arrange • compose • conduct
I’m busy editing a number of scores. What else is new? It’s a privilege that I get to work with new works by other people frequently, in addition to my own writing. As I work through the editing process, I realize that the editing process is really never, ever finished. […]
The idea of musical genres are a convenient fiction. Program accordingly. Some argue that the very idea was created as a way to better market music by segmenting listeners into different genres. I think genres arise more organically than that – we need a word to describe all the music […]
What makes a song Christmasy? A few years ago, someone wrote an article arguing it was a mi7(b5) that made a song Christmasy. That’s just silly. Sure, there has to be a lyrical connection to Christmas…but I admit there are some Swedish-language songs that feel very Christmasy to me, even […]
What is the thing professionals can do that amateurs can’t? Okay, there are a lot of things – not least, the facility on their instrument, their reliability, their reading chops, etc. Maybe the most significant skill pros have is the ability to adjust in the moment, while keeping the big […]
Theory is good for understanding music. Well, the right theory for the right music. Roman Numeral analysis isn’t so great for understanding contemporary pop. Jazz theory isn’t great for Renaissance motets. Counterpoint is a great tool to clarify some aspects of much music, but if you’re trying to understand an […]
Gotta do the listening. I’ve written more than once about jazz being an oral tradition – to speak the language, you’ve got to fill your ears with the great recordings. That’s how you learn the language. The thing is, it’s not just jazz. Every style of music demands a massive […]
The difference between student and professional musicians is in how they react to surprises in performance. I am sometimes asked whether I could put together our Rockford Choirs Cabaret show with student players rather than professionals. The answer is, kind of. Could they learn to play the music? Certainly? Smart, […]
The more clarity you can give to the musicians reading the music, the better the reading will be. Nowhere is that more essential than when in a reading session like the Rockford Choirs Cabaret I do every year. We have a full band and allow just five minutes per song […]
I believe in the value of the D.S. It can save space in a score, making it easier to print; it can make it easier to learn a piece, because you don’t have to notice that a section is identical – it’s the actual same measures. It is also a […]
Wait, scores doesn’t always mean the same thing? No, the traditions around interpreting scores can be radically different depending on context, and we don’t do a great job of making that clear to students. We tend to treat the score as an encyclopedia of interpretation – all information for interpretation […]