arrange • compose • conduct
Every year, I start my garden with hope. I pick delicious herbs and vegetables, prep my garden beds, nurture them and get them started right. Then, of course the summer gets going – complete with out of town visits, family trips, camps, commitments, and all the work I am doing. […]
I remember when I first spent time in my college’s music library. The sheer magnitude of music available was a jolt of electricity and a continued revelation throughout my time there. Now, of course, a physical archive of commercial recordings is utterly pointless. The magnitude of music available on any […]
How does urgency play a role in your workflow? Is there a solution? I have a harder time writing my daily post in the morning than the evening. The imminent deadline of bedtime and the clock hitting midnight is sufficient to put me in my seat and begin writing. The […]
I love all the many gigs I have: composer, arranger, director, conductor, teacher, mentor, consortium manager, producer, assistant, strategic planner, etc. The best gig I have is father. Done right, as I try to do and as my father did for me, it is the opportunity of a lifetime to […]
What are your summer goals for your students? I like the message from my kids’ middle school ensemble teachers: only take out your instruments on rainy days. It’s the right level of occasional reengagement with music-making. I personally have these three goals for students between when I see them in […]
Overscheduled kids know one thing for certain: every minute is precious. They have so few! Every moment is committed to one event or another, a class project or a math test to study for, plus social commitments with their friends. That’s why, when I’m with my students, I try to […]
What would an alien know if they saw a group of people playing cards? And what does the answer tell us about teaching music? They wouldn’t know if the people were playing poker or canasta or euchre, and if you told them what the game was, the alien would assume […]
Do your habits change when your location changes? After so many years of writing, it seems like the habit should be the habit, wherever you are. But it’s just not true – different places provoke different things and require different things. I read recently that heroin addiction has a strong […]
It’s the little things that pay off in the distant future. A precious family picture from three generations ago is meaningless if you don’t know who is in the picture. With the names on the back, they are fascinating connections to your personal history. Without the names, they’re just old-timey […]
What’s your secondary purpose? Events have a primary purpose: a concert’s primary purpose is sharing music with an audience. A fundraiser’s primary purpose is to raise money. A meeting’s primary purpose is to make decisions and assign responsibilities. But a meeting can also be about getting to know your colleagues […]