arrange • compose • conduct
That’s almost always the first question I ask. Having a framework for your creative work is essential for making choices about what to include and what to exclude. Even if the title changes later, the title itself – of an essay, of a talk, of a composition – is an […]
How do you promote your concert? As I told my students tonight, posters are great. School announcements and promo videos are great. Social media is great. But the most powerful way to get people to come to your concert is to ask them yourself. Tell them when it is, and […]
Do you know that you’re telling a joke? There is some funny music where “you” know you’re telling a joke. That is, the character you portray during the song is consciously being funny. Think Tom Lehrer. Other funny music gets funnier the more your character doesn’t show that they get […]
On my morning walks this week, there’s one piece on a loop in my head. It’s the cherry blossoms around every corner that call to mind the timeless A.E. Housman poem, “Loveliest of Trees.” And I love the version I was lucky enough to commission for the Rockford Aces from […]
I often like to take a hard break at the end of the year. Turn off my work brain entirely, even if it’s only for a week or two, before I start prepping in earnest for next year. The problem is, I’ve got several big projects I want to get […]
Encouragement isn’t always simple positivity. “True encouragement consists not so much of burbling as of detailed attention.” Stephen Sondheim, in a letter to Adam Guettel I personally struggle to five encouragement that isn’t simple positivity. I desperately want my students and mentees to keep going – to build on what […]
You start the school year with a fresh new candle. It’s meant to last you till the last day of school. Every hour spent in class, grading, lesson planning, chaperoning, meeting with parents, etc. burns your candle a little more. But you don’t worry, because by the time June rolls […]
Whenever you always approach a type of problem with a certain strategy, it might be useful to ask: “What other approaches might work?” As a general principle, I often take a few months after a recording session with my ensembles before I sit down to mix it. The distance from […]
I never don’t think of Steve Zegree when I’m in the studio. All these years later, it’s absolutely consistent. I’ve been in the studio a lot this week: ten hours producing sessions with my ensembles, plus two sessions at home singing and engineering some part recordings. I think of Steve […]
This unsung hero of the choral program deserves a round of applause. I’ve written before about the value of good graphic design tools for choir directors. Many other tools are rightly recognized: pianos, pitch pipes, recording tools; even Spotify or Apple Music for sharing example recordings. But what of the […]