arrange • compose • conduct
Like every other choir director I know, I am concerned about enrollment in secondary choir programs post-pandemic. I’m concerned because short-sighted administrators might reduce teaching assignments or the number of classes offered; this would kneecap the ability of choir directors to do their completely consuming jobs well. I’m concerned because […]
Dragging is a common problem, and one that is typically responded to with instructions to practice with a metronome, to physicalize the rhythm, or even just, “keep better time.” All of those instructions overlook the signal that dragging is giving us. The cue we should take whenever we start dragging […]
Trans Day of Visibility falls on March 31 every year. It’s a day to put the needs and challenges of our trans family members, friends, students, colleagues, and neighbors to the front of our minds. In the lead up to TDOV, there are many events that fall under the category […]
“Remember, one piece is bound to be your least favorite piece in the repertoire. And also remember that it is almost certainly someone else’s most favorite.” In a loose, conversational rehearsal, sometimes singers can trash their least favorite piece. They might have the best of intentions, but it always feels […]
I have a lot of ideas that don’t amount to anything. We all do. When I’m trying to create, I often try a lot of ideas that don’t lead to very much. It’s only when I stumble (it often feels like stumbling) across a unifying concept that the creative work […]
Practice doesn’t promise rewards on a strict schedule. Instead, consistent practice provides a terrain of stasis – a frustrating lack of growth – interspersed with unanticipated growth – seemingly sudden mastery of skills you’ve been struggling with. To master practice and stay focused during the times of stasis requires deep […]
When you look at a finished skyscraper, you can’t see the I-beams and other aspects of its steel skeleton. But without them, the skyscraper wouldn’t stay together. When young musicians interact with a new piece, the structure – the bones – of the piece are similarly invisible. But bringing this […]
Sometimes when we learn a new skill, we can act as if we’re scared, even when we don’t think we are. I made homemade noodles for Sunday dinner, and remarked how I am much less scared of working with them than I used to be. The thing is, I wouldn’t […]
One of the most poignant songs I know, “Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most” is a meditation on lost love penned in 1955 by Fran Landesman and Tommy Wolf. The title is a loose reference to T.S. Eliot’s “April is the cruelest month.” For me, one year on, […]
I heard this conversation on the latest episode of the wonderful and uplifting Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast. Casper ter Kuile: In some ways you might get more out of reading the same thing 100 times, than out of reading 100 things once. […] Stephanie Paulsell: Absolutely. I […]