arrange • compose • conduct
The key to sight reading might be to increase the number of chances to try and radically decrease the chances of a student feeling like a failure. I stood next to my son today during a funeral service, and when the second verse came around, I remembered how I learned […]
There are three kind of repertoire: Standards. These are the pieces you’ve conducted enough times that you can correct the mistakes before they’re made. Pieces You Know Well. Maybe you’ve conducted it before, maybe you studied it in depth in a choral lit class or by listening to that one […]
I actually quite enjoy making part recordings. I like getting inside the music in a different way. I like finding out what the pitfalls are before my students find them. I like the work involved in creating something of use for my students. I like using my skills and gear […]
This school year is easier and harder than last year. Everyone I talk to seems to agree. It’s easier because we’re closer to normal interaction; there are concerts, regular rehearsals, and more of the normal events we associate with the school year. It’s easier because we can connect as humans […]
A choir always needs more leaders coming from within the ensemble. But there’s more than one way to be a leader! Section Leader. Know your parts, lead extra rehearsals, be the one to ask questions for your section. Hey Guys! Leader. Speak up, call out, and generally police the ensemble […]
Music has power beyond our imagination. Watch this amazing story from 60 Minutes, detailing the amazing Tony Bennett’s final performances, this summer at Radio City Music Hall with Lady Gaga. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease five years ago, and his memory is greatly deteriorated – but watch what happens […]
I used to get frustrated as the conductor of a tenor-bass a cappella ensemble, because of the easy fandom they received. They could give a good performance and get screams from their peers, even when an outstanding performance by another choir on the same concert didn’t receive the same level […]
My downtime app of choice, lately, is a corner of the Lichess app devoted to chess puzzles. They take a minute or so to solve a puzzle, and it gives a good mini-brain break from concentration-intense projects. It also helps me keep up with my kids, who keep proving themselves […]
I tend to flip between two ways of ordering my to-do lists. Method #1 is to put yourself first. Make sure those big projects you need to complete are at the top of your list, and don’t do anything until you do them. Method #2 is to put yourself last. […]
“The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.” – Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, describing Flow in Wired Magazine I think most children naturally experience flow state when […]