arrange • compose • conduct
One of the things I love about attending masterclasses and clinics from master musicians is that I can glean new words to put around musical ideas. Sometimes the words are harder than the ideas – I can grasp a concept, but not succinctly describe it. Hearing someone else’s words can […]
I had a little bit of a down day today. For unimportant but real reasons, I was feeling frustrated, tired, and run down. (I mean, we are still in a pandemic. That alone is enough justification for all of us to have these occasional days.) I almost canceled my rehearsal […]
The thing I can’t wait to get back to is listening together. We listen alone a lot in 2021. Headphones of our own podcasts or playlists are placing sound into our own ears. The person next to us is listening to something different. (If there’s a person next to us…I […]
We learn to practice a specific way of listening in music school. Listen to assess. It’s the first stage of an important recursive cycle that is essential to the growth we have to achieve with a music degree. Listen to assess. Assess for flaws. Correct flaws to grow. Repeat. It’s […]
Alice Parker, describing her work for Robert Shaw, pointed out that she was writing her arrangements while raising five children and maintaining a home. She discovered that the only way to get it done was to write while cleaning, write while cooking, write while doing all the tasks that we […]
I’m objectively opposed to having a detailed plan for the musical accomplishments of a rehearsal. Let’s be clear: I am specific and detailed in the plans I make for rehearsal, with regards to music being rehearsed (often down to specific bars), for how long, and benchmarks for ensemble growth. What […]
My ensemble, Shades of Blue, is attending the virtual SMV/Real Group Vocal Jazz Festival, presented by Southwestern Community College in Creston, Iowa, and spearheaded by Dr. Jeremy Fox and the rest of the SWCC music staff. It promises to be an amazing festival, with dozens of sessions for all ages, […]
I’ve said more than once that the world needed a proper history of The Real Book. And Adam Neely did a great job with his video about the handmade viral sheet music collection of the 1970s. But never did I imagine something made with the loving care that Roman Mars […]
I have opened the Zoom for my college composition student at 12:00 every week this semester. Only problem is, it’s at 12:30. My student knows this. My calendar knows this. I know this. But at some point early in the semester, I locked it in at 12:00, and I can’t […]
Someone asked recently on Twitter, “A high school senior comes to you and says they’re going to study music. They ask for your advice. You can respond with 4 words. What do you say?” My four words? Do it. Without debt. I know some who like to discourage aspiring musicians […]