arrange • compose • conduct
On blackbirds, silences, and eves. I do not know which to prefer, The beauty of inflections Or the beauty of innuendoes, The blackbird whistling Or just after. Wallace Stevens, Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird, V. Wallace Stevens gave us two choices, but I’m not sure that I don’t prefer the third option: […]
That’s how I view great singing. Or is it miraculously ordinary? Whenever I hear an amazing singer for the first time, or hear a singer I know do something incredible, I think, “Isn’t it miraculous? That a human can master all the skills necessary to do what they just did.” […]
When you’re blindsided by illness at an inconvenient time, you’ll be glad you followed these simple steps ahead of time. Build autonomy into your ensemble from day 1. Make sure they can survive without you. Build extra prep time into your rehearsal schedule, so you’re not slammed at the last […]
Why do we prefer performances without concentration face? It’s okay to be able to tell a performer is working hard, but it has long been clear to me that audiences prefer performances that look effortless. Part, I think, is relatively recent: just as presidential candidates had to be “good on […]
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 […]
Everyone always talks about the work on Thanksgiving Day. I’m much more interested in the work on the day before. The day before is when the pies are made, the stuffing is prepped, the turkey is brined (if you’re making a turkey. I’m happy to not.) The day before is […]
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, […]
One’s good. One’s bad. Before their first concerts last week, I drew on dry erase boards the word Autopilot then added a red circle with a line across it. NO AUTOPILOT. Autopilot in performance is a dangerous situation. When you’re on autopilot, you’re not reacting to the information coming to […]
I wish I could choose repertoire early. I intend to choose the music my ensembles will sing at the start of every summer. I’ll take the time to peruse stacks of rep, selecting new gems and old favorites and building a varied and musically interesting program that will enable me […]
How do you define “ready to perform”? One of the big challenges to helping young people develop their artistry is helping them move their definition of performance ready. I have had many students over the years who have considered performance ready to mean “I know the notes, rhythms, and words.” […]