arrange • compose • conduct
I’ve added some new recording gear to my home studio in the past year, and have really ramped up my recording work – including part recordings, demo recordings, and family sessions. With that in mind, here is my minimalist recording setup, as I’m using it now. It also doubles as […]
It has been my great good fortune to spend some time with Alice Parker over the last few years: she is as remarkable as you think, and each opportunity to chat with her is a treasure to me. I’m offline this week and visiting once again with Alice; I highly […]
A busman’s holiday isn’t all bad! A busman’s holiday refers to the idea that a family road trip for a bus driver would find them doing exactly what they did when not on vacation – driving. It refers, generally, to doing the things you do for work on your off […]
Curation involves assessing a lot of artistic works and selecting the ones that work together cohesively. To me, while there is room for intuition and spontaneous composition, the most successful composition is a form of curated improvisation. I give myself the time to experiment, with my inner critic turned off. […]
When I’m working on a recording or video project, there’s often a spot with a little timing or balance issue that needs solving along the way. My favorite moment is when I take the final step and the issue completely disappears, and it’s impossible to hear there ever was an […]
Seth Godin recently wrote: The second time you rewire a system after finding a hum, it might take two minutes. The first time, the time you figured out what the problem was, it might have taken two hours. It’s true! My second virtual choir project was much faster than the […]
Reading the instructions is the worst way to learn a new game. Way better is when the game maker creates a 4 minute video that teaches the game to you: it’s more engaging, interactive, and concise. But better still is to learn it from a veteran who knows the game […]
My family spent some time recently with a good self-taught musician. He plays a number of different instruments, and can communicate intelligently about music; but to my knowledge he never received formal musical training. I think he is deservedly proud of his hard-won musical skills, but I think some self-taught […]
A recent multi-interview article from Chorus America considered the post-COVID future for virtual performances. I want to go on record in saying that I think it’s a bad idea to lean into streaming and posting of concerts long-term. I think it’s bad because it undermines the choral art, which must […]
Here’s a way to put your pre-concert nerves in perspective. Think about your own performance. Are you nervous about it? (Of course. Yes.) Now think about every other ensemble member. Are you nervous for their performance? (Probably not.) The other members feel about your performance the way you do about […]