arrange • compose • conduct
We have to stop asking schools to be responsible for 100% of the things we want our kids to learn. I often see memes going around that suggest replacing or revising high school curricula. Suggestions might be along the lines of “Instead of trigonometry, teach personal finance.” Setting aside the […]
It’s time to send yourself an email to arrive in July. This is the time of year when you are able to see what worked and what didn’t, while you’re still in the middle of it. In the summer, this will all seem like a foggy memory – the struggles […]
I spent plenty of time as a kid in music class learning how long notes last. A quarter-note lasts 1 beat, a half-note lasts 2 beats, etc. But that knowledge, on its own, obscures and possibly undermines more sophisticated approaches to music-making. The important questions are “What beat does this […]
Ted Lasso reminds us to lead with a personal touch. “Every person is a different person.” Ted Lasso, Season 2, Episode 2, “Lavender” It’s never bad to remind yourself that “every person is a different person.” Even when leading large groups, teaching full classes, or interacting with someone who “reminds […]
You’re most likely to quit your practice regimen right after the day you break your streak. Streaks are a great motivational tool, but no streak is failsafe, and no streak lasts forever. But our brains can trick us into thinking that missing a day of practice is a sign that […]
I don’t think anyone truly gets over stage nerves. Stage fright, that particular anxiety that arrives somewhere between a few minutes and many hours ahead of a performance, is real and can be light or debilitating. I don’t think you ever get past it. Instead, I think performers learn to […]
Teachers need more tools to help students grapple with mental and emotional wellbeing. I’ve recently begun listening to The Happiness lab, a podcast hosted by Dr. Laurie Santos, a professor of psychology at Yale. It’s a compelling look at how our brains cultivate – or undermine – happiness, and how […]
Mark Murphy was born March 14, 1932 – making today his 90th birthday. Across a wide career of creative and innovative recordings, he pushed the edges of what it meant to be a jazz singer, incorporating a much more contemporary approach to phrasing, musicianship, improvisation, and repertoire. He also incorporated […]
I’m glad you like that music, even though I don’t. I work in niches of niches: vocal jazz, contemporary a cappella, TTBB choirs, etc. I love the niches I work in, and I have developed strong opinions about various genres of music – and specific pieces or performers – over […]
Good ideas come from combining pieces you’ve already got in your head. I find that when I look back at a good idea, I see that I was carrying around all the pieces for some time beforehand. Everything I needed to generate the idea was available to me, and it […]