arrange • compose • conduct
It’s a blessing and a curse to recycle past work. My biggest concert of the year coincides with the last day of school this year, so once again I’m building to the very end. I’m thankful for the ability to reuse recycled documents – Google Docs for scripts and programs, […]
I try to be very clear to my ensembles – I don’t want the group to be your top priority all the time. Everyone has a lot of responsibilities they’re juggling, and I’m delighted that making music is one for my students. If it’s among the top 10 or 15 […]
There is freedom and creativity found inside a concert planning formula. The first time I noticed a programming formula in practice was when I was in Gold Company in college. Steve Zegree would consistently program (1) An upbeat pop-centered opener, with choreography, followed without speaking by (2) and up-tempo accompanied […]
Leadership means asking for feedback to spur your own growth. That’s why I’m doing my first-ever exit interviews this year. I get faculty evaluations at the college, and I get feedback from students and parents in the form of emails, notes, social media posts. But this year I’m going beyond […]
Sometimes, the outcome is frustrating even when you do everything right. Nothing to be done: sometimes forces outside your control prevent you from succeeding. Today, half a dozen small and large events too the wind out of the sails of the Aces recording session. In a session, momentum is everything, […]
I am of two minds on repeating yourself in rehearsal. On the one hand: repeat yourself until the message sinks in. My students shout back at me some of my rules of music-making with the slightest prompting: “We’re dragging. Why not try…” “Physicalize the beat!”“The only way to memorize is?” […]
How do you promote your concert? As I told my students tonight, posters are great. School announcements and promo videos are great. Social media is great. But the most powerful way to get people to come to your concert is to ask them yourself. Tell them when it is, and […]
Encouragement isn’t always simple positivity. “True encouragement consists not so much of burbling as of detailed attention.” Stephen Sondheim, in a letter to Adam Guettel I personally struggle to five encouragement that isn’t simple positivity. I desperately want my students and mentees to keep going – to build on what […]
It’s impossible to be prepared for every eventuality. But… The first time you do something – perform a recital, say, or do a recording session – you can’t know what to expect, or what common pitfalls are to be avoided. You’re going to have to learn, through a combination of […]
Working with students requires you to occupy three places on the timeline. First, you have the past – what they needed when you started working with them. When this school year started, students needed love, psychological safety, and routine. Second, you have the present – what they need today to […]