Words and other musings

Thoughts of a Local Foreigner

It has been 17 years to the day since I arrived in Austria, this peculiar place that can’t decide whether it wants to move forward with the times or remain in a perpetual state of rewind. 

I was 17 at…

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Anatomy of a Rehearsal


It is common knowledge (I hope) that the bulk of the musician’s work happens away from the stage. Musically speaking you have your individual practice time, and then there’s rehearsals. Musicians’ approach to rehearsals is as varied as music…

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A General Guide to the Nature Documentary Music Score


Having to stay put through two instances of chicken pox gave me the opportunity to introduce my kids to the wonderful world of David Attenborough’s Blue Planet (warning: anyone watching this with their kids must also be willing to…

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over and under: a love story

Dear S, 

I realise this letter is long overdue; I hope you can overlook my failure to communicate sooner, but as you know I had to go overseas, and secondly, I didn’t wish to come across as overeager. 

I remember…

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A Short History of the Musician's Workload

Image(c)Jesper Deleuran

Musician's workload through the ages: 

8th century: chanting, some praying, gardening, and studying religious texts. Church covers expenses. 

Around 11th century: some monk decides it'd be good to remember the tunes. Singing and solfége…

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The Room

„ A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction “, wrote Virginia Woolf. 

In this sense, it’s not bad to be the one who cries wolf. 

Four walls and a roof 

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