It’s time to brag about my friends and relations’ various accomplishments!

It was a big week for my mom, who welcomed Mikhail Baryshnikov to The Broad Stage for a two-night engagement. Despite cutting his foot just a few days earlier, Misha’s performances dazzled and delighted the Westside crowd. Go, mom!

Due to popular demand, my dad has returned to UCLA to teach his “Music & the Law” course for the second time. All he needs now is a tweed jacket and a pipe. Go, dad!

It was an even bigger week for my little sister, who laced up her hiking boots and embarked on an Outward Bound adventure. She’ll be spending the next several months in rural North Carolina, kickin’ it Thoreau-style. Go, Olivia!

My brother continues his transformation into an international jazz maverick. His band Kneebody will perform in Boulder, CO and Denver, CO throughout the first 3 weeks of October … followed by a visit to Minneapolis, MN on Oct 25. Lucky me! And go, Ben!

Not to be outdone, sister-in-law Marisa will appear on TELEVISION (ooooh!) tomorrow night — playing violin on NBC’s America’s Got Talent. To my great disappointment, she will not be a contestant. She’s merely accompanying opera singer Barbara Padilla. On second thought, that’s probably for the best … because if she was actually appearing as a contestant, I would never (EVER) stop mocking her. Go, Marisa!

My cousin Corina is officially a published author. Her article, “When the Time is Right,” will appear in the Sept / Oct issue of Lifeline magazine. Go, Co!

My buddy Nate Petterson, window cleaner and artist extraordinaire, will participate in the 2009 Autumn Art-Quinox. This free, multi-media, interactive event takes place Sept 18 – 20 at the Grain Belt Bottling House in Northeast Minneapolis, MN. Go, Nate!

(Photo by Annie Leibovitz / via PBS)