Trust Them
If you want to be able to trust them later, you have to trust them sooner. This is a core tenet of my approach as an educator and as a parent: let your trust spread as wide and as deep as it possibly can. The key to making this work […]
Leadership
The Usuals
I love Thanksgiving for the Usuals. I love that when I make this cranberry recipe, I think of that person and our meal together twenty years ago. I love that when I make this apple pie recipe, I know to omit the golden raisins because my niece has strong opinions. […]
Decisive
The right directorial approach depends on the situation. I love the Socratic method in music rehearsal: asking questions, probing possibilities, discovering the right solution for this ensemble. I love it because it’s a powerful tool for learning, growth, and empowerment of my students. But it’s not the most efficient. There’s […]
Defensible
We don’t need to agree on our philosophy in front of an ensemble. As long as your perspective is defensible, I respect it! Maybe you choose easily attainable repertoire, so you can aim for high level artistry. That’s defensible. Maybe you choose incredibly hard rep, so that your students grow, […]
Why Do I Do That?
Is it because it’s the right decision, or just because it’s how I did it before? Historically, the Aces start rehearsing on sound system starting in March or April – enough time to get confident on mic and to polish all repertoire for their end-of-year concert. But this year, I […]
No Blame
Performances don’t always go as planned. Some lackluster performances can be blamed on someone – “I missed that cue” or “You didn’t learn that part as well as you should have.” But many performances don’t have a convenient spot to blame. It was a novel acoustic environment, or what someone […]
I Have Nothing New To Say
Do you ever feel this way in rehearsal? “I’ve taught everything I know how to teach. Everything I know, I’ve said.” When I start to feel that way, I remind myself these things: Repeat yourself – the turnover of students is faster than you think. In other words, I haven’t […]
How Long Was That Meeting?
We all have the capability to do virtual meetings. Does that mean they’re always the best choice? Of course not. There are many values to meeting in person, particularly when new groups are working to build capacity and develop their relationships. But with a world fluent on Zoom meetings, the […]
Fall Leaves and Choral Leadership
I’m watching a trio of men with commercial leaf blowers working to make sure a neighbor’s lawn is utterly devoid of fall leaves. From 100 yards away, the sound drowns out all other background noises. Now, I don’t hold with those who say leave the leaves, because I don’t want […]
Goals They Can Beat
I said in rehearsal, “I want to sight read just the first four bars today.” We ended up getting through the first 16 bars, and everyone left pleased with their effectiveness. I can’t say that was my plan, but I will say that setting goals that you can beat can […]