arrange • compose • conduct
Failure isn’t a sign to quit. It’s a sign to rebuild. I found a rusty cast iron skillet on the street a while back, by a trash can waiting to get picked up. Knowing the way to fix it, I carried it the rest of my walk; not very long […]
Dreaming big comes with failure. If I dream of commissioning ten new pieces in the next 2 years, but only commission six, is that a failure? It is inarguably a success – I’ve helped bring six new pieces into the world. But if I measure it only against the metric […]
My son said, “You’re smarter than me.”
The best meetings I’ve led have been the ones when I’ve lied to myself. Let me be honest: I am always, always, always prepping for a meeting right before it happens. That time earlier to prep? I was in another meeting, or doing other work on a deadline, or prioritizing […]
Having a group of singers who can sing well together isn’t the special part. Thousands upon thousands of singers have learned to master vocal jazz and choral music over the decades, singing tight harmony in tune. As hard as it is, it’s not that special. What is special is finding […]
Is there such a thing as too many good things? As a general rule, I think no. I think that you should fill your life with as many good things as you can. My January might be filled to the brim with good things: concerts, conferences, dinners with friends, family […]
I find it helpful to envision a time horizon when I take on a project. Especially for gig- and project-based work, it’s valuable to know how long it’s going to take. An arranging project for a client? Depending on the time of year, I can anticipate first contact to finished […]
Why do we try to make decisions way before they need to be made? Put it another way: what will you be having for dinner 162 days from right now?* I don’t know, and I’ll bet you don’t either. Unless it’s a special event, there’s no earthly reason to know […]
You’ll never start. I’ve had a lot of students over the years who knew they were going to accomplish something specific – as soon as they were ready. “I’m going to be a composer, once I’ve taken all the classes to have the skills.” “I’m going to write a book, […]
What is self-determination theory? It’s a framework for understanding motivation, specifically intrinsic motivation – that magical mindset that requires no carrots or sticks to compel hard work. Self-determination theory proposes three basic needs that inspire that intrinsic motivation: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. It’s my position that a well-designed choral program […]