arrange • compose • conduct
As we’ve gotten back into events that we haven’t done in a while, I find myself having to approach them differently. The event the Rockford Aces hosted last night, for example, ran since 2012. In 2019 it had to be canceled unexpectedly, so after seven years of running it, there […]
Changing the quality of the beat can go a long way to helping choirs switch genres. Transitioning between traditional choral and more contemporary pop genres can stymie choirs, and one of the challenges is a difference in the quality of rhythm. I tend to think of rhythm in even the […]
The way I see it, for the last two years we’ve been at sea with our ensembles. We were out on our voyage when we were becalmed by the pandemic. When the winds picked back up, the students I was leading needed to be led to a harbor. Any harbor. […]
A key question for conductors to ask themselves is, “Have I prepared my ensemble so that they achieve even when I’m not there?” My students are performing tomorrow at State Solo & Ensemble. I won’t be there, nor am I at their rehearsal tonight. It is profoundly difficult for me […]
It’s time to send yourself an email to arrive in July. This is the time of year when you are able to see what worked and what didn’t, while you’re still in the middle of it. In the summer, this will all seem like a foggy memory – the struggles […]
I spent plenty of time as a kid in music class learning how long notes last. A quarter-note lasts 1 beat, a half-note lasts 2 beats, etc. But that knowledge, on its own, obscures and possibly undermines more sophisticated approaches to music-making. The important questions are “What beat does this […]
Sometimes, it’s enough in a rehearsal to not go backwards. In times of great busyness, I do my very best to maintain regularly scheduled rehearsals. Sometimes, of course, it’s impossible – dress rehearsals, exams, performances, etc. can encroach on rehearsal. But if possible, even if everyone is exhausted, I hold […]
If you’re not a good leader, it doesn’t matter how polished your musical skills are. There’s a reason I spend so much time thinking, reading, and writing about leadership. I think it’s undervalued when we train music educators and conductors, and I think its value is far greater than your […]
On and off, I write weekly letters to my ensembles, emulating but by no means coming close to the legendary “Dear People” letters of Robert Shaw. On and off because my life commitments don’t always allow me to give these letters the attention they need soon enough to be useful. […]
I relished the opportunity to spend time in rehearsal tonight letting the ensemble pick their new piece for State S&E. They had two options, and we spent about 20 minutes reading through each piece, with the urging to stay as focused as possible so they could debate with as much […]