Welcome!

Curiosity killed the cat.

I never understood this phrase until I got a cat of my own. Enter, Angus (spoiler alert: no cats were harmed over the course of this story). 

I got Gus during the pandemic when, like most of us, I was craving some companionship and new adventure. Since travel was out of the question, a cat seemed like a good option. Unlike my dog (Betty Cocker), Gus was fearless from the beginning, exploring his territory with a sense of independence that only someone with a clingy Cocker Spaniel can appreciate and respect.

One hot summer afternoon, my mother was visiting North Carolina and had kindly offered to do some chores while I was teaching. She loaded laundry into the dryer and turned the machine on without a second thought.

Thud. Thud. Thuddddddd.

The machine shook and rattled vociferously and my mother shut it off to assess the problem. As she opened the machine door, Gus popped out. He shook himself off, looked around and walked away — none-the-worse for his (very brief) time in the dryer.

My mother, on the other hand, was wracked with guilt only a good Midwestern Lutheran can appreciate. Armed with a turkey sub (his favorite), she bribed her way back into his good graces and both went merrily along their way for the remainder of the afternoon.

While the phrase curiosity killed the cat is an old adage often used to dissuade gossipy neighbors, it’s a humorous reminder to me of the power of curiosity. As musicians, we are trained to perform. We are trained to play at an extremely high level, with painstaking attention to detail, sound, phrasing, and more. 

But are we trained to explore? To ask questions? To be curious? 
Personally, I grapple with these questions. At the same time, these questions have helped reinvigorate my practice and performances. When things are challenging, busy or overwhelming, these questions help give meaning and motivation to my work.

As someone who has been playing the tuba for over 25 years, a professional musician for over 15 of those years and a professor for nearly 10 years, I feel I have a decent and realistic understanding of the work it takes to be successful in this industry. By nature, choosing to pursue a career in music involves an inordinate amount of both risk and work. There’s no shortcuts and no guarantees.  

That being said, choosing how we go about pursuing our musical endeavors is exactly that — a choice. Music can be an exploration — not purely a destination — and I, for one, am excited to begin this new chapter.

Thanks for following along, and my best wishes for a fulfilling journey for all.