Shar Music Blog

SHAR Apprentice Megan Fedor takes delight in Bach's St. Matthew Passion. Part of the joy of this piece, she argues, is its specific, musical representation of the Gospel of St. Matthew. When asked the question, “What sacred music do you find…

We try to quell your rising holiday panic by sharing a few gift ideas.I have a confession to make: after work today, I still have three Christmas gifts to buy. Tomorrow, I'm flying home to North Carolina. Every year, I do the same thing. I start…

We take a look at possible connections between the smart phone phenomenon and zombies. And we plug our mobile site. What's the point of shopping on your smart phone? And what would be the point of using SHAR's mobile site on your smart phone? I admit…

A few timely tips on string instrument care and maintenance.Here in Michigan we're lurching toward the heart of winter: snow on the ground for four months, ice-encased cars, and the early-morning cacophony of salt trucks and snow plows. But even if you…

More this week on hybrid styles in American "classical" music.I've still got Mark O'Connor, the fiddler, composer, and Grammy winner, on the brain. Thinking about his upcoming concert at West Bloomfield High School in Michigan (as well as his concerts…

Mark O'Connor's approach to American classical music is not just innovative – it's democratic.

I sat down with SHAR Violin Shop Manager Hans Anderson on Friday, November 4th to talk about SHAR's new John Cheng line of violins. Hans and I met early that morning in one of the rehearsal rooms, which, with its hardwood floors and vaguely Victorian…

For many, the thought of the violin brings to mind pleasant images of angelic beings gently bowing away upon soft, puffy clouds. The mild expressions of these angels radiate warmth as their long, flowing robes cascade over feathered wings and tiny…

Though much of the rhetoric about American schools has been focused on math and science, test scores, and the growing gap between the quality of education in the United States and other first-world nations, the value of the arts and humanities in…