arrange • compose • conduct
This popular adage is wrong. “Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened” is something people like to say to anyone getting emotional at the end of something good. As a director and teacher, I regularly interact with students going through painful endings: high school, a beloved ensemble, an […]
Get good at being able to answer this question: How many hours will it take to complete this project? Knowing the pace of your work is essential for three reasons: I know how long it’ll take me to write an arrangement, and how that differs from writing a composition. I […]
I remind myself frequently that most things we use are simply good enough. Not perfect. Good enough. That goes for our technological devices – good enough to do what we need them to do. (Unless, maybe, you’re using a school-issued device…) It goes for our musical notation system, which has […]
The Aces 15th Anniversary is upon us! I’ve been doing most of the thinking about the Aces 15th Anniversary Concert/Reunion for the last 6 months, but tonight I got to collaborate with three of my alums (from the classes of ’11, ’14, and ’17) to lay the groundwork. I am […]
How do you practice well? There are so many keys to effective practice; one often overlooked is assessment. If you aren’t assessing yourself as you practice, you are much more likely to be undermining your growth with inefficient practice. HOW do you assess yourself in practice? Most importantly, prioritize self-assessment […]
Why explore art broadly? So that you get the references. I remember when I read enough Ernest Hemingway to learn that he had coined the expression “moment of truth.” It made me listen to Tom Lehrer’s “Old Mexico” differently – it was a parody song about bullfighting, which is a […]
Follow your own true north in programming as a conductor. There are a lot of shoulds for conductors. I’ve heard conductors say, “Every ACDA performance program should include a Baroque or Renaissance piece.” I’ve heard conductors say, “Every student should graduate high school having sung X, Y, and Z.” I’ve […]
A piece and your ensemble’s relationship with it will continue to evolve after its first performance. Best to let that evolution happen before the official premiere! Premiere performances can bring a lot of stress. The performers feel a duty to bring the piece to life in its first performance. There […]
James Bridle, in his recent conversation with Krista Tippett on On Being, describes language systems and their limits in a way that applies to music notation, too. Pictograms describe the world as it actually is. If you draw a picture of a thing, you are referring to that actual thing. […]
Young teachers are often advised, “You have to not care whether the students like you.” I think that’s true. My self worth is not tied up in whether or not my students like me. However, I do care, deeply, whether the students like the subject matter. I want my ensemble […]