arrange • compose • conduct
You might not know what’s going to work in your plans. But today’s surprises will be tomorrow’s staples. Mirror glazes, dry sponge cakes, under-proved breads, and a Paul Hollywood handshake are just a few of the stapes of the Great British Baking Show. I’m willing to bet almost none of […]
…doesn’t mean I’m more right than you, who are new. I’ve directed the Rockford Aces for 15 years, and that means I’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t, generally speaking. I’ve learned from hard mistakes I’ve made, and I’ve learned from successes. I’ve seen cyclical patterns, learned […]
In everything I do, “build it to outlast me” is an organizing principle. I want the ensembles I have started or directed to continue after I finish leading them. I want the music I write to continue to be of use after I’m not conducting it. I want the words […]
When you have a different interpretation from someone else, when do you offer it? It depends on the situation, naturally. If I’m observing my students run a rehearsal or sectional, I’m likely to offer my advice right away. If I’m observing a respected colleague, I’m going to save it for […]
One of my goals as a teacher is to help train my students’ minds to find, and enjoy, flow state in rehearsal. I feel like I’m juggling 1,000 different responsibilities on any given day – bouncing back and forth, trying to stay on top of as much as I can. […]
I’ve never put someone in a group. In a recent conversation, a parent thanked me “for putting my son in your group.” I brushed aside the thank you, focusing on the son and his qualities and skills. What I should have said was, “I didn’t put your son in. He […]
I don’t mean, “What’s on the agenda today?” I mean, what detail should you include in the agenda you send out? A rehearsal agenda can be as detailed as a rehearsal plan: with specific targets, timing, and strategies. It can be as vague as a list of the pieces you […]
I’ve never directed a group with just one on a part. To start: I feel incredibly lucky that I am able to run a class with this few number of singers; I am thrilled to be able to program quartet repertoire for them. We’re exploring great vocal jazz quartets from […]
The more detail the better. Planning rehearsals sometimes feels like my arch nemesis as a conductor. I like the flexibility to follow challenges and react in the moment to the needs of my students; I also don’t often have the mental bandwidth to reliably sit quietly and prepare for rehearsal. […]
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 […]