Post-Retreat Bump
My ensemble got its post-retreat energy bump *before* retreat this year.
Aces
All Starters
I often say to my students that they are all starters. In the world of high school sports, there are starters and there are bench warmers. A popular no-cut team might have four players at every position…some of whom barely ever get to play in a game. It’s meant, and […]
Aces Repertoire 2022-23
It’s my annual tradition to publish my repertoire list for my ensembles. Here’s this year’s Rockford Aces repertoire. The Aces endeavor to sing in as many musical styles as possible each year, with no discrimination except quality of music. We had maybe the biggest Aces Concert ever, our fifteenth anniversary […]
Not Looking Ahead
I’m an irrepressible forward thinker. I’m always looking ahead to the next things. Today, though, I’m fighting hard to not look ahead. I’m working to stay present and relive the moments of an incredibly special concert last night. The 15th Annual Aces Concert was an amazing experience – my students […]
Aces World Premiere 2023
This concert will be one for the memory books. One of the things I’m most excited about for Friday’s Rockford Aces 15th Anniversary Concert is a world premiere. With the help of the Rockford Education Foundation and the Rockford Choir Boosters, The Aces were able to commission a brand new […]
Top Priority
How high do you prioritize an activity? Does it change from week to week? “Most of the time, I don’t ask you to make this your top priority. But for one week, you must.” That’s part of what I said to the Rockford Aces in the lead to their concert […]
One Week!
I am so excited for the Rockford Aces’ 15th Anniversary Concert and Reunion, one week from today – May 26, 7pm at Rockford High School. It’s been months in the planning, and my students have prepared so hard to put on a fantastic and varied concert. It never fails to […]
Recording the Same River
“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” Heraclitus Working on a recording project with the Aces reminds me of this lesson in three ways. These are all good things. We want the music to have life, […]
Second Performances
An overlooked part of the a commissioning party’s job comes after the premiere. So many wonderful commissioned works disappear into filing cabinets after their premieres. And whether a piece has a life depends a lot on it finding a second performance, a second performing ensemble, after that premiere. So I […]
Announcing An Aces Reunion
The Aces 15th Anniversary is upon us! I’ve been doing most of the thinking about the Aces 15th Anniversary Concert/Reunion for the last 6 months, but tonight I got to collaborate with three of my alums (from the classes of ’11, ’14, and ’17) to lay the groundwork. I am […]