arrange • compose • conduct
Celebrating a 15th Anniversary comes with some difficult opposing forces. On the one hand, I want to celebrate the successes of the past, looking backward and even programming favorite repertoire from the past. That, of course, adds onto my routinely performed “Aces Standards.” On the other hand, I want to […]
Singing isn’t the most important thing to happen at a choir retreat. In fact, I called it the fourth most important thing at my recent Rockford Aces Retreat. (We’ve been holding them since at least 2012.) What’s more important than singing at a choir retreat? Team building (developing the trust […]
I’ve never directed a group with just one on a part. To start: I feel incredibly lucky that I am able to run a class with this few number of singers; I am thrilled to be able to program quartet repertoire for them. We’re exploring great vocal jazz quartets from […]
Those are my favorite words in rehearsal. When you make room for that, there are several great benefits. You empower your ensemble members to have a creative voice. You show that experimentation and discovery is at the core of artistry. You get the chance to show that failure is on […]
How do you execute needed change most effectively? I’m embarking on the Aces Retreat this weekend. We’ve had some form of retreat every year since 2008 (except for 2020) and have been going to the current location every year since 2018. The challenge is always to balance traditions – things […]
Last year, psychologist Adam Grant introduced us to the idea of languishing – a feeling he describes as “a sense of emptiness, stagnation and ennui.” He called it “‘the neglected middle child of mental health’ and […] suggested it might be the dominant emotion of our time.” (You can watch his […]
Reliable isn’t an elite word. “A reliable automobile” isn’t how you’d describe a sports or luxury car. Reliable isn’t usually listed in top sought-after traits for leaders. But to me, being reliable is an essential part of my leadership. My students know that they can rely on me to do […]
The more detail the better. Planning rehearsals sometimes feels like my arch nemesis as a conductor. I like the flexibility to follow challenges and react in the moment to the needs of my students; I also don’t often have the mental bandwidth to reliably sit quietly and prepare for rehearsal. […]
Greek myths & music arranging: the art is in how you tell the story and what lens you choose to use. One of the things I love most about Greek Mythology is its malleability. Read The Iliad, or Ovid’s Metamorphoses, or a Sophocles play, and you are experiencing one version […]
Teaching is anti-clickbait. Clickbait is an eye-catching headline that promises more than it delivers…but draws you in nonetheless. The real work of teaching is taking as un-clickbait-y a headline as possible: “Algebra” or “Social Studies” or “Chorus” and, over the course of painstaking months of connection, encouragement, and growth, helping […]