San Fransisco Symphony Archives

In the Practice Room with Amos Yang

What is on your music stand? What is the first thing you do on the cello every day? https://youtu.be/j2UprmXuKHA Why do you practice? What drives and motivates you? Anything that helped during the pandemic? https://youtu.be/uyRoihCEpcQ When do you feel the most inspired in the practice room? https://youtu.be/qfqR7FtbQqg How do you stimulate creativity and imagination in the practice room? https://youtu.be/UJ6zIOvn7TM In your mind, what is it that makes an effective practice session? https://youtu.be/QBj4xUBEKfk Is there a particular practice method that you swear by? https://youtu.be/aWziSVbS5n8 What are the best ways to prevent injury? https://youtu.be/nvkbfqoCEe8 How do you manage lots of repertoire at the same time? https://youtu.be/MF2C0XPYric With such a big workload, how do you avoid burnout and maintain balance? https://youtu.be/Xb-IYAm6GTk How do [...]

By Amos Yang|2024-03-18T13:24:37-04:00March 11th, 2024|Categories: Artistic Vision, Interviews, In the Practice Room, Performance|Tags: daily practice, San Fransisco Symphony, creativity, inspiration, how to practice, Orchestral Playing, Practice Room, Amos Yang, motivation, Self-Recording, practice habits, practicing, practice tips|

The Buddha, the Brain, & Bach: One Cellist’s Inner Exploration of Practice — by Barbara Bogatin

My bare toes feel cold on the smooth cement. The scent of rosemary is hinted in a gentle breeze, as a bee glances my ear and wild turkeys caw raucously in the distance. I take a slow breath—in ... pause, out ... pause—and become aware of the arising of the intention to take a step. As the weight shifts to the left side of my body, my right knee bends slightly, lifting the heel off the ground, and then the ball and the toe glide airborne over the stone till the tip of my toe reaches its destination. Balance shifts as the right foot bears the full body weight and I stand suspended, legs apart, caught in a slow-motion reenactment of a child learning to walk. Try as I might [...]

By Guest Blogger|2021-11-30T14:03:07-05:00November 6th, 2014|Categories: Artistic Vision, In the Practice Room, Playing Healthy, Self Discovery|Tags: Vipassana, cellobello, brain, meditation, Barbara Bogatin, Buddha, Mindfulness, Bach, San Fransisco Symphony, cello|