arrange • compose • conduct
Posts specifically about choral music
Back to my old ways… I gained two things during my months of conducting with a mask. First, I learned ever more clearly how to conduct with just my eyes and hands. I, like many conductors, tend to use my whole face, and it was a great education in how […]
Follow these two opposing instructions in sound checks. First, sing consistently like you’ll sing in concert. Don’t mark, because the sound person can’t get a reliable level if you’re marking. Second, don’t oversing. You’ll be singing a lot in a dress rehearsal/sound check, and you don’t want to overuse your […]
It’s obvious. The best thing about your first year is your second year. That’s often been said to and about first year teachers, and it’s true there, for sure. The learning curve of your first year teaching, and in most jobs, is so steep that the second year is better […]
There are two types of vocal jazz ensemble. One (call it the Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross-type) uses group singing as a means to deliver improvisation, solo artistry, and essentially a vocal cover of instrumental jazz. It’s a jazz combo, but voices. The other (call it The Singers Unlimited-type) uses group […]
What do crossword puzzles and group singing have in common? I do crosswords precisely because they’re pointless. Okay, I don’t think crossword puzzles are pointless. I think they’re great. But I think doing them is pointless. I don’t do them to train my brain, or to get better at them, […]
Every year, I start my garden with hope. I pick delicious herbs and vegetables, prep my garden beds, nurture them and get them started right. Then, of course the summer gets going – complete with out of town visits, family trips, camps, commitments, and all the work I am doing. […]
What are your summer goals for your students? I like the message from my kids’ middle school ensemble teachers: only take out your instruments on rainy days. It’s the right level of occasional reengagement with music-making. I personally have these three goals for students between when I see them in […]
Overscheduled kids know one thing for certain: every minute is precious. They have so few! Every moment is committed to one event or another, a class project or a math test to study for, plus social commitments with their friends. That’s why, when I’m with my students, I try to […]
What would an alien know if they saw a group of people playing cards? And what does the answer tell us about teaching music? They wouldn’t know if the people were playing poker or canasta or euchre, and if you told them what the game was, the alien would assume […]
Do you tell your students what you plan to change for next year? I prefer to be tight lipped about what I’m planning for the future with my ensembles. Part because I like to process my own thoughts independently, and part because I know I’m a slow thinker and don’t […]