Yesterday Off The Podium passed 100,000 total views since I posted my first article Leitmotif in Mahler’s Ninth Symphony on March 3, 2015.

Now, 2 ½ years and 148 posts later, Off The Podium has accumulated over 100,000 views from over 64,000 visitors – an average of a little over 1.5 views per visitor.

It seems like a statistical milestone, so in honor of this nonevent and to mark its passing I have assembled here a list of my 21 most popular posts, ranked by total number of views. All but one of these Top 21 articles are about music or education, and most are about both.

A big and sincere thank you to everyone who reads Off The Podium! Your encouragement has contributed to the success of my blog, and of my fledgling career as a writer.

And if you’re new here, or missed an article or two, this list might be a great place to catch up. Click on the title to go directly to each post.

 

1. Wholehearted Attention
June 12, 2015 ~ 18,717 views

Musical performance demands a complete absorption in the moment in which all other thoughts and concerns disappear.

 

2. Learn Their Names First
June 24, 2016 ~ 5,975 views

Learn your students’ names before you do anything else together.

 

 

 

3. How to Teach Recorder Fingerings
October 18, 2015 ~ 3,503 views

Just like it sounds – if you teach or play recorder, use this system.

 

 

4. The Joy of Solfège
August 11, 2015 ~ 3,198 views

The first part in my popular series on this very important method for music teachers of every kind.

 

 

5. SHAME Education Poised to Infiltrate U.S. Schools
July 20, 2015 ~ 3,089 views

My most popular satire post – or is it?

 

 

6. The Count
August 8, 2016 ~ 3,049 views

A concentration exercise I used as a pre-performance ritual with my student ensembles.

 

 

7. Four Practices
March 5, 2016 ~ 2,501 views

Why and how to teach Mutual Respect, Attentive Listening, Kindness, and Best Effort.

 

8. Teaching Music With Solfège
September 1, 2015 ~ 2,244 views

The practical nuts-and-bolts article in my solfège series.

 

 

9. Sumer Is Icumen In
June 3, 2015 ~ 2,008 views

Teach your students this beautiful ancient canon.

 

 

 

10. Meet Olga Scheps
July 31, 2015 ~ 1,550 views

Meet the most remarkable pianist of her generation.

 

 

 

11. The Legacy of Guido d’Arezzo
August 21, 2015 ~ 1,015 views

History and overview of the various types of solfège systems.

 

 

12. Is Music a Commodity?
January 21, 2016 ~ 936 views

Is music something you consume?

 

13. Groundbreaking Research Indicates That Academic Studies May Improve Musical Performance
March 3, 2017 ~ 888 views

Another satire – what if the tables were turned?

 

 

14. Is Music a Sport?
March 31, 2017 ~ 872 views

Competition has become so pervasive in music education that it discourages many children from participating.

 

15. Meet The Recorder
April 18, 2015 ~ 740 views

Did you know that the recorder is a real instrument?

 

 

 

16. Francesco da Milano
October 15, 2015 ~ 712 views

The Lute Part II. Francesco is the first great instrumental virtuoso and composer in the history of Western music.

17. What Kind of Human Being Do You Want To Be?
November 10, 2015 ~ 708 views

Music is a vital part of human culture.

 

18. BACHanalia 2017
March 25, 2017 ~ 690 views

My commentary and schedule this year for Nashville’s annual Bach festival.

 

 

 

19. Brahms Requiem at West End UMC
April 21, 2015 ~ 634 views

Hearing a beautiful performance in an old stone church made me thoughtful.

 

20. 2015: What Kind of Blog Is This?
December 30, 2015 ~ 631 views

My overview of the year’s highlights for Off The Podium in 2015.

 

 

 

21. My Top 21 Science Fiction Novels of All Time
April 30, 2016 ~ 599 views

More than just a list – commentary and consideration of each selected author’s work.