arrange • compose • conduct
Say you get excited singing vocal jazz, but never responded to singing Baroque or Renaissance choral music. There are two ways to say that. In my experience, most people tend to focus on defining what they don’t like; “I don’t like singing traditional choral music.” The second, and superior way […]
This is the most hopeful warning to give to students heading into the world. You’ll never be done learning your craft. You’ll never be done fighting the good fight. You’ll never be done rediscovering truths you thought you knew. You’ll never be done trying to live up to your own […]
When you have a different interpretation from someone else, when do you offer it? It depends on the situation, naturally. If I’m observing my students run a rehearsal or sectional, I’m likely to offer my advice right away. If I’m observing a respected colleague, I’m going to save it for […]
How do you get out of work triage? I have been in triage since August, when I got back from my week visiting with Alice Parker. Too many projects and too little time leads to spending every work moment just trying to “staunch the bleeding” of the most urgent project […]
My sons are out selling door-to-door right now. I have been an outspoken proponent of reducing sales-based fundraisers in favor of straight donation models; I stand by this approach: it takes pressure off of busy parents, and it lets kids focus on kid stuff, rather than being salespeople. But. But. […]
On this week’s Unlocking Us podcast, Dr. Brené Brown interviewed Drs. John and Julie Gottman about their new book The Love Prescription. In it, they described the importance of a “Turning Towards” mindset in relationships. They describe three different possibilities in small interactions: you can turn towards, turn away, or […]
How do you enter the world? In The West Wing’s third season, the episode title “The U.S. Poet Laureate” features Laura Dern as new poet laureate Tabitha Fortis. She says the following near the end of the episode: “You think I think that an artist’s job is to speak the […]
Today, I could take a test in pretty much any high school math class and earn a passing grade. People are almost always surprised that I can still perform trigonometry, algebra, geometry, removed over a quarter century from my last math class. Doing math isn’t the superpower. But being genuinely […]
Sometimes you’re just excited for a weekend to work. I’ve been doing exciting projects on a lot of fronts, with weekends spent away at retreats, leadership training, and so on. My days are packed with the stuff of life, and it’s all really good stuff. As we move toward the […]
Do you produce a seasonal product? I live in a place with lots of season producers. Apple orchards, or Christmas tree farms. It always strikes me as pretty strange to work in an industry where so much of your income comes in a short window. They sell Christmas trees from […]