I want to apologize to all who read this site for my long hiatus. After returning from Cape Cod in early August I had absolutely no internet connection, and even when I did finally get dialup (no high speed in our new place, at least not yet…) I have been a bit overwhelmed by both the move and the changes in my life. I’ll explain a bit more in a later entry.

Today I got a bit of sad news that made me finally want to post an entry again. Axel Duwe, my piano teacher from the years I spent teaching in California passed away this past Tuesday at the age of 71 (or 72). He was a remarkable pedagogue who had an uncanny ability to parse the most difficult of problems, musical or otherwise, into manageable bits that could be learned in detail and subsequently assembled as a fluid whole. I learned a great deal about music and about teaching from him, and I owe him a debt of gratitude for his contribution to my success.

He will be missed by every one of us touched by his cheerful wisdom.