Feel confident, beautiful and empowered in your new wig, the instructions read. In the mirror a stranger stares back—weak, powerless. I see her ghostly image. She looks raw, bound, and scared. I sit in the pretend “barbershop” in our…

Lin Manuel Miranda’s decision to cast people of color (POC) as white historical figures in Hamilton the musical, both helps to further representation for POC in musical theater, and more accurately depicts the America of today, as well as the…

Life is a game of skill. Hone in on your skills, and rise to meet what wants to bring you suffering. Since releasing my debut EP, I’ve gotten the question “What is your songwriting process?” more times than I could…

I’m agnostic about the brain. I won’t stoop so far as to say that I don’t believe in it. But I’ve never experienced it — not mine, in any case. I’m not trying to be coy or obtuse. It’s just…

Bella’s most prized possession, a Mozart doll, lays in the center of her bed, surrounded by a small herd of Build-A-Bear stuffed plushies, American Girl dolls, and stuffed zoo animals. He lays stiff and unyielding in the throng of plastic and plush, wearing a sponge-like grey wig, and a red suit with white ruffles. When his key is turned, he plays Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, translated as “A Little Night Music.” And though intended as a light-hearted serenade, not a lullaby, its playful notes comfort Bella. ...

I’ve just started my 45th year teaching at Berklee, and, with 50 years in front of classrooms (earlier teaching stints at Indiana University and the University of Notre Dame) someone might ask, “Isn’t that enough? When are you going to…

Since the spring of 2017, I have been developing a Liberal Arts course that I call, “Interior and Exterior Landscapes: Identity and Expression.” I added the “Identity and Expression” at the urging of my students, who thoroughly enjoyed the discoveries…