arrange • compose • conduct
Posts discussing education, both in and outside of music
I arrange vocal jazz because I love it. I sang in vocal jazz ensembles throughout school and listen to vocal groups all the time because I love it. I teach it because I believe in it. I believe that learning to sing the close harmony we encounter in vocal jazz […]
There are a few times of year when a choir director can’t hope for work-life balance, and one is between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The commitments come non-stop, and the most you can hope for is a single quiet day with your family, or a few moments of peace between school […]
There seems to be an ever-growing list of people offering to “teach” you things – Masterclass, Skillshare, and dozens of other learning platforms offer a space for online learning. Of course, those people aren’t actually teaching. They are performing a public game of “Know and Tell.” It’s simple: they know […]
I want my students to graduate with the same constellation of skills, regardless of the year they graduate. There needs to be some consistency to the experience, year after year. I want to have novelty – I am teaching between 15 and 20 pieces per year to each of my […]
Part of the draw of board and card games is that they serve as a microcosm of life. “Here’s how skill is important, but here’s how luck plays a role.” “Here’s capitalism around a card table.” “Learn how much you can trust people as stakes get higher.” “This game starts […]
Thanksgiving, while an American holiday, is in family of festivals from across the world that celebrate the harvest. It’s a time of gratitude, and a time of family. Sometimes I think it’s my favorite holiday; setting aside the American additions of televised athletic conflicts and impending consumerism, the holiday, at […]
Hiring a pro band for our annual Cabaret is certainly not the cheapest way to put on the show. Particularly with the availability of good quality karaoke tracks as well as skillful student musicians, it might seem hard to justify. It never is for me. For a lot of reasons. […]
We talked in rehearsal today about the skill of initiative, in the context of working our way through John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success. One of my students succinctly defined it as, “Doing things without being told to do them.” (He also said his mom is often telling him to find […]
I hear some educators bemoan the lack of discipline in their students – “They are too entitled,” professors will say, or “They have no work ethic,” or “Ruined by their helicopter parents.” To start: I do think helicopter parenting is a problem, work ethic is vital, and no one should […]
Some high school music educators get accused of playing favorites, or “Only really caring about the future musicians.” They mean future music majors and future music/performing professionals. Yes, I care about encouraging my future musicians to flourish. Future music professionals.Future music educators.Future church choir members.Future college choir members.Future community choir […]