arrange • compose • conduct
“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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
Celebrating a 15th Anniversary comes with some difficult opposing forces. On the one hand, I want to celebrate the successes of the past, looking backward and even programming favorite repertoire from the past. That, of course, adds onto my routinely performed “Aces Standards.” On the other hand, I want to […]
How do you execute needed change most effectively? I’m embarking on the Aces Retreat this weekend. We’ve had some form of retreat every year since 2008 (except for 2020) and have been going to the current location every year since 2018. The challenge is always to balance traditions – things […]
What are your ensemble’s keywords? In preparation for the Rockford Aces’ fifteenth anniversary celebration, I asked our alumni to answer that question. I loved reading their responses and learning about what they carried with them – and how it mapped onto how I think about the ensemble. Some words that […]
This year, I’ve gotten more insistent to my students who are involved in multiple extracurriculars: I ask me to send them their sports or other schedule and a plan for equitable balance. The secret is, I often can and do look at their schedules myself. (They’re all online!) But I […]
The Aces endeavor to sing in as many musical styles as possible each year, with no discrimination except quality of music. In that spirit, the entire list is organized alphabetically, as in our folders (except music for December, which goes at the end…) This was the first year with a […]
I try to be very clear to my ensembles – I don’t want the group to be your top priority all the time. Everyone has a lot of responsibilities they’re juggling, and I’m delighted that making music is one for my students. If it’s among the top 10 or 15 […]
How do you promote your concert? As I told my students tonight, posters are great. School announcements and promo videos are great. Social media is great. But the most powerful way to get people to come to your concert is to ask them yourself. Tell them when it is, and […]