(note about video: My inclusion of this is a bit unfair to Lang Lang, as this is not a formal performance. Truth be told, it’s wonderful to see such joy and delight in the act of making music. Nevertheless…)

My good friend Melissa sent along an article that I missed yesterday from the New York Times.

When Histrionics Undermine the Music and the Pianist
By BERNARD HOLLAND
Another reason classical music is not reaching more young people: not because of how it sounds, but because of how it looks.

It’s a great article - but then, I’m sympathetic - and Melissa was curious to hear what I thought about it. I jotted off a quick response and, after sending, realized that it would be perfect for discussion here as well.

Germany’s most popular men’s lifestyle magazine, Matador (think GQ for those stateside), will be running a full-page article about me for their popular series How does it feel… In this case, naturally, to swallow a sword.

The article was written by Stephan Bernhard, a freelance journalist who writes regularly for Matador and has authored several books, among them No Limits – a book on rare and extreme sports – and a separate text on the famous climbers Alexander and Thomas Huber (known for, amongst other things, their free ascents and speed records).

Bernhard’s last How does it feel… article for Matador featured Tom Sietas, the free diver who in 2007 set a free diving world record for holding his breath underwater for 9 minutes and 8 seconds.

The upcoming feature will also include a new sword swallowing x-ray image, a preview of which can be found on my personal Flickr account.