arrange • compose • conduct
Pop music tends to focus almost exclusively on romantic love as its main subject. Of course there are plenty of exceptions, but the vast majority of popular songs in the last 75 years or more have had a romantic core. (Or an obsessive core, or a core regretting a lost […]
What albums could you listen to all day? What’s your “All Day Music”? For me, the music I can let play over and over has certain characteristics: timeless feeling (not totally wedded to a particular era). depth of musical expression that rewards repeated listening. personal connection to a time or […]
“How many years will we try to cram into one?” Thankfully, Ben Folds has asked it. Ben Folds is surely one of the finest songsmiths, singers, and pianists alive. I think his new song 2020 is a perfect example – the lilting waltz is a perfect setting for his lyrics […]
Like many, podcasts have become a vital part of my media consumption. Between walking my dog 2-4 miles a day and various other commutes and passive time, I had plentiful time where the only media I can consume is sound media – anything visual won’t work. Here’s a list to […]
Don’t miss this. Säje is releasing amazing new music fairly regularly right now… I’ve been grooving to this since the dropped it to their Patreon supporters recently, but they released it on YouTube today. Great singing, great sense of ensemble, amazing arrangement, super cool song. Tune in and put it […]
Rhiannon Giddens wrote yesterday, on Juneteenth, This song, “Build a House”, came knocking a week ago and I had to let it in. What can I say about what’s been happening, what has happened, & what continues to happen, in this country, in the world? There’s too many words & […]
This is a quick recommendation for those seeking growth and learning over the summer. My friend Dr. Jeremy Fox has been leading in-person week-long masterclasses called the “Jazz Harmony Retreat” for years, multiple weeks per summer. They are an intimate, carefully curated small-group class focused on giving music educators, and […]
Come to the orchard in Spring. There is light and wine, and sweethearts in the pomegranate flowers. If you do not come, these do not matter. If you do come, these do not matter. Rumi
Thank you to the LA Master Chorale, who have been putting together a wonderful series of online replay concerts and virtual choir performances, called Sundays at Seven. This week, they paid tribute to Alice Parker, whose music they would have performed last weekend, until the concert was canceled. In lieu […]
In times of upheaval, I lean on touchstones–works of art that have shaped me and the continue to be sources of inspiration, influence, and solace. It might be rereading a favorite novel, a cherished poem, a movie, or (especially often) a favorite album with a good pair of headphones. How […]