arrange • compose • conduct
I am sitting in rehearsal watching 19 outstanding high school singers from across Michigan on system, working hard through a multiple-divisi arrangement by Tim Buchholz, in preparation for their concert Friday night at the Michigan Music Conference. I am sitting in rehearsal watching 19 outstanding high school singers from across […]
I’m seeing Bobby McFerrin tonight in concert for the sixth time, and that prompted me to do a quick retrospective on the roughly quarter century of my hearing him perform. Each one was unique and has remained with me, as the best live performances do. April, 1996 My first time […]
I’m pretty rotten at drawing hands. As a doodler, that’s not a huge deal. In fact, I’ve just started drawing my people with arms that just end abruptly at the wrist. Since I’m drawing mostly for my kids, no big deal. But it’s a great way to define the difference […]
Some singers never learn the joy of getting beyond the notes and rhythms. It’s obvious when they aren’t in a hurry to get past learning of the notes. If they knew the joy that awaited, they’d want to hurry up and get there! Alice Parker says that she can only […]
I’m a good proofreader – I fairly reliably can open a program and book and find the one error that the publication process missed. And yet, I am unreliable at catching typos or errors in my own writing – both words and music. I think it’s the old problem of […]
Four remarkable singers recently joined forces to create a new ensemble; their first performance was this past week at the JEN Conference. Säje – Sarah Gazarek, Amanda Taylor, Johnaye Kendrick, Erin Bentlage – is exploring new territory in group harmony singing, with an emphasis on connected, emotionally grounded, deeply individual […]
If you’re thinking about decluttering or attempting minimalism or just simplifying your possessions, a good question to ask is, “If I were moving tomorrow, would I move this?” It’s a way to quickly separate the things you really want to have from the things that are there just because they’re […]
I used to think linearly in my writing–work on one project until it’s done, and then start the next one. More recently, I’ve found two big benefits from having multiple current projects at once. First, it enables me to stay more consistently creative. Knowing that I have several things to […]
If I drip a little honey on the side of the bottle as I’m making a cup of tea, I’m liable to wipe it with my finger and taste it. It makes the first half of the teacup taste bitter. Of course, the tea doesn’t get any more bitter, but […]
Nat “King” Cole would be 100 years old, almost 101, if he hadn’t died so young–at 45, from lung cancer. For me, Nat represents the epitome of sophisticated phrasing. He sounds like a perfectly tailored suit – not a single stitch out of place. Nat is among the artists that […]