Integrated Practice: The Art of Solving Problems
Please contact me for more information
Where and How?
I give lessons and seminars in Paris, where I live; in New York, where I maintain a secondary practice for a few weeks every year; and wherever my travels take me. And I also offer lessons and seminars online (Zoom / Skype / FaceTime).
Much of my work takes the form of one-on-one sessions lasting one hour, 90 minutes, or two hours. Some visitors have taken a single session while passing through Paris or New York and benefited from it. Others have made a long-term commitment over months and years. Besides individual sessions, I offer a variety of themed seminars, online and live, shaping the seminar materials to the needs and wants of each group.
Working with Professionals in Every Field
I have helped professionals in finance, journalism, medicine, and other professions. If you’re stuck in mid-career and don’t know how to go forward; if you stress out at work and would like to become able to keep your cool; if you need to communicate with the public or with your own colleagues; if you’re interested in becoming creative in everything you do, I may be able to help you.
I work with musicians in a number of different ways, according to their needs and interests. You're welcome to choose any or all of the approaches listed below.
the study of coordination, movement, sensory perception, tension and relaxation, and the mastery of your habits and reflexes.
the development of daily practice strategies, instrumental and vocal technique, interpretation, concert preparation, and the taming of stage fright.
the study of ear-training, theory, and analysis (mostly within the tradition embodied by the late Nadia Boulanger), all of which are organically integrated into my music-making and teaching.
the study of prosody - the rhythmic structure of music combined with the rhythmic organization of the physical gestures that comprise instrumental and vocal technique.
the study of improvisation, both as a creative end in itself and as a tool for solving technical and musical difficulties.
traditional cello lessons (informed by all of the above), covering every aspect of technique, sound production, and interpretation.
Do you need to structure a manuscript, find its core, detect its flaws, revise and edit it? Do you have good ideas but not the means to articulate them? Are you afraid of writer’s block? Do you write too slowly to make your living as a writer? Are you afraid of the blank page? Do you find it difficult to find a work rhythm for your days, weeks, and months?
I can help you deal with all these issues, in face-to-face meetings or online. I’m an experienced writer with several books under my belt. My nonfiction books are published by the Oxford University Press and my novels by Random House. And I have finished a manuscript, Rhythm & Flow in a Writer’s Career, with dozens of exercises covering every aspect of the writerly craft. Rhythm & Flow is currently under representation at Writers House, a leading literary agency in New York City. I’d be more than glad to lead you through these exercises on a one-to-one basis or in a small group of like-minded writers.
