arrange • compose • conduct
Choral educators often urge their singers not to show it on their faces when they mistake. The idea is that, if we don’t show that we made the error, most of the audience might not know. I think the truth is even better than that. I think that an audience […]
I’m seeing Bobby McFerrin tonight in concert for the sixth time, and that prompted me to do a quick retrospective on the roughly quarter century of my hearing him perform. Each one was unique and has remained with me, as the best live performances do. April, 1996 My first time […]
Some singers never learn the joy of getting beyond the notes and rhythms. It’s obvious when they aren’t in a hurry to get past learning of the notes. If they knew the joy that awaited, they’d want to hurry up and get there! Alice Parker says that she can only […]
I sometimes think about a really compelling moment in a student recital from grad school. The grad student a year ahead of me composed original music and conducted a concert of a 10-piece jazz ensemble. In the moment in question, he held soundlessly a chord on the piano, and a […]