Today at dusk, my daughter and I went for a long walk in the fields. And as night fell, we both realized how silent we had been as opposed to other days when we alternated between endless chatter and laughter. So, I shared my thoughts about a particular piece I had come across years ago while looking through the recordings in my teacher's collection—a performance of the Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodaly's Sonata, a solo work for cello marked opus 8.

I have reflected on this question before, but more specifically, what can be done about a passage or passages you have been working on, and your efforts have not yielded the results you had been hoping for. That is to say that day after day, you came back to the exact phrase, and the same difficulties and challenges persisted in haunting your practice sessions. You were unable to achieve consistency in the intonation, bowing, phrasing, sound quality, or all of the above. And should you have put in a great deal of time and effort into something, and it is still not happening to your liking, then it is time for a change of pace and style in the way you work.

The weather was merciful for the past two days, and I managed to sit under the pine trees in the garden at dusk under candlelight by myself. As night fell today, the huge protective and healing branches of the silver pine trees towered over me, and my thoughts shifted to both my cello and violin maker.

The recent cold front reminds me that I might not be able to spend my time in the garden in my favorite spot, contemplating the pine trees, much longer. My chair will remain empty until next spring. Not that I got to do too much of that this summer due to my travels to viola da gamba workshops and musical events. However, even the cold weather I don't favor has its charm, as it brings pumpkins to our tables and later on snow to our gardens. Still, I am hopeful for a wonderful Autumn and Winter season, during which I will share more blog posts with you on music and education.

Music enthusiasts sometimes wonder if it is easier to learn a second instrument if one is already proficient in playing one. To answer this question, I'd like to share my experience learning an instrument similar to the cello, but distinct from it. For over a year now, I have been learning how to play the viola da gamba. I have had the opportunity to play both the bass and the tenor so far.

Whenever we want to learn something new, it is natural to think about where to begin and ask many questions about the resources we need to bring our idea to fruition.

At the age of nine, I recall taking a test in a classroom at the Music Conservatory to determine if I had a musical ear. The professor played some musical tones and asked me to sing the tones he played on the piano to see if I could match the sounds. Then, he played some varied pitches in both the low and high registers. He asked me to determine which ones were lower and which were higher.

As much as we love playing our instruments and performing, there can come a time when we might feel overwhelmed by all our responsibilities. We want to accomplish all our tasks, but there seem to be not enough hours in the day. We overwork ourselves, and our motivation drops down to practice our instruments or even perform.

I have some encouraging thoughts this week for the music student. Once in a while, we all need someone to remind us to be brave and perseverant in our work. Here are some helpful thoughts you can refer to when you need positivity.

I have been away for the past weeks, playing some concerts with different orchestras. I am back with some insights I have gained, as there were many learning moments during this time.

Years ago, I spent my vacation time traveling by car through designated States like Arizona and Oregon. I had specific ideas for spending my time driving through these States and organized everything beforehand. I ensured I got to experience worthwhile sites that catered to my interests. Those adventures did not include musical performances at the time. But my trips led me to parts of the world only found in fairy tales and enchanting stories.

What happens when we have been working on a particular piece for quite a while and have not experienced significant progress? What should we do when a piece does not work out after six months of playing? We have done everything, but there is a standstill.