jedscott

In her book The Anatomy of Melody, Alice Parker describes a choir festival experience. “I once (never again) adjudicated at a high school festival where four choruses in sequence sang the same choral work to a group of judges scattered around a darkened auditorium. We were to judge only on the […]

On the Tony Awards this year, Fun Home was recognized with five awards, including Best Musical. It’s an unlikely winner, based on the graphic memoir of cartoonist Alison Bechdel. During the Awards telecast, the cast performed “Ring of Keys,” primarily a solo by an 11-year-old version of Bechdel. It stunningly […]

Accent is one of the most incredible vocal groups in the world right now. They’re incredible because of their story – six men in five countries, united by a love of rich harmony and a willingness to use technology to bridge their gaps. They’re incredible because of their blend – six utterly […]

“Having students afraid of you is a teaching win!” “Don’t smile till Christmas.” “It is better to be feared than loved.” There are lots of ways to say it: fear is a great motivator, and the proper wielding of power is an important part of success as a teacher. I […]

Can you believe the guts of president Obama? I get jittery singing in front of my students – and I’m a musician. He stood and sang “Amazing Grace” in front of the world last week.   In her book The Anatomy of Melody, Alice Parker writes, When our ears and voices connect […]

James Taylor averaged a new original album every 16 months in the 1970s – not counting his 11X platinum Greatest Hits released in 1976. His album “Before This World“, released on June 16, is his first album of original music since 2002. James Taylor fans have been waiting – which is probably why it’s […]

There are lots of things that a good choral program does every year – a little Renaissance, a little Baroque, a little Lauridsen or Whitacre. Here are three ideas for revitalizing your programming with out-of-the-box ideas. Program Some Alice Parker – celebrating her 90th Birthday this year. Program Some Vocal Jazz – and not […]

I came up through the Kostka/Payne theory textbooks in high school and college; a generation earlier and I’d doubtless have been a Piston student. The first two semesters of college theory, you’ll remember, are mostly devoted to chorale-style part writing. Learn to write a Bach chorale, the thought goes, and […]

One of the high points of the Rockford Choirs 2014 European Tour was undoubtedly a stop en route to Vienna. One year ago today, on the Fourth of July, we 57 Americans stopped at Mauthausen Concentration Camp. It had been liberated by American forces on May 5, 1945. This camp is recognizable for […]

I’ve been visiting a home surrounded by books. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves across three stories hold easily 10,000 volumes on every subject imaginable. There are paintings on the walls and several thousand CDs of great music. How would it affect someone to be surrounded by books, by music, by art when they’re growing […]