Really it’s just me: Calj Green Umezono.

I am a violist and viola teacher interested in keeping things fresh through the practices of observation and exploration. As a performer I have performed as a chamber musician with the USC New Sounds String Quartet and the Zabriskie String Quartet, as Principal Viola of the Pueblo Symphony Orchestra, and as a member of the Greenville, Aiken, and Boulder Symphonies. I have performed a number of solo recitals and performances around the world, including in Columbia, SC; Denver, CO, Boston, MA; and Cremona, Italy. I recently earned my DMA from the University of South Carolina under the tutelage of Dr. Daniel Sweaney. My dissertation titled “Hearing the Difference: Just Intonation Techniques Utilizing Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions in Viola Performance” is published and available via ProQuest.

So what’s with this “Observatory?” I conceived of this website-project as a conversation with the concept of a “conservatory.” Having attended a few music conservatories, I am familiar with their rigorous methodologies and what their educational goals are. I wanted to branch out from that and ask what those academic processes are missing and figure out how I can express myself in different modes. What would it mean to abandon a mindset focused on “conservation” and geared more towards “observation?” That’s what I’m seeking out. And I know the only thing more dangerous than that question is a definitive answer. The goal, then, is always to be observing, always searching. The continual service of that ideal is its own reward.