arrange • compose • conduct
Posts discussing education, both in and outside of music
What is your new normal going to be? My students are primed for a return to normalcy in the fall. Concerts are on the calendar, retreats are being scheduled, and we’re anticipating a full menu of the statewide events we usually enjoy being a part of. But with over a […]
I attended a sixth grade band concert Tuesday night – the first and last time this year that these brand-new instrumentalists could share music with an audience. My friend, the band director Ms. Kilgore, did a wonderful job teaching the students. And she did two things in the concert that […]
In an excellent Michigan Radio interview with U of M Lecturer Margot Finn, Finn talked about her experience teaching this past year, and especially focused on the open letters she’s been regularly writing to her students. She shared this insight about a change she’ll make going forward as a result […]
I strongly believe that every work of art has three acts. And the first act is the buy-in. You decide to listen to a podcast, you listen to the album, you buy a ticket to the concert. I have no control over the buy-in. The second act is the thing […]
I have observed consistent memory challenges throughout this year. Music that students have shown no problem memorizing in the past have stymied students this year. They just can’t seem to hold onto the salient details. I think it comes down to a few things together: Singers have had less frequent […]
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 […]
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’m wrapping up lessons for the semester at Grand Rapids Community College, and I’m reflecting with each student on goals and what they’re carrying forward. At the heart of all my teaching is this: tools not tunes. I’d rather my students learn one fewer new tune in a semester, but […]
The Mayo Clinic describes a medical stress test this way: A stress test, also called an exercise stress test, shows how your heart works during physical activity. Because exercise makes your heart pump harder and faster, an exercise stress test can reveal problems with blood flow within your heart. It’s […]
We learn to practice a specific way of listening in music school. Listen to assess. It’s the first stage of an important recursive cycle that is essential to the growth we have to achieve with a music degree. Listen to assess. Assess for flaws. Correct flaws to grow. Repeat. It’s […]