jedscott

A choral conductor might joke, “learn to read my mind” when an ensemble is a little slow catching up to them. But the truth is, every ensemble learns to read their conductor’s mind. They know where you’re going back to, they know what piece you’re going to rehearse next, they […]

As you begin to build a new skill, you often hit a point where you feel like you’re getting worse. You feel as if things you once could do well, you no longer can. New materials take longer to learn, and you don’t seem to be able to reach the level of […]

Do you remember the term “limiting reagent” from high school chemistry class? When you were calculating the output of a chemical reaction, the amount of substance formed would be determined by the limiting reagent. Every chemical reaction has at least one limiting reagent. So does every group. In every group […]

Advocacy is among the most vital aspects of arts educator jobs that doesn’t get enough attention. Effective advocacy at every level is essential to the future of the arts, and yet arts educators are too busy and overcommitted to attend to it themselves. If you’re an educator too busy to […]

Every year, we debate the value of this skipped hour. (I’m in the abolish it camp….) Which are you going to focus on? (A) How tired you will be when Monday morning comes. (B) The extra hour of sunlight you’ll have for evening rehearsals. Every experience, whatever you feel about […]

There’s a lot of fun to be had in being a “hired gun” – a guest clinician invited to coach an ensemble, or offer feedback and insight. It’s fun to work with no strings attached and fix what you can without being on the hook for the long-term stress, logistical […]

When I try to queue posts for my website, I often have trouble getting ahead – writing for a far away deadline is tough when I have a daily deadline to deal with, too. It’s easy to put off the less urgent piece, get busy doing other things, and only […]

Here are a few currently working musicians inspiring me and influence my work. These women are singers, composers, arrangers, conductors – and often more than one of those. Jennifer Barnes Carol Barnett Abbie Betinis Sara Gazarek Jocelyn Hagen Christine Helferich-Guter Nayanna Holley Lauren Kinhan Kate McGarry Alice Parker Andrea Ramsey Kate […]

“I stumbled over this good idea, and it had legs.” It’s not the most elegant image, or the most self-aggrandizing, but maybe it’s the most accurate for how you end up leading a new project, starting something new or innovative.

What words would you use to describe your mindset on the days when you do your best musical work? Here are a few: Curious Generous Insightful Creative Prepared Spontaneous Inspired Here are some words that probably aren’t on your list: Certain Well-Rested Unstressed Up to date on current events Perfect Order your […]