arrange • compose • conduct
Self-determination is a psychological framework for human success and happiness. Today we’ll explore the first of three basic psychological needs required for self-determination and intrinsic motivation. Autonomy Desire to be causal agents of one’s own life and act in harmony with one’s integrated self; however, note this does not mean […]
Self-determination is a psychological framework for human success and happiness. One of the underlying necessities for self-determination is a healthy sense of intrinsic motivation. According to the research, there has been a “growing understanding of the dominant role that intrinsic motivation played in individual behavior.” Intrinsic motivation is the motivation […]
The psychological framework of self-determination theory is worth considering in the choral classroom. Self-determination theory, developed by researchers Deci & Ryan, aims to how to more effectively inspire and encourage motivation in people. According to the researchers, “The term self-determination refers to a person’s own ability to manage themselves, to […]
Don’t try to compose what other people want you to compose. The most successful arrangements and compositions I’ve written are the ones in which I intentionally tried to write the sort of thing I loved to sing when I was in singing groups. Too many young composers focus on writing […]
We aren’t much for big relationship celebration days: Valentine’s Day, for certain, but even an anniversary. It might be a good day for a nice dinner, or fancy homemade chocolate dessert, but we aren’t likely to make a huge deal about it. We celebrate our partnership every day, which means […]
One of the best parts about longevity in a position is being able to say, “In the past, students facing this situation have done X.” It comes with the important caveat that today’s students aren’t yesterday’s students; thus yesterday’s solutions might not be today’s. But it has helped a lot […]
What are you trying to get better at? What are the stakes you’ll have when you’re good and how can you lower those stakes now? I got good at writing by lowering the stakes. If I had sat down at my computer and said, “I’m going to write an essay […]
I recently changed my mind about opting for Italian musical terms in my scores. It came after receiving a new score with Italian marking such as Più Mosso and Meno Mosso, among others. It came because they were in a score written by a Swedish composer. The argument I’ve heard […]
I tend not to think about the projects I work on as jobs. I think of them as educational assignments. The projects are there to help me learn a lesson, develop a skill, or chart a path towards whatever I’m going to do in the future. My writing here? Helping […]
Sometimes I like to play a little musical game in rehearsal that I call “In My Head.” I adapted it from an Instagram post from the Swingles from 2017: In my version, we sing a set of three in a row, with the lyrics, “In my head, in my heart, […]