I’ve tried running with my phone in nearly every imaginable way: armband, waist pack, pocket. The armband gets sweaty and gross about five minutes into the run, and if you want to send a message or change playlists you have to unstrap the apparatus, try to punch through the thick layer of plastic to engage the touchscreen, and then strap it back up. The waist pack feels restrictive, and, again...
The inner-workings of the administrative state can seem hazy at best, even to those who take it upon themselves to study it. That’s not entirely a criticism—I understand that the varied aspirations and tensions of the administrative state often result in complex systems and procedures, and to expect otherwise is both unrealistic and reductionist. That being said, these systems and...
When I was a fourth year violin performance student at the University of British Columbia preparing to apply for graduate school, the general advice I was met with was to select schools based upon the teacher you wanted to study with. This was fairly sound advice since the mentor-mentee relationship is a significant part of most music school experiences. But in selecting which schools to apply to...
It’s job-hunting season and, despite the Zoom interface, you want to look your best (at least from the waist up). And if you’re a hand waver like I am, there’s a decent chance your wrist will be on display. Just because we’re going to be shackled to Scotiabank, TD, and various provincial loan agencies for the foreseeable future doesn’t mean we can’t find cool yet affordable watches to wear. Sure...
It’s hard to believe that we’re nearly at the end of the academic year, and while that is a relief in many ways, it means that we have to confront the beast once more: finals. It’s time to scream at yourself for not having taken better notes in class, fire up the ol’ L&L database, and get to work. And so, I have compiled an ever-so-carefully curated playlist of classical music to...
Music school demands much from every student, but for some, it takes far more than it gives. An undergraduate degree in violin, cello, or piano performance is unlike any other major. To be accepted into an arts or sciences program, you must show, at the very least, good grades, but in the case of music school, prospective students are required to have already dedicated their entire...
It is the most prestigious race in history, yet considering its importance, the America’s Cup is transpiring in New Zealand with remarkably little media attention. Known as “The Billionaire Death Race,” the America’s Cup was first contested in 1851 when the yacht America, racing for the New York Yacht Club, sailed to the Royal Yacht Squadron on the Isle of Wight. There, on the 22nd of August in...
As we depart midterm season and finals loom not far around the corner, I thought it would be appropriate to compile a short list of pieces of classical music that can give you that extra oomph you need to crush your exams. Mozart, 12 Variations in C Major ‘Ah vous dirai-je, Maman’ You’ve just finished a difficult term full of essays, cold calls, and briefs. Now the real...
2020 has been a tough year for tennis. After the Australian Open back in January, things quickly turned downhill for the professional circuit with major tournaments being cancelled left and right. Wimbledon was cancelled (the last time the tournament was cancelled was during the Second World War), the ill-fated inaugural Adria Tour was abandoned amidst a COVID-related scandal, and Novak Djokovic...
Last November, Ray Chen played a recital in Toronto’s Koerner Hall. While Chen did not know it at the time, this performance was one of the last of the Old Age of classical music, which focused on overpriced concerts, traditional modes of teaching, armchair criticism, and poorly paid musicians. In totality, these markers resulted in what was perceived as a dying art form. Nonetheless, COVID...