arrange • compose • conduct
Reliable isn’t an elite word. “A reliable automobile” isn’t how you’d describe a sports or luxury car. Reliable isn’t usually listed in top sought-after traits for leaders. But to me, being reliable is an essential part of my leadership. My students know that they can rely on me to do […]
The more detail the better. Planning rehearsals sometimes feels like my arch nemesis as a conductor. I like the flexibility to follow challenges and react in the moment to the needs of my students; I also don’t often have the mental bandwidth to reliably sit quietly and prepare for rehearsal. […]
What are your ensemble’s keywords? In preparation for the Rockford Aces’ fifteenth anniversary celebration, I asked our alumni to answer that question. I loved reading their responses and learning about what they carried with them – and how it mapped onto how I think about the ensemble. Some words that […]
This year, I’ve gotten more insistent to my students who are involved in multiple extracurriculars: I ask me to send them their sports or other schedule and a plan for equitable balance. The secret is, I often can and do look at their schedules myself. (They’re all online!) But I […]
I love the second week of school! Week One jitters have mostly subsided. The introductions and icebreaker games are behind you. There is more than just sight reading. Now is the time that you can really establish tone, rhythm, and intention with your ensembles. What you do in Week 2 […]
Where are you aiming your ensemble? I think there are valid reasons for wanting your ensemble to aim to be in the top 1% in terms of musicianship, performance, polish. There are equally valid reasons for not aiming for that. I would say that I want the Aces, a high […]
The battles worth fighting can take a lifetime to complete. That means you’re going to be fighting the same battles the entire time, over and over again. Battles of advocacy, battles for emotional well-being, righteous battles, battles against complacency. None of these are easily solved in a month, a year, […]
How do you reconcile your knowledge of how long a project will take with others’ estimates? For me, it’s knowing you’re going to need one extra day – and secretly building it in. The more projects you work on, the more you are able to plan effectively, and a big […]
I spent the morning singing backup for our brand-new Superintendent of Rockford Public Schools, Dr. Steve Matthews. Dr. Matthews is not a professional singer, but he’s a visionary leader and passionate believe in education. He wanted to introduce himself to 1,000+ staff in a powerful way, and enlisted Mandy and […]
My purpose is not your purpose…and that’s ok! My dad co-owned a sailboat when I was growing up, for the simple reason that he loved to sail. He registered for sailboat races for the whole summer – Saturday races and a Wednesday night race. We raced against hardcore races, competitive […]