arrange • compose • conduct
One of the best parts about longevity in a position is being able to say, “In the past, students facing this situation have done X.” It comes with the important caveat that today’s students aren’t yesterday’s students; thus yesterday’s solutions might not be today’s. But it has helped a lot […]
If I was asked to describe my ideal choral educator, it would be someone with an equal combination of these three traits. Of course, you must have skill. A great choral educator knows how to tune a chord, cue the tenors, select great repertoire, teach it effectively and well, and […]
Don’t wait on creating your alumni list. It’s incredibly helpful, I find, to have a list of past students. To contact, to reminisce, and someday, to plan reunions. It’s going to be a lot harder to make that list if it’s in the run up to a reunion; looking back […]
Make it personal. The best educators make it personal. They tailor the instruction to the student. They adjust their lesson plans in the moment depending on what’s happening in the room. They teach from motivations of curiosity, passion, and love that they want to share with the individuals they’re teaching. […]
Tell me what’s the worst part of a conducting job, and tell me why it’s auditions. It can be ensemble auditions or solo auditions – any situation in which I’m expected to make decisions via audition. I don’t have anything but the best interests of the students who audition, and […]
It can be hard to invite people to your thing. For a lot of different reasons. I start several months before the Aces Concert each year (it’s tomorrow, May 26 at 7pm – free admission!) letting my students know that the best way for them to get an audience to […]
The best leaders I know lead like conductors. If the word leadership did not exist, what alternative word would you use? Adam Grant, to Brené Brown and Simon Sinek on his podcast ReThinking (The answers they gave were “facilitator” (Brown), “parent” (Sinek, jokingly), and “coach or guide” (Grant)) The word […]
How high do you prioritize an activity? Does it change from week to week? “Most of the time, I don’t ask you to make this your top priority. But for one week, you must.” That’s part of what I said to the Rockford Aces in the lead to their concert […]
Timing your talking is tricky. I am a big proponent of “talk less” in rehearsal. Singers don’t need a soliloquy – they need simple, clear, concise guidance followed by singing the passage again. And again. And again. But on occasion, you need to deliver more words. Maybe it’s logistical instructions […]
Take the music seriously. Everything else, treat lightly. “I try never to take myself too seriously. But music has to be taken seriously.” Yannick Nézet-Séguin, on 60 Minutes I agree with him on both counts. Where we get into danger is when a conductor starts to associate their vision of […]