arrange • compose • conduct
Posts specifically about choral music
I’m watching a trio of men with commercial leaf blowers working to make sure a neighbor’s lawn is utterly devoid of fall leaves. From 100 yards away, the sound drowns out all other background noises. Now, I don’t hold with those who say leave the leaves, because I don’t want […]
I’ve found an unanticipated gift in my increased commitment to preparing sung part recordings for my students. I’ve written before how they have positively impacted my students, and why I came around to a tool I was initially opposed to. It’s certainly not the time and effort – I wasn’t […]
Don’t only program wow pieces. Some pieces don’t wow you right away. But sometimes, they’re essential parts of your repertoire selection. It’s easy to program wow pieces, because they immediately engage the ensemble. When the ensemble is excited, they work harder, grow faster, and are committed to preparing performances that […]
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 […]
I could write volumes about what I have learned spending time talking music with Alice Parker. Actually, I hope someday to do just that. But what struck me most on my most recent visit, when we set aside an hour or two every day for little musical projects, is her […]
Why would a composer choose a career that minimizes new compositional work? I think this is true for many composers, but I thought about it the other day about Eric Whitacre. Eric is a celebrated choral composer, with a huge number of “hits” in the choral world. I have no […]
Studio recording is an entirely different experience from either performance or rehearsal. You’ll hear new things, have new reactions, and learn a ton. That’s why I love to take my students into the studio. But they’re almost always always new to the experience, so I start by giving a few […]
One of the biggest gifts of the microphone is that it’s the greatest vocal equalizer. When I have sung in a concert choir, often I would be in a section with someone with a beautiful, big instrument. I personally have a small instrument, so in that situation there were only […]
One of my goals this year is to send out an agenda the night before every weekly rehearsal. I can’t think of a single ensemble I’ve ever sung in that had a specific agenda that I was aware of ahead of time. I am certain my conductors had specific plans […]
One of the joys of singing choral masterworks is being aware of the connection across time. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony has surely been sung by millions of singers since its premiere 1824 (198 years ago!). Getting the chance to perform it connects you with all those amazing singers across ten generations […]