Laurel Black Music

Hi, friends! As announced last week, here is the first of two articles to appear in Rhythm! Scene , the online publication of PAS.  You can find my contribution on pages 18 and 19. Rhythm! Scene is edited by  @ percussion 's own Megan Arns. If you aren't the reading type, you can check out the demonstration video that accompanies the article below. I take you through some discovery exercises about how it really feels to move the wrist in different ways. Thanks for reading, everybody. More body info coming your way soon :)

A few years ago I was fresh out of grad school and working with a wonderful group of young women, all of us artistic, but each at a different place in our lives: married with children, single parent, newlywed, and idealistic graduate (that was me).  Something they all told me, though, was that there was something about nearing the age of 30 that made them more confident. They didn't care what others thought and cared more about their own path and dreams.  They lost the worry about what the media calls "beautiful" and trusted their own gifts. Nearing 30, I feel exactly what they're talking about. It has been a big year for me in terms of professional personal development. I really started writing here on the blog, sharing my research and thoughts about body awareness and playing. Luckily, you guys decided to read it! This was huge, and a confirmation that I should trust my interests and passions. Husband and I moved to a new state, where I chose to let go of m...

There are songs written about seeing one's name in lights, but for a wordy nerd like me, there's nothing like seeing my name in print.  A few months ago Megan Arns , the editor of Rhythm! Scene asked if I would write a preview article for my PASIC masterclass called Shoulder Anatomy: Easing Pain and Furthering Technique through Body Mapping .   I think I was nodding my head "yes" before she even finished the question.   In case it's not obvious by the fact that I blog, I like to write. Specifically, I like to write about music, performance, health, philosophy, and how all of them come together into this experience of being a musical human. My article, "The Shoulder Bone's Connected to the..." outlines the basic ideas of my class, so if you aren't able to make it to PASIC, you can still get the gist of what I'll talk about. I created a video to accompany the article, and it's even embedded there, so all you have to do is pu...