Gorgeous Sounds Residency

I have been involved with music for over 25 years now; I have performed all over the world, I have worked with some of the world's most famous musicians, I have had tremendous opportunities with music, yet, I stand humbled and in awe after working with the children of the Columbia Gorge area in the Northeast.

The Vinca Quartet is wrapping up our second visit to the area of Hood River, OR and White Salmon, WA and it's been a pleasure playing for these communities. What's so fascinating to me is the curiosity, interest, and enthusiasm students have for music. This is like walking into a wonderful paradise where the views are breathtaking and the audiences welcome us with open arms. It feels wonderful to be able to contribute and share our passion with so many people. And to look out at such young audiences!

Welcome to the first Vinca Quartet blog!

Rehearsing new music, including Beethoven Op. 131, is the best start I can imagine to a new year. It's a very humbling experience, to say the least. When we play music we've known for a long time, we have this strange sensation that our fingers are just moving without any conscious effort. Then we get to experience the fun and addictive part of being a musician: Each time we play a familiar piece, we discover something new in the characters, textures, articulations. It's like reading a wonderful book over and over: oftentimes the context of our lives at the time changes our perception of details in the book.

With a new piece, we feel like brand-new students again: going back to square one, struggling with fingerings, experimenting with seemingly infinite number of different bowings, searching for our voice in this brand new texture, double-checking rhythms, and rehearsing note by note. What ends up being merely seconds of music in performance literally takes hours to prepare in the rehearsal room. Nothing like a little late-Beethoven to make you feel completely fallible and human.