I started my career as an orchestra bassist, but switched to full-time teaching. After 20 years of teaching, I still feel like an imposter when I am teaching but every time I get to play bass it feels like coming home.

“The piano is just a big wooden box of decrescendos” is one of the best descriptions I have ever heard.

Post your favorite Star Trek character. Wrong answers only. eskipaper.com/images/wesle...

I was looking through some of my old lesson books and found this: a hall pass from my high school orchestra teacher. Made me think about him. I don’t think either of us ever dreamed I would one day be doing the same job in the same district in the same building

My student teacher created this Orchestra House of Horrors in my rehearsal room today #halloween #orchestra

Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.

The rain gutter outside my house needed repair, so the Town came and dug the old section up, severing this tree root in the process. They fixed the concrete section and filled it back up leaving the tree root in place, protruding up several inches above the soil. I thought it needed something, so…

Just had this thought - I’ll take the $10 a month I was spending on Disney and add it to my public broadcasting pledge. Now I’m doing two things.

These days I often feel powerless to do anything, but today I cancelled my Disney/Hulu subscription with extreme prejudice.

Tonight at the dinner table my two teenage boys and I had a serious discussion about whether one’s overall density increases when one farts. My position is that it must. Please feel free to post your thoughts.

I made a thing! It’s a fold-down station for my son to do his CAD work for his 3D printing.

I saw this and it looked like fun but I am going to take it next level and not make it transactional - click in to this thread to view all my answers without having to like anything. Because when something is named MUSIC ASK it deserves to be addressed. cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thu...

Here we go

Slipknot is now officially available for purchase at jwpepper.com! This is the first to be published of a number of “alternative styles” tunes I’ve written or arranged. Students can improvise solos, compose their own, or use the written-out solos provided. www.jwpepper.com/slipknot-116...

I was today years old when I learned that Mayor McCheese plays the bass. With a bow even!

My boys are 18 and 16 - working on cleaning out unneeded items. We got rid of most of their old toys without too much problem, but today I’m working on the kids’ books. Difficult to dispatch - each book carries a specific memory of reading it together.

My philosophy and experience with students is that they can almost always do incredibly difficult work, but if you ever waste their time with soul-killing meaningless work, you have essentially poisoned the well when it comes to getting them to spend any additional effort on your class.

I have 2 teenage boys who I can’t get interested in any kind of movie or tv show, but they will happily shout wrong answers at the screen as long as I keep clicking on YouTube trivia quizzes.

I finished what I intend to be my last score in Finale recently. Currently learning the ropes at engraving with Dorico. It's something I previously wrote using Finale, and imported into Dorico via xml. So far, so good. Not as difficult to learn the basics as I feared. Maybe this won't be so bad.

Recently I've been writing pieces for string orchestra that offer the opportunity to improvise - like jazz band pieces but for strings. As a preview, here's the page turner video for Slipknot, soon to be published by Trees and Steel Music. youtu.be/nf48yE8tiDc

My summer studio. Finally making some progress.

This year I transferred from teaching middle to high school orchestra, which also made me the orchestra director for my oldest son’s senior year. Having a hard time getting through writing his report card comments with a dry eye. It was amazing. He was amazing. 10/10 recommend.

All the concerts, rehearsals and lessons are over and the children have gone home. A wise teacher will use this moment to prepare for the upcoming school year. Anyway, I feel like I’m ready now.

Organizers in LA are raising money to do tamale buyouts from local tamale vendors who are unable to safely vend on the street due to ICE kidnapping vendors. The tamales will be distributed to unhoused neighbors. Please consider donating — I personally vouch for this one: venmo.com?txn=pay&audi...

So I teach in the same district where I went to school K-12. Ran across this gem in my high school library today - my #1 favorite from elementary school orchestra (it’s long out of print now). No idea how it made its way into the high school stacks but we’re playing it tomorrow.

My son has made plans to go to community college for his first two years to save money. Cheaper to buy a used car and commute than to live on campus for even just a year. Looking at used car prices right now though and struggling to overcome the sticker shock.

Going through my cupboards, found this in a recipe book from 1938.

Moving my father in law into assisted living and sorting through his stuff, making me think. Nobody has ever asked to actually see any of my diplomas - I could just shred them and save my kids the hassle.

At the FIRST robotics competition in Albany today cheering on 1126 SPARX!

My son is on the FRC robotics team at his school. Love this program that values and rewards creativity and real world problem solving. websterontheweb.com/2025/03/21/s...

Found this in a cupboard. Putting it up here for all the old folks and Rochesterians.

Enjoying this new album from Sierra Hull: music.apple.com/us/album/a-t...

I’m planning on watching an episode of “The Mentalist” tonight. Tim Kang is excellent as Agent Cho. I often find myself holding a fellow Tim in high regard.

It might be the last thing on your mind, but I’ve got reasons a-plenty for going. I am playing bass after all. Come on out and see us!

THIS⬇️ Teachers, click on the post to read the whole thread.

Haven’t been here in a while

Will made my bass sound awesome. Check out “Lost at Sea” from the list below.

Also, my favorite web designer is now on Bluesky! Follow @triciaisham.bsky.social for details.

My favorite band is here on Bluesky now! Follow @stellahillmusic.bsky.social for details.

I made a pie. Also I have two teenage sons.

I'm pretty sure zero of the people following me are in the Rochester area, but if you happen to be visiting on March 1 you could come see me play bass in this band!

Did a quick string trio arrangement in Dorico - my first real project after ditching Finale. Got all my notes, articulations, and slurs, but could not readily figure out dynamics, bowings, and page formatting. Need the arrangement yesterday, so doing my final editing in pencil. #dorico #finale

Converting from Finale to Dorico. I've been a Finale user for more than 30 years. I worked through the Dorico First Steps instruction manual and am trying to force myself to learn the new software through immersion, but this old dog is having a hard time learning the new tricks. 😩 #dorico

Stella Hill, the band I play bass with, recently released a new EP entitled Lost at Sea. We are based in Rochester, NY and are led by songwriters Josh Massicot and Liz Ristow. Come give us a listen! #altcountry #americana music.apple.com/us/album/los... open.spotify.com/artist/4dVMk...

Brand new from Trees and Steel Music: Intrepid A vigorous piece with opportunities for your cellos to show their mettle. Check it out on J.W. Pepper #stringorchestra #schoolorchestra #studentstrings www.jwpepper.com/Intrepid/115...