Beethoven’s 251st
As the pandemic surged a year ago, there was scant celebration of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th birthday. Trying to make up for …
My Cousin Jerry Raiza
My only first cousin, Rex Gerald (Jerry) Raiza, died on September 17, at the age of 83 after complications of aortic aneurysm …
Memories of 9/11
To mark the 20th anniversary of the September 2001 terrorists’ attacks, I would like to share the memories of eight members of …
Scottish Quarantine
Our five-week visit to Dornoch, Scotland began July 23 with a required 10-day quarantine. Ten days was just a quarter of the …
Longtime Friends
After two long years away from the Washington area, Steve and I returned in June to visit longtime friends–friends who are not …
Heart of a Woman
Florence Price was the first Black woman composer to have a work performed by a major symphony orchestra. The Chicago Symphony played her …
The Hill We Climb
After the appalling assault on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, I was worried about what might happen two weeks later at …
Nina & Alicia
2020! This crazy year has disrupted my lifelong fascination with music by European men of the 18th & 19th centuries and schooled …
Autumn Songs
In October 2019 I heard a lovely piece on NPR, Chanson d’Automne (Autumn Song) by British composer Stephen Reynolds. I happened to …
Honey & Juba Dance
Nathaniel Dett (1882-1943) composed two pieces, Honey and Juba Dance, that intrigue me. Both are from a suite, “In the Bottoms,” published in Music …