jedscott

Listening, transcribing, copying, and assimilating – this is the core of growing up through the aural tradition of jazz singing. Don’t believe me? Listen to Cécile McLorin Salvant, the celebrated jazz singer, telling NPR’s Terry Gross about her development.   [When I] started singing jazz and studying it really, she was […]

Pros show up. Even when they’re sick. Even when they’ve got more on their plate than they can possibly (sanely) handle. Even when the weather is forbidding. No matter what, pros show up. There is much to be said for the amateur. Having an amateur spirit is something we should […]

Maybe my most common request in rehearsals – aside from “fix the wrong notes” – is “MORE ENERGY!” Or as an insightful student said last night, “More focused energy – we have energy but it isn’t going anywhere.” Of course it’s hard – we have long days, we have a […]

We’ve just started a lovely new piece and are sight reading a section at each rehearsal. But we took some time out after reviewing the first section this week to identify three recurring details and decide on our approach to them. In our case they were: Moving lines with eighth-note […]

Dear Choir Directors, Thanksgiving is behind us. December looms around the corner. Steel yourself. You can do this. I’ll see you on the other side.

Singers had the opportunity to guide the phrasing from within the ensemble during an a cappella ballad this week. We called it being in the hot seat. Some of the lessons learned along the way: It’s hard to show what you want to the ensemble. Especially without waving your arms. […]

The day after Thanksgiving is the right time to think about dirty dishes, right? I’ve been trying to approach dishes with this mindset: never better than now. That glass that used to hold smoothie will never be easier to clean than right now, and even if I don’t have time […]

The biggest challenge of Thanksgiving, we’re told, is to safely navigate the landmines of differing political and social opinions when you’re among family you see only rarely. This is less of a challenge if you approach the day with a choral educator’s mindset. Choral educators, after all, navigate emotional vulnerability […]

The best Thanksgiving dinners aren’t cooked on Thursdays. If you want a truly out-of-this-world Thanksgiving dinner, you need to start prepping a week ahead. Select the recipes, buy the groceries, and prepare recipes as early as possible. Make the pies on Monday or Tuesday! Of course tomorrow, Thanksgiving, will be […]

Your daily commute usually takes 15 minutes. But on certain unfortunate days, treacherous roads stretch it to 30 or even 45 minutes. Unless you want to be very late, you have to anticipate those days and budget extra time for yourself. The same is true rehearsing music. You, the director, […]