arrange • compose • conduct
Waiting for the right moment doesn’t always work. It’s nice to think you can just wait for inspiration, for the door to open, for the right signs to conspire…but that’s not usually going to work out. Unless you’re fine with waiting a lot. It’s better, most of the time, to […]
Are two modes from the same parent scale actually the same scale, just starting in a different place? I had a student make that statement recently – that C Ionian and E Phyrgian, for example, are not different because they contain precisely the same seven notes. What I should have […]
I’ll stop when it’s time to stop. My son asked me yesterday, “Will you ever quite writing every day?” And as a followup, “What if you run out of things to write about?” The second question is easier – there will never be a shortage of things to write about […]
The studio has taught me that a tiny drift over enough time can lead to big problems. It’s important to revisit your recorded mixes the next day after a mixing session. The reason is that in long mix sessions, you can tend to drift away from your sonic ideal – […]
This question has been one of the best tools I’ve found to improve my own art making. How do you make your art? I ask it of other artists: What’s your photo editing process like? Whats’ the hardest part about knowing when your poems are done? How long do you […]
It’s probably not, but today might be the day someone important is paying attention. “Every day is an audition” is a mantra I adopted from my mentor, because it’s true and useful. If you’re auditioning for next year’s ensemble, I’m watching you every rehearsal, every day to see how you […]
I believe this to my core: there is no best musician, best artist, best dancer, best actor. The creative arts are subjective and they reach people at a point in their lives when they need it most. It’s like a song, or an album, is made…and it almost has a […]
How do you avoid cliches? Avoiding cliches in your writing is advisable. Cliches tend to cheapen your writing by using bland, repeated phrases or “moves” that have been heard so many times before that they don’t affect your audience. Whether you’re creating music, writing words, or creating any other art, […]
What’s the high-quality problem you spend the most time solving? My brother recently introduced me to the idea of “high-quality problems” and I’ve been thinking about how they might apply to musical situations. A high-quality problem is a problem, to be sure; it’s something that needs solving. But unlike a […]
I’m happy to announce I’m refocusing the daily posts on my website! Rather than my previous focus on creativity, vocal music, and education, I’m so excited to begin a daily post at the intersection of ancient Roman culture and philosophical thought. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Latin, and I’ve […]