Sticks and Drones

The Charge of the Catfish Row Brigade

Half a week, Half a week, All in the Lyon Opera House, Rode the Two Hundred!

Philippe Quint rings Joshua's Bell!!!!

The recent return of Philippe Quint's Violin and his concert of gratitude to a group of cabbies is in stark contrast to the ill conceived busking session with Joshua Bell in a Washington Metro station last year.  One was an audience connection, the other...Oi!....

Please...Compose Yourself!

We performed 3 Young People's Concerts on Tuesday.  In my career I must have done over 500 YPC's and I never grow tired of them. I sometimes like to end a program with something that gets everyone jumping, literally this week when they all did the "wave" to Stars and Stripes.  Walking outside afterwards, the buses that were all loaded up were bopping up and down...awesome!  But not as awesome as the way the audience collectively responded to an off the cuff question.....

Dazed and Confused.......

It's been a long week at the Opera de Lyon. As I try to mentally re-hash all that has happened my mind keeps wandering to that classic blues song found on Led Zeppelin's first album. The song's title is "Dazed and Confused." It seems suddenly very appropriate.

Revolution for an Evolution part 5 - Initiating Initiative

Initiative like vision cannot be taught directly or by wrote, it's not something that can be given but something I believe that we all have.  It can be awakened in students by placing them into situations that call for them to be socially literate, so that they start caring about their communities, the issues, the people.  As soon as they get to a school they need to be sent right out again, as soon as it's possible.......

Workers of the World Unite!

Yesterday was May Day, and this being France it was a national holiday and a day off for us. And boy could we use it......