A View From the Mountaintop

September 5, 2013 at 2:16 PM

My career as a violin pedagogue has been a long one. The experiences I have had along the way have at times been beautiful,and at times ugly. Sometimes they have been meaningful, other times shallow. Mostly inspiring, they occasionally have also been demoralizing.

But through it all, I have maintained the belief that the good, noble, and beautiful things in the profession make enduring the "downs" of the career completely worthwhile.

In fact, sometimes those good, noble and beautiful things come together powerfully in one place to create "mountaintop experiences"- The very best we can hope for.

At this phase of my life I strive to operate as often as possible within that kind of experience, which has as hallmarks the qualities of simplicity, excellence, and inspiration.

One such experience is my annual violin masterclass in the Adirondacks. Appropriately named "Mountaintop Mastercourse", it is a labor of love my whole family helps to create, with the help of some very special Adirondack friends who have helped define the beautiful experience it has become. It is one of the highpoint of my year, and one of the happiest achievements of my career.

And the view from the mountaintop?--- Beautiful!