arrange • compose • conduct
The other side of the concert. I spent Saturday feeling utterly wiped – to the point of taking a long nap, which I almost never do. It was only late in the day that I realized I was suffering from a concert “hangover.” Hadn’t had one in 15 months. The […]
Sometimes, when my ensemble is having trouble with a spot, I say, “and now…a pause for literacy.” Actually, I usually say music theory, but music literacy is s friendlier and more accurate term. Sometimes a problem spot is a problem spot because there is some structural component that the ensemble […]
Some say it as, “Early is on time; on time is late.” My family calls it “Scott Time.” It’s the habit of arriving early so you’re ready when an activity starts, instead of hustling to be on time. I prefer the way I heard it, repeatedly, throughout my college career […]
I’ve been busy for the last year, but not in the usual ways. I haven’t been busy with concerts and performances. I haven’t been busy with in-person lessons. I’ve been busy a lot in front of my computer. And of course those early months of the pandemic had a lot […]
I had a little bit of a down day today. For unimportant but real reasons, I was feeling frustrated, tired, and run down. (I mean, we are still in a pandemic. That alone is enough justification for all of us to have these occasional days.) I almost canceled my rehearsal […]
Trust is only valuable when it’s in action. Theoretical trust – what does that even mean? One of my favorite ways of practicing trust in action is with a subito fortissimo. Because the truth is that if you don’t trust the choir around you, you are going to sing mezzo […]
How does an audience’s knowledge of the piece you’ll be performing change your interpretation? If I’m conducting a new work, or a piece that I’m fairly certain most audience members are unfamiliar with, I’ll prepare it differently than if I’m preparing the US National Anthem or a Beatles song. (And […]
I spent the last fifteen minutes of rehearsal reading three children’s books to my students. We preceded it with a conversation about what it takes to deliver a potent performance to an audience. With a solid year since most of them gave a performance, it’s important to at least talk […]
When we teach dynamics, students learn that forte means loud. In Italian, forte more precisely means strong. But I think even that doesn’t do enough. Dynamics are relative – a forte passage in a vocal jazz piece might feel very different from a forte passage in a Gospel piece, for […]
I like to program only repertoire I love – I love the text, or I love the arrangement, or I love the melody, or I love the concepts it teaches – but it’s never attainable for all singers in a choir love all the pieces in their folders. As a […]