want to, I can think about it later when I am back in the practice room reflecting on how to improve for the next performance.

Performance, when done right, can often resemble a moving meditation framed by sound and sonority. How beautiful is that!? Take your yoga practice onstage with you! Set your Drishti on the performance at hand. You will be pleasantly surprised by the results.

My Little Mantra

You have to read in order to write. 

You have to listen in order to speak. 

You have to play in order to perform. 

You have to think in order to create. 

You have to work in order to succeed. 

You have to nurture in order to grow.

...does any of this ring true for you?  Leave a comment and tell me about it!

For your consideration

The following are thoughts and ruminations  floating around in my mind recently. Does any of this ring true for you? Leave a comment below!

What if we celebrate our differences?

What if our strengths lay in our unique and individual qualities?

How does that effect you as a musician/artist/person/community member?

How does that change or augment your goals? 

What unique gift/perspective/experience do you possess?  

Is this your key to 'success'? 

Resolutions, I have a few...

Happy New Year!

Last year, around this very time I started this website/blog/project. My very first 'real' post was about New Years Resolutions, more specifically Hanumanasana (yoga speak for the splits). So what better way to celebrate a birthday of sorts than with another post on goals. 'Tis the season, right?

I am an unabashed fan of resolutions. I don't rush out and buy expensive gym memberships, or try to change my entire life overnight but I do like to give myself particular habits, events, and aspirations to aim for. Even if I 'fail' it helps keep me on track, more focused, and motivated throughout the year. Often, I will modify or add goals to my 1st of the year list. For example - last summer I swore I would not wear yoga pants or workout clothes (even if they cost more than my 'work' attire) to do anything remotely professional. This included teaching lessons at my house and early morning weekend rehearsals. It was tough! I slipped once or twice but overall it was a success. Due to this mid year commitment I have a growing appreciation for personal grooming and presentation. I actually took myself more seriously when I made the effort to present myself to others that way. I'm a big fan of learning things on the road of life (or on my way into splits - see last years post) 

I tend to be a little overzealous with this whole resolution game so this year I have tried to stay calm,  and break them up into different categories so as to bring balance to my whole life, and not just one or two areas of it. 

So to keep myself on track in the upcoming year I now present to you:

The Active Violinist List of Resolutions for 2016.

I'm counting on this growing community to make sure I stick to these, and with any luck see some results and success!

Personal

• Read 30 books

Last year (admittedly a little later in the year) I gave myself the goal of reading 25 books. On Christmas Eve I completed my goal and am upping my reading game to 30 for 2016! Challenging myself to read more rekindled a love of the printed word that had diminished over time (most likely due to the required readings for Grad School that leave little room for joy). Last year I included AudioBooks, and will again this year as I am often in the car. I have already quasi mapped out my 'chosen ones' for the year and am really excited for the mix of fiction, non-fiction, research, classics, prize winners, and popular reads that I will be delving into. This is partially professional in nature as I have a substantial amount of reading that needs to be done in preparation for this whole dissertation thing (see below).

• Write a letter or card to my Nana every time I finish a book

Obviously this one is tied to the previous resolution. I love a good snail mail correspondence and go through bouts of being a decent pen pal. Then life gets crazy and I don't send anything for ages. My grandmother and I have a long standing holiday tradition of book shopping together. We spend hours in the bookstore picking out new books to read. She mentioned recently that she hasn't been reading as much as she used to. She also mentioned that she enjoys hearing from me - so Voila! A resolution to keep us both on track. An old school, long distance book club of sorts.

• Be a (better) morning person

Those who know me well, know that mornings are a challenge for me. I am in a serious relationship with my pillow and my super snuggly dog does not help. I have a great appreciation for the discipline of early risers. All of those athletes out there who fit a workout or two in before sunrise have always impressed me. I want to join that club! I want to be up at 6(ish) am conquering life like so many of you who inspire me! Making time on the front end of my day requires an earlier bed time, so I'm saying goodbye to late night internet surfing and Netflix watching.

• Classy (and Sassy)

The quest for personal grooming continues. One of the Christmas gifts I received this year was a beautiful pair of Oxfords. The realization that I don't need 15 crappy, cheap pairs of slightly different Oxfords extends beyond the shoe. Well made products, clothing, shoes etc. are an investment in yourself. Outward presentation can often influence how we feel about ourself. My new goal is to present myself as something I take pride in. No more bad, underachieving attitude. No more 'I can't' or 'I suck' or "So-n-So is so much better than I am'. 2016 is the year of zero tolerance. If that has to start with a beautiful pair of shoes, then so be it!

Professional

• Write More!

This one is technically personal AND professional. I have this little blog here and need to keep striving to get better at posting. I have about 15 posts sitting around just waiting to be fleshed out and posted (and I'm sure many more up my sleeve). Well guess what? 2016 is the year I will become an incessant blogger/writer/thinker/reviewer/commentator. I am committing to 1 hour (minimum) per day of writing. 

• Finish Dissertation (and consequentially my D.M.A.)

Admittedly I'm disappointed with myself for not being further along in this process. It has been a little too easy to let life and work and preparation for concerts take priority over finishing my document. This needs to change! I need a big dose of writer's discipline! So friends, family, colleagues, readers, anyone and everyone HELP ME! this is my cry for your help to keep me on track with this one! I want to be reading novels guilt free or practicing scales without the nagging thought 'I should be writing/researching right now'. I'm planning to blog some of this research so stay tuned for some of it right here!

• Get a Job

What? But Hannah, don't you have 7 jobs already? Why would you want another one? Exactly the problem! Having so many different jobs means I can only invest so much in any one of them. Although it makes for an exciting weekly/monthly calendar of many different faces, colleagues, collaborators, venues and musical situations it is hard to truly make progress in any one arena. How can I really be there for my students at University A if I have to balance that with my commitment to University B, or orchestra Q,R or S. I am sooo ready to make the plunge - to take life seriously, to grow up and commit to just one, maybe two, okay fine three or four at the MAX jobs. I have been pursuing full time University jobs and will continue to do so until one finally gives in and hires me. As of a few days ago I am now gearing up for my first full-time orchestra audition as well. Fingers Crossed!

• Do Not Neglect the Fundamentals

Last April I pulled out all of my old technique books and did some serious technical Spring Cleaning. I was appalled and pretty embarrassed by all of sloppy, lazy issues that had crept in and made a home in my violin playing (read that post here). I am committing myself to continued practice of violin basics, fundamentals, and technique in the new year. I can feel and hear the difference in my playing since I started this in April 2015 and I can't wait to see what happens as I keep up the work!

• Learn the Sibelius Concerto and Mozart #5

These bad boys have been on my list of repertoire to learn for years now. The Sibelius concerto stole my heart in high school, and ever since then I have been torn between wanting to play it and being frightened that I won't be able to do it justice. As of right now, I play Mozart #4 for auditions. I like it and all, but man would it be nice to not have to say a prayer to the 6th position gods before I play a single note in an audition. Plus playing Mozart is really fun, full of life and charm and personality. Why not have some fun, yet also serious resolutions to look forward to!?

Health And Wellness

• Ride my Bike More

I often gaze longingly at my bike, and then get in my car and drive to wherever it is that I'm going. Tulsa is generally a warm and easy place to be a cyclist. I see people on their bikes at all times of the day - commuting, pleasure rides, serious training, family fun. I'm getting back out there! This is the year! There are beautiful trails and bike lanes surrounding my house. It is time to ride on! I have dreams of huge cycling adventures. I am determined to bring at least a portion of this to life!

• Afternoon Tea

I have to pull the plug on at least some of the coffee drinking. It is leading to issues. Headaches, lack of focus, dehydration. I can't live like this! From now on it is tea after 12pm. This also conveniently aligns with my not-so-secret penchant for all things British. Afternoon tea is always okay with me! 

• Drink More Water!

Sometimes I just forget. I work up a sweat often enough to know better than to skimp on the water consumption but I now notice the effects in other areas of my life. If I'm not hydrated I feel tired, my skin isn't as healthy, digestion actually feels less efficient, and stress gets me down much more easily.

• Yoga

This past year I think I fell out of love with Yoga. I started to get down on myself watching people online do acrobatics disguised as Yoga, or hearing my teacher constantly tell me I'm 'too stiff' or going to a Vinyasa class and feeling like I was just flopping around on my mat like a sweaty mess. I was feeling overwhelmed by the work I needed to do just to maintain a base level of flexibility in my life. Yoga is directly linked to my research topic so there is no getting out of it. But I need to recommit to it. And not just 20mins of Sun Salutations - more like actually nail that Handstand I used to crave so badly, or that sense of mental stillness that comes from a deep and conscientious class or practice. Welcome back Yoga, I have missed you, and craved you more than I realized.

Well I think that's enough for now. Don't you?

What are your goals and resolutions for the New Year? I can't wait to hear about them!

Happy New Year! Best Wishes for Happiness and Success in 2016!