Skip to content

Jed Scott Music

arrange • compose • conduct

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • PUBLICATIONS
  • COMMISSION
  • NEWSLETTER
  • BIBLIOGRAPHY
  • CONTACT
  • SHOP

Leadership

Ethos

July 12, 2020November 8, 2020 jedscottChoral Music, Human Nature, Leadership

What is the ethos of your choral institution? Merriam Webster defines ethos: The distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution. Maybe there was a time when the ethos of a choral ensemble or institution needed no more specificity than “make music together as […]

Read more

Already Doing the Work

June 8, 2020February 16, 2021 jedscottHuman Nature, Leadership

It’s my wife’s birthday, and she did a Facebook birthday fundraiser, inviting friends to support a GoFundMe devoted to raising court costs to help transgender youths in Grand Rapids get their names legally changed. Part of the reason that the fundraiser has raised over $1,100 in the last 12 hours […]

Read more

Finding a Four-Leaf Clover

May 23, 2020February 16, 2021 jedscottHuman Nature, Leadership

My friend told me his secret to finding a four-leaf clover is to get really good at finding three-leaf clovers. Get so good at recognizing the patterns in three-leaf clovers, and they’ll fade into the background. Suddenly the four-leaf clovers jump out for their obvious difference. Learning to lead is, […]

Read more

I Don’t Know How To Do This, But

May 7, 2020February 16, 2021 jedscottCreativity, Education, Leadership

“I don’t know how to do this, but I’m willing to try and learn.” That is the exact attitude that we should desire from our students – the sign of curiosity, engagement, and a desire to grow and improve. It seems to me to be the message that all teachers […]

Read more

Lean on Familiar Habits

March 6, 2020March 5, 2020 jedscottHuman Nature, Leadership

When the going gets tough – when you’re stressed, busy, tired, sick, or otherwise preoccupied – you lean on familiar habits. That’s why I eat poorly when it’s the week of the musical – those familiar habits were built long ago. It’s because we don’t have to think – the […]

Read more

Following From The Front

March 3, 2020March 3, 2020 jedscottConducting, Leadership

Don’t kid yourself. It’s totally possible to follow from the front. Leaders who don’t know where they are going can cheat over their shoulders to get clues. They can see where the people behind them are going and follow them. It’s easy in the choral rehearsal to be in front […]

Read more

Don’t Pursue Your Dream

February 18, 2020February 19, 2020 jedscottEducation, Leadership

Don’t pursue your dream…is something I’d never say. I’ve seen enough success–and failure–stories to know that I am not ably to reliably predict what someone’s career trajectory will look like. Actually, I’ve seen enough to know that I don’t think anyone can. Actually, I think the “don’t pursue your dream,” […]

Read more

Yesness

January 19, 2020January 19, 2020 jedscottEducation, Human Nature, Leadership, Vocal Jazz

Early into his time with the 2020 Michigan All-State Jazz Honors Choir, Duane Davis introduced one of the themes of his leadership and worldview, and he kept returning to it throughout his time with the singers. Yesness. “Have a pocketful of yesness,” he would say. “Let your face say ‘yes.’” […]

Read more

Would I Move This

January 11, 2020January 19, 2020 jedscottConducting, Education, Leadership

If you’re thinking about decluttering or attempting minimalism or just simplifying your possessions, a good question to ask is, “If I were moving tomorrow, would I move this?” It’s a way to quickly separate the things you really want to have from the things that are there just because they’re […]

Read more

World Introvert Day

January 2, 2020January 2, 2020 jedscottHuman Nature, Leadership

“Some of our transformative leaders in history have been introverts. I’ll give you some examples. Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Gandhi — all these people described themselves as quiet and soft-spoken and even shy. And they all took the spotlight, even though every bone in their bodies was telling them not […]

Read more

Posts navigation

Older posts
Newer posts
Jed Scott writes music and words in Rockford, Michigan. Learn more here.

newsletter

Subscribe to my Weekly Newsletter

Every Friday you'll receive everything I’ve written that week along with a few interesting links. Join me.

Posts by category

search for posts

newsletter

Subscribe to my Weekly Newsletter

Every Friday you'll receive everything I’ve written that week along with a few interesting links. Join me.

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • PUBLICATIONS
  • COMMISSION
  • NEWSLETTER
  • BIBLIOGRAPHY
  • CONTACT
  • SHOP
Powered by WordPress | Theme: Astrid by aThemes.