arrange • compose • conduct
Sometimes, you need to wait till the end to start. Often when I write, I write a clear summation of the idea at the end. Then – at least half the time – I cut and paste it to the very beginning. Part is clarity: I like to start with […]
A core of my musical philosophy is around commissioning new music. Here are five reasons I think commissioning music is worthwhile for any music conductor. 5. It’s important for furthering the art! Your commission might be the next piece everyone is singing or playing – moving the community forward. 4. […]
I don’t play sequenced compositional demos for my students. Honestly, I don’t much listen to notation output for assessment purposes anymore. I’d rather audiate the score or hear it through my own fingers at the piano. I do appreciate it when composers send them to me – it’s a great […]
I’ve spent a lot of hours listening to the great Tin Pan Alley songwriters – the ones who composed the core of the Great American Songbook/jazz standards. Along the way, I’ve developed some strong opinions about the songwriters’ output. Here’s my ranking of TPA songwriters. (Who did I select to […]
Don’t try to compose what other people want you to compose. The most successful arrangements and compositions I’ve written are the ones in which I intentionally tried to write the sort of thing I loved to sing when I was in singing groups. Too many young composers focus on writing […]
I recently changed my mind about opting for Italian musical terms in my scores. It came after receiving a new score with Italian marking such as Più Mosso and Meno Mosso, among others. It came because they were in a score written by a Swedish composer. The argument I’ve heard […]
Happy almost-end of the school year! I’m celebrating by looking ahead to next school year/concert year; aren’t you? Commissioning is, I believe, one of the most powerful ways of impacting both future musicians and the future of music. I’ve written plenty about that here. I have just two slots left […]
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 […]
I think there can be a fear that if you go too long without exercising a craft, it disappears. It helps to recognize that that’s not true. I haven’t written any new music recently. While I think of writing music as the core of my professional work, there are seasons […]
I don’t have any feelings at all about Coronations, Weddings, or other British royal events. But let’s have more events where music – and specifically new music – is central to the experience. Reports are that there were twelve new commissions for the King Charles III’s Coronation today. That’s a […]