arrange • compose • conduct
What’s the high-quality problem you spend the most time solving? My brother recently introduced me to the idea of “high-quality problems” and I’ve been thinking about how they might apply to musical situations. A high-quality problem is a problem, to be sure; it’s something that needs solving. But unlike a […]
The way I see it, for the last two years we’ve been at sea with our ensembles. We were out on our voyage when we were becalmed by the pandemic. When the winds picked back up, the students I was leading needed to be led to a harbor. Any harbor. […]
A key question for conductors to ask themselves is, “Have I prepared my ensemble so that they achieve even when I’m not there?” My students are performing tomorrow at State Solo & Ensemble. I won’t be there, nor am I at their rehearsal tonight. It is profoundly difficult for me […]
Ted Lasso reminds us to lead with a personal touch. “Every person is a different person.” Ted Lasso, Season 2, Episode 2, “Lavender” It’s never bad to remind yourself that “every person is a different person.” Even when leading large groups, teaching full classes, or interacting with someone who “reminds […]
Don’t give me a list of the things you don’t like. A long time ago, I was an early subscriber to the Believer, a magazine put out by McSweeney’s publishing. One of the things I loved about reading it was an editorial philosophy prioritizing positive reviews. I don’t have their […]
Sometimes, it’s enough in a rehearsal to not go backwards. In times of great busyness, I do my very best to maintain regularly scheduled rehearsals. Sometimes, of course, it’s impossible – dress rehearsals, exams, performances, etc. can encroach on rehearsal. But if possible, even if everyone is exhausted, I hold […]
Reflecting on a project when it’s fresh is the best way to improve the next one. I just built a new cast bio input form…for next year’s musical. Why do the work now when the need is eleven months away, and I’m neck-deep in work for next week? Simple. It’s […]
If you’re not a good leader, it doesn’t matter how polished your musical skills are. There’s a reason I spend so much time thinking, reading, and writing about leadership. I think it’s undervalued when we train music educators and conductors, and I think its value is far greater than your […]
Don’t make your leadership goal to please everyone you’re leading. That path leads to failure. I’m going to say it again because it’s always constant, and that is leadership is messy, and I want everything to be neat and well organized and beautifully designed, and I hate mess [….] The […]
On and off, I write weekly letters to my ensembles, emulating but by no means coming close to the legendary “Dear People” letters of Robert Shaw. On and off because my life commitments don’t always allow me to give these letters the attention they need soon enough to be useful. […]