jedscott

In our choral world, the possibility to thrive seems to grow more fraught every year. I don’t need to list the reasons why: anyone paying attention to the current states of education, music, and society knows why. Which is why we need the camaraderie that we get from a few days together in a workshop. The […]

Yesterday, as part of the MSVMA Summer Workshop, I gave a 15-minute talk on the value and obstacles of choirs participating in commissions. I am increasingly convinced that commissioning new works is a vital and neglected part of our duty as choral conductors. As part of that talk, I announced and launched a […]

This morning at the MSVMA Summer Workshop, Mandy shared a fabulous hour of insight into the use of mindfulness for the choral educator and in the choral classroom. I hope she continues to share it in other locations; in the meantime enjoy her session presentation here.

The other day I heard a pop song in a restaurant or in a store that was clearly reacting to the overproduced, slickly auto-tuned sound that is pervasive right now. Their reaction – sing without pitch correction. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough. To my ear, they were intentionally singing out-of-tune as a sort of statement […]

Here’s a two-step plan for achieving the dreams you’re too busy to get to. 1. Acknowledge your Core Mission. Imagine you’re a Fortune 500 company – what is the bottom line, sine qua non of your professional life? 2. For every opportunity that comes your way, ask yourself: is that part of […]

On a boat, my son likes to shout “Starboard over port, I can hit you if I want!” He learned the idea during a sailing camp earlier this summer. It’s a standard rule of sailboat racing that right-of-way goes to the boat with the wind crossing over the starboard (right) side […]

“That just turned today into an Epic Day.” So we told our sons’ great aunt after she gave them a jet ski ride. A moment of pure joy that made their day special. What can you do to make today epic? Here are a few things you could do: Watch the […]

I’m on the organizing team for the MSVMA Summer Workshop. It’s three days of sessions on a wide range of choral topics, including a headliner – this year the fabulous Sandra Snow. I started working on this year’s workshop about 50 weeks ago, just after the last one finished. It takes […]

I recently got to see two digitally animated films in the movie theater – with three sons, it’s been a good movie month. Movie One was mind-blowing: laughs, tears, and a message of great depth that has continued to resonate in the weeks since we saw it. Movie Two had plentiful bodily-function jokes, […]

Long journeys come with setbacks. Keep going. There will be some times in your struggle when you feel in charge, and others when you feel like your work falls on deaf ears, with every step taken in reverse. It’s part of the journey. Keep going. Trust your community, trust your friends, trust yourself. Don’t walk away […]