An Unexpected Heirloom
Several years ago, I found out that my musical heritage dates back to my Grandpa Scheer’s grandfather. Apparently Granfather Panter McIlvain played the fiddle in a country band, performing for dances and parties in his town. He passed on his violin to his grandson, Harold, who gave it to his own children to learn.… Read More...
O Holy Night-Special Edition
Ever since I can remember, my mother would sing “O Holy Night” every year in our family Christmas shows. As a result, it has always been my favorite Christmas carol. Last year, I was honored to direct and produce a music video of this hymn in collaboration with my sister musical group Uptown Violins. … Read More...
A Dad’s Take on Parenting Musicians
What is it like to be the non-musical parent of a budding musician? I couldn’t think of a better person to ask than my own amazing dad. Having attended countless violin recitals, orchestra concerts, and gigs, he’s been my number one supporter. A seasoned teacher and mentor, as well as a leader in his field, I decided to interview him to get his take on the world of music education.… Read More...
Tapping into the Techie Side of Music with Tour Manager Shawn Sullivan
Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of touring artists? Are you a musician with a love of all things tech? Check out this interview I conducted with my cousin Shawn Sullivan while he was on tour hiatus in 2020. Great news, he is now on tour again in 2021!… Read More...
Preparing Advanced Students for Auditions, with Violinist Valerie Sullivan
A few months ago, I had the privilege of interviewing my own high school violin teacher, my aunt Valerie Sullivan, on this topic.
Over the course of her career, Valerie has served as a violin professor, strings sectionals coach for the youth symphony, orchestral musician, soloist, chamber musician, and private violin teacher.… Read More...
How Do I Motivate my Child/Student to Practice?
While most people find it daunting to motivate even one child to practice regularly, my mother Allison managed to motivate all four of my sisters and me to practice nearly every day from the age of 3 until we went to college, all of us with violin scholarships in hand. As the mother of a budding music student myself, I wanted to find out her tricks of the trade, not just as a professional violin teacher, but also as a busy mom, with all of the responsibility that entails!… Read More...
Married in Music: Composition and Music Education with Philip and Kim Parker
In this post, I’m thrilled to feature my uncle and aunt, fellow music educators Philip and Kim Parker! Visit their site at philipparkercomposer.com.
Phil, as a professor of music, what is the best advice you offer to students who want to pursue a career in music?… Read More...
Ruth Scheer: Musical Matriarch
Mother of ten, grandmother, great-grandmother, fellow musician, and author, this larger-than-life person has inspired so many people over the course of nearly a century. Today, I’m honored to talk with my own Grandmother, Ruth Scheer.
Grandma Ruth, how did you develop an interest in music?
I discovered music for myself when I was about eight years old.… Read More...