arrange • compose • conduct
Learning to align actions with goals is a hallmark of maturity. But it’s not as easy as we adults sometimes make it out to be. Lots of parents and educators might shout, “Make better choices,” but if a young person hasn’t taken all the necessary steps, it’s just not very […]
This popular adage is wrong. “Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened” is something people like to say to anyone getting emotional at the end of something good. As a director and teacher, I regularly interact with students going through painful endings: high school, a beloved ensemble, an […]
Get good at being able to answer this question: How many hours will it take to complete this project? Knowing the pace of your work is essential for three reasons: I know how long it’ll take me to write an arrangement, and how that differs from writing a composition. I […]
I remind myself frequently that most things we use are simply good enough. Not perfect. Good enough. That goes for our technological devices – good enough to do what we need them to do. (Unless, maybe, you’re using a school-issued device…) It goes for our musical notation system, which has […]
It’s essential to come back to yourself as often as possible. Every day, if you can, make a practice of returning to your center. What that practice is is not important. It could be yoga or meditation, but it might be a favorite song, or sitting at the piano, or […]
Communication is key. It’s easy to choose the shortest necessary communication. We’re all overworked, we’re all stressed. But for the sake of long-term relationships, we have to choose surplus communication. Extra words show respect, show collegiality. They tell the people we’re working with that we value them. This could look […]
Aspiring creators say yes to any gig – because they’re striving to be able to make their mark, to make their living, to make their art. They just want to make. As we get busier and more established, we still tend to say yes to as many gigs as we […]
This is where we start. I think the best educators, leaders, and collaborators have love in common. Above any skill, above any vision is love. The best educators combine a love for their subject matter with a love for each student who comes into their classroom. They love each student […]
How do you stay focused on the big picture when it’s hard to get beyond today? The tasks, the responsibilities, the small crises that make every day new just keep coming. But I try to give a few minutes every Sunday to staying ahead of the daily surprises. A couple […]
How do you know it’s your passion? I have written music at every hour of the day and night. I have the times I gravitate towards in 2023, but 2013 me used different parts of the day, and 2003 me was frantically writing a thesis and arrangements for class – […]