arrange • compose • conduct
We don’t take enough time to really talk about how hard it is to sing music well. Especially difficult, harmonically rich music. But really any vocal music. If I’m rehearsing a saxophone quartet, and the tenor plays a B-natural instead of a B-flat in a C7(b13) chord, I might stop […]
My strength may not be your strength. If you are interested in fitness as a hobby or as a path to wellness, you likely find that there are many kinds of fitness. You might be focused on cardio, as I did when I was running every day. Or you might […]
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 […]