arrange • compose • conduct
My 10-year-old is a music-learning machine. He’s been at the piano every day for a long time, building an ever-long medley of songs including movie themes, Beatles songs, and more. The thing is, I think that a lot of kids are music-learning machines. The difference is my son has consistent […]
“I’m game!” It’s a more nuanced statement than, “I want to do [X].” “I’m game” comes with implications. It might mean: I’m not familiar with whatever is being proposed. I’m open to trying this. This wouldn’t be my own top choice, but I am willing to do it. I trust […]
The hardest part of the creative process, oftentimes, can be finding a way in. Sometimes a creative project can feel totally locked up – windowless and doorless. You have to take the time to look closely, as often as it takes, to find an entry point into the project. It […]
I had to reschedule a rehearsal with my students for next week, due to a scheduling conflict with our school musical, Mary Poppins, which has a fast-approaching opening night. In approaching the situation this morning, I wrote the following note to my students, outlining the difference between IMPORTANT and URGENT. […]
There is a very steep learning curve to setting up a sound system in a new space. If you’re a sound-intensive group, like a vocal jazz ensemble or an a cappella group, it’s very likely that you’re going to sing out of tune when the system first goes on in […]
I’ve decided not to wait until I can give anything my undivided attention. My attention is always divided. So is yours. Between current projects, upcoming projects, housework, lessons plans, score study, kids’ health, and 1,000 other things, I never have undivided attention. Instead, I do what I can. I allow […]
“The Beatles made better recordings than you’ll ever make on worse equipment than you’ll ever use.” John Campos My recording teacher at Western Michigan University had a way with words – he surely put things in perspective in this oft-repeated line. It’s true – just as it’s true that Mozart […]
Don’t pursue your dream…is something I’d never say. I’ve seen enough success–and failure–stories to know that I am not ably to reliably predict what someone’s career trajectory will look like. Actually, I’ve seen enough to know that I don’t think anyone can. Actually, I think the “don’t pursue your dream,” […]
As my composition students work hard to shape strong melodies, I try to remind them to have faith in the next melody. It takes pressure off of my current project to know that there will always be another melody. I still try to craft the piece I am working on […]
If you listen to Bobby McFerrin’s collected recordings in chronological order, you will find an artist who reinvented his musical approach with each album. Here are his albums just from the 1990’s: 1990: Medicine Music. a cappella group vocals with original songs, in collaboration with his Voicestra. 1992: Play. Live […]