arrange • compose • conduct
The best artistic experiences for me have three things in common. I’m used to working to make art with young artists – you spend a lot of time in process, and not a lot of time approaching unqualified artistry. So when I want to experience something artistic that I did […]
Successful performing is full of contradictions. Nothing to do but embrace them. Be all of them. Focused on what you’ve got to do right. Relaxed enough to have fun as you’re doing it. Thinking ahead so you don’t turn a corner and miss something. In the moment so you can […]
Being nervous about something means that it is something worth doing. My daughter woke up very nervous this morning. She was singing at the elementary school variety show today – outdoors on the playground, in front of the entire school from DK-5th grade. It was a big crowd, and it […]
Want people to come to your event? Social media isn’t it. Every conversation I have for the next three days will include some variation on, “By the way, the Aces have a concert Friday at 7! It’s free and there’s free ice cream after! You should come!” Every conversation. Because […]
Why is a word-of-mouth recommendation so more commonplace in certain professions? My son, an aspiring concert lighting designer, mentioned that many gigs are still gotten through word of mouth – you assist someone, and they recommend you a gig, and it goes from there. That’s natural for two reasons. First, […]
What are your top tips to pass along to student performers? These are a few suggestions for performance day that have nothing to with the music-making. I try to make sure my students hear them every year. Deodorant is good. Fragrance is bad. On performance day, no fragrance, please. Different […]
There is freedom and creativity found inside a concert planning formula. The first time I noticed a programming formula in practice was when I was in Gold Company in college. Steve Zegree would consistently program (1) An upbeat pop-centered opener, with choreography, followed without speaking by (2) and up-tempo accompanied […]
I had my reservations about his music. It’s too hard, too complex, too musically dense. But after the concert on Saturday night in Detroit, I can unequivocally say, the critics are wrong. That includes me. I don’t doubt that Jacob Collier’s music will continue to evolve, grow, as he matures […]
How do you know if you’ll like a career? We spent the weekend talking and theorizing with our kids about the life on the road – after we had walked past the Jacob Collier tour buses, there were lots of questions. Tour life is strenuous and non-stop. Some people derive […]
Do you know that you’re telling a joke? There is some funny music where “you” know you’re telling a joke. That is, the character you portray during the song is consciously being funny. Think Tom Lehrer. Other funny music gets funnier the more your character doesn’t show that they get […]