jedscott

The ACDA 2015 National Conference starts in just two days in Salt Lake City. While I won’t be attending this year’s conference, I have many colleagues who are and want to share some previews. Today: Composers & Arrangers at the Conference As a composer/arranger and avid commissioner of new works, I’m […]

The ACDA 2015 National Conference starts in just two days in Salt Lake City. While I won’t be attending this year’s conference, I have many colleagues who are and want to share some previews. Today: Men’s Choirs at the Conference I’ve been directing men’s choirs almost exclusively for twelve years; […]

The ACDA 2015 National Conference starts in just three days in Salt Lake City. While I won’t be attending this year’s conference, I have many colleagues who are and want to share some previews. Today: Vocal Jazz at the Conference Vocal jazz has a spotted history at both choral and […]

From a discussion recently in Rockford Aces rehearsal: Write “Entertainment” and “Art” on opposite sides of the page, and a line connecting them. Now place the following things on that line: The arrangements of Alice Parker The arrangements of Deke Sharon The Hi-Lo’s N’Sync Seussical The Musical Into The Woods […]

I often think of arranging a song as a puzzle. You’re given a melody and original harmony, and you have to figure out a logical solution with acceptable voice leading, chord structure, bass line, balance, voicing, rhythmic interest, faithfulness to the original, creative departure from the past, needs of the […]

When you really don’t feel like it, do your daily practice anyway. Usually when you get the urge to quit, it’s because there are troubles happening in other part of your life. Perhaps a longtime friend is sick. Maybe your car broke down. You didn’t get to say goodbye to […]

My dad loves sailing – from his youth in Rhode Island to sailing his J35 on Lake St. Clair in my youth, he’s always made time to sail. When he owned the Cross Check, he had with him the most wonderful crew of friends who regularly crewed with him on races. They were […]

A quote from our current choir booster president, on a very busy day a few years ago: We all have busy days. Like every one of you, I am 10% too busy. But it’s important to step past that and recognize how blessed I am to have that problem. It’s […]

In 1942-43, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra conductor Eugene Goossens led a commission program of eighteen Fanfares to open each orchestral concert series. He apparently intended them to be an artistic call-to-arms during World War II – he had embarked on a similar project in England during World War I. Seventeen of those Fanfares […]