arrange • compose • conduct
Posts specifically about choral music
“As much as our gatherings disappoint us, though, we tend to keep gathering in the same tired ways. Most of us remain on autopilot when we bring people together, following stale formulas, hoping that the chemistry of a good meeting, conference, or party will somehow take care of itself, that […]
I’m beginning a series on the brilliant book The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker, looking at the ideas from each chapter and how they might specifically apply to choral gatherings. As we go, I’m going to write about specific choral gatherings that I encounter in a normal school/concert year, […]
It turns out, you can go back again. Thirty years later, I successfully and cheerfully finished a backpacking trip with a Scout troop, much like the one I remember on Isle Royale when I was thirteen. This one was through the Porcupine Mountains in the UP of Michigan, and it […]
One of the gifts of teaching music beyond the Western canon is the opportunity to teach music that does not hold score fidelity as an essential ingredient. Vocal harmony music – vocal jazz, contemporary a cappella, and related genres – offers a multitude of opportunities to teach beyond the score. […]
One of my main criticisms of typical “acapop” arrangements comes down to this question: Would it sound better if those parts were being played by instruments? So much of pop a cappella consists of straight lifts from original band recordings, and minimal adaptation to vocal writing. The problem is, that […]
I read omnivorously, across many genres of fiction and non-fiction. If it’s well-written and engaging, I’m interested. But sometimes, when I’ve had a busy stretch of life with no space for reading, I find it difficult to get back into reading. I’m just a little out of practice. When I […]
It has been my great good fortune to spend some time with Alice Parker over the last few years: she is as remarkable as you think, and each opportunity to chat with her is a treasure to me. I’m offline this week and visiting once again with Alice; I highly […]
Reading the instructions is the worst way to learn a new game. Way better is when the game maker creates a 4 minute video that teaches the game to you: it’s more engaging, interactive, and concise. But better still is to learn it from a veteran who knows the game […]
When we differentiate between foreground, middleground, and background parts in vocal music, the shorthand tends to be about dynamics – volume. Louder for the foreground, quieter for the background. But there is more to differentiating these parts than just pure decibel change. Volume change. Naturally. Timbre change. Brighter, more core […]
Replayability (also known as Replay Value) is a measure of how much enjoyment people continue to have with a game that they have already spent time playing. Chess has a high level of replayability. Candyland has a low level of replayability, unless you’re five. It’s also one of the factors […]