arrange • compose • conduct
Music requires percolation time to achieve the best results. Think about the number of pieces a high school, college, or community choir might perform only once before putting away. It’s a significant percentage, and that’s too bad, because the percolation works better in performance than in rehearsal. Every performance you […]
Every year around this time, the Rockford Choirs are shaken with the latest “battle” an ongoing “war” between Mrs. and Mr. Scott. “Oh no,” they say, “Mrs. and Mr. Scott are fighting about Christmas again.” Even our kids, now, take sides in the argument. We are arguing about the pronunciation […]
Hiring a pro band for our annual Cabaret is certainly not the cheapest way to put on the show. Particularly with the availability of good quality karaoke tracks as well as skillful student musicians, it might seem hard to justify. It never is for me. For a lot of reasons. […]
It’s easy to forget the power of great live music. Listening to pristine studio recordings is great – I love listening to records. But it’s something else to be present, when a truly special group of musicians share their art. There are two factors that have conspired to help me […]
If you’re looking for the best songs, ask everyone. As I’m working through the song selections for our annual Cabaret, sometimes I think that I should put tighter rules around the songs – even going so far as to making a limited song list students should select from. The thing […]
I remember wanting to learn to mark scores more effectively, and being told by someone, “there’s lots of different ways to mark score. However you do it is fine, just pick a method.” I remember mostly being utterly unsatisfied with that suggestion – what I wanted was a specific tool […]
Music has power beyond our imagination. Watch this amazing story from 60 Minutes, detailing the amazing Tony Bennett’s final performances, this summer at Radio City Music Hall with Lady Gaga. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease five years ago, and his memory is greatly deteriorated – but watch what happens […]
I used to get frustrated as the conductor of a tenor-bass a cappella ensemble, because of the easy fandom they received. They could give a good performance and get screams from their peers, even when an outstanding performance by another choir on the same concert didn’t receive the same level […]
Every performer in the world needs an audience. And to get one, they have to ask people to come and see their performance. No one will come to your thing unless you personally ask them. That’s a message I always try to drive home before my Aces Concert, because they […]
A recent multi-interview article from Chorus America considered the post-COVID future for virtual performances. I want to go on record in saying that I think it’s a bad idea to lean into streaming and posting of concerts long-term. I think it’s bad because it undermines the choral art, which must […]