As this movement of my life rapidly comes to a close and another is about to begin, I will pause from publishing new articles on Off The Podium for the rest of the summer.
Over the next couple of months I’ll continue to write as circumstances allow – I have several writing projects underway to work on! – but I do not plan to publish anything here on Off The Podium until after Labor Day 2019 (September 2 in the United States).
For a brief summary of what has gone before, please see my previous article Thank You, Nashville.
Thank you for reading Off The Podium. Your support and encouragement since March 2015 have made it possible for me to make a solid start for my writing career, something I wished to do since childhood. I can now state unequivocally that I am a writer as well as a musician and teacher. In a little over four years, I’ve published 220 articles here on a variety of music and education topics (and a few “off topic”) including Nashville Symphony programs; music education philosophy, practice, curriculum, and advocacy; diversity, equity, and inclusion; music history including a steadily developing history of the lute; the music of Johann Sebastian Bach; and more.
To date nearly 120,000 visitors worldwide have accessed over 180,000 pages on Off The Podium, many of my articles on music education have been republished by a variety of music education websites, and they have been appearing in print as well: primarily in my column Off The Podium for Choral Director Magazine (since October 2016), and also in occasional articles for School Band and Orchestra.
This summer I plan to spend some time reorganizing and updating this website in preparation for my new role as Director of Education & Community Engagement for the Richmond Symphony. It is my intention to continue writing on the topics listed above and more as I have done since 2015, resuming regular publication here on Off The Podium once we’ve had a chance to complete our move to a new city and for me to begin my position at a different symphony orchestra. Once the dust has had time to settle a bit.
In the meantime I invite you to peruse the site via the archives to the left of the page, through the tag cloud (also on the left sidebar, below the archives), or through the categories listed in the menus across the top of the page. Who knows, perhaps you may find something interesting to read!
Until soon,
Walter Bitner
July 12, 2019
Walter Bitner 
Thank you for all these inspiring articles, they are welcome. Have a great holiday dear Walther
thank you!
Thank you for being so generous with your thoughts and research. You can add recorder players and harpsichordists to your list of readers. I have appreciated your thoughts on music education, but also the information about the lute, of which I only know a little. I wish you well in your new adventures, and I look forward to hearing of future projects and research.
Thank you! I’m looking forward to writing more after a short break!
Thank you for posting your thoughts, experiences, and musical adventures on “Off the Podium.” I have appreciated hearing about your musical adventures, but also the information about early music, compositions, and ideas. I especially like to hear about your experiences as a music educator. Sometimes I felt validated by what I read. I look forward to hearing about your new adventures, more about the lute, and about your research.
Well done and thank you for all your words on music – and more. All the best for your transition and enjoy your summer!