Nina Music Blog

The core is teaching... 

Recently I was asked, “What did you do this past week that really incited your passion?  How did you connect with your passion, and how did you share it with others?”  Of course, whenever anybody asks me about my passion, I never have to think too deeply about what that is because it’s always music and it’s always the guitar…I just really, really love the acoustic guitar, and I always have.  I love to hear other people play it just as much as I love to play. 
What did I do to share it with others?  That…Read more

"Simple" acts of Love 

“Simple”, which is the last song on my new cd “MUSIC”, happens to be one of the most personal songs I’ve ever written. 

'Simple' interaction with mother and child

The initial idea for the song came when I was thinking about some of the things from my childhood, which are seemingly so mundane, yet I think about them with such fondness.   Eventually, I realized that these particular moments have become quite meaningful to me and have actually shaped my sense of well-being and contentment as an adult. 

I’ll give…Read more

Body Language, Power and Performance 

As you read this blog post, I’d like you to take a minute to realize how you’re sitting.  Are you sitting tall or are you slouched over?  How do you enter a room…shoulders back or hunched? 

The reason I ask is because I happened to watch a fascinating TED talk yesterday by a woman named Amy Cuddy called “Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are”, and I wanted to share it with you.
 
It’s one of the only analysis of body language that I’ve ever seen that talks about how body language not only affects how people…Read more

New Nina Music Commercial 

For those of you who are not in my local area or who haven't had the opportunity to see this yet, I’m trying something new and different to get my name out into my local Andover/Sparta, NJ area, and I thought I’d share it with you.  There’s a company that places TV screens in local, high traffic businesses like fitness centers and bagel shops and they play a continuous loop of commercials for local businesses…there’s no sound – it’s just something that’s supposed to be seen, not heard. 

We decided to run a…Read more

"In the Moment" 

Family breakfast

I’ve been thinking a lot about togetherness lately because of the holidays and because my sister and her family were visiting from Chicago.  We’ve been doing a lot of “things” together during there visit… talking, eating, sharing memories, and we’ve even spent a fair amount of time washing dishes.  We didn’t grow up with a dishwasher, so there is nothing that drags me back to my teenage self like standing at my mother’s kitchen sink doing dishes. 

The kids have also spent a lot of time snow…Read more

Zen of Teacher and Student - New Year's Goals 

One thing I appreciate about the coming of the new year is the opportunity to reflect on things for which I am grateful, like family and kittens and glorious, sunshine-filled days. I also like to think about different things I'd like to attempt in coming year.  Now, I’m not one to typically make New Year’s Resolutions - resolutions seem to be more about restricting negative actions, and people get down on themselves is they violate the resolution.  I'm going to be about goal settiing to try to focus on…Read more

Sign Language on the world stage 

It was a very interesting week in sign language, don’t you think?  On one hand, we had an absolutely appalling example of a fake sign language interpreter during Nelson Mandela’s memorial service.  On the other, a joyful and meaningful interpretation of holiday carols by a cute-as-can-be kindergarten girl for her deaf parents. 

Two extremes and, ironically, two vastly different expectations about the intended audience.  In the case of the memorial interpreter, my only guess is that he didn’t realize he was…Read more

An appreciation for the "Sound of Music Live"  

I’m going to go on record to say that I loved the “Sound of Music Live” with Carrie Underwood and Stephen Moyer…I know, I know, there were a ton of things wrong with it (the acting – not only on Carrie’s part either) …but, for me, there were a lot of things right with it, too.  One of those things happens to be that it gave me a new appreciation for the movie and the talent behind it.  The “Sound of Music” is my most favorite movie of all time; one that can still bring tears to my eye, and I feel a little…Read more

The Zen of Guitar 

It was a long time ago when I picked up the guitar for the first time, but I still remember it pretty well.  My big brother Eric showed me how to play a little instrumental from a

Rocking out on the guitar!

YES song…there’s a little harmonics part in “Long Distance Runaround” and another little section “Roundabout” that I just played over and over.  Admittedly, these are weird little guitar tidbits for a ten year old to know, but it got me started on the journey, and that’s all it takes.  You’d be…Read more

Carrots and Jello for Thanksgiving...Why? 

My thoughts today are totally geared to the upcoming holiday – I love Thanksgiving.  I have so many great memories of crazy family gatherings with food, laughter, after-dinner games (usually Trivial Pursuit), along with a general sense of wellness and contentment. 

There’s only one thing that puzzles me about this holiday and our family tradition... 
“Why, Mom, why did you always make the orange jello with carrot shavings suspended in it.  Ugh!”  Did anybody else have this or was this something unique to our…Read more