arrange • compose • conduct
I wish I could choose repertoire early. I intend to choose the music my ensembles will sing at the start of every summer. I’ll take the time to peruse stacks of rep, selecting new gems and old favorites and building a varied and musically interesting program that will enable me […]
Where are you aiming your ensemble? I think there are valid reasons for wanting your ensemble to aim to be in the top 1% in terms of musicianship, performance, polish. There are equally valid reasons for not aiming for that. I would say that I want the Aces, a high […]
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 […]
It’s a blessing and a curse to recycle past work. My biggest concert of the year coincides with the last day of school this year, so once again I’m building to the very end. I’m thankful for the ability to reuse recycled documents – Google Docs for scripts and programs, […]
I am such of fan of observing other people’s rehearsals. Observing the rehearsal, with active participation, is maybe the best way to get better at the art of effective rehearsal. Alice Parker has said that the real learning happened in her conducting masters with Robert Shaw at Juilliard when she […]
I try to be very clear to my ensembles – I don’t want the group to be your top priority all the time. Everyone has a lot of responsibilities they’re juggling, and I’m delighted that making music is one for my students. If it’s among the top 10 or 15 […]
There is freedom and creativity found inside a concert planning formula. The first time I noticed a programming formula in practice was when I was in Gold Company in college. Steve Zegree would consistently program (1) An upbeat pop-centered opener, with choreography, followed without speaking by (2) and up-tempo accompanied […]
I am of two minds on repeating yourself in rehearsal. On the one hand: repeat yourself until the message sinks in. My students shout back at me some of my rules of music-making with the slightest prompting: “We’re dragging. Why not try…” “Physicalize the beat!”“The only way to memorize is?” […]
This unsung hero of the choral program deserves a round of applause. I’ve written before about the value of good graphic design tools for choir directors. Many other tools are rightly recognized: pianos, pitch pipes, recording tools; even Spotify or Apple Music for sharing example recordings. But what of the […]
Tonight, I heard an ensemble demonstrate something I had been pretty sure was impossible.* Knowing it’s possible will change my musical outlook forever. That’s one of two reasons I program hard music by great ensembles with my groups. When an ensemble hears New York Voices or The Real Group or […]