arrange • compose • conduct
It’s time to talk about gathering. There’s no better source for rethinking gatherings than the amazing book The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker. I reread it last month in preparation, and am writing a series of blogs next week examining each chapter and what it has to say about […]
Many of the activities that bring me the most joy in life are all the things that require – or compel! – total focus from me. Writing music. Writing words. Puzzles. Making music with an ensemble. Ensemble music is the trickiest, because it relies on the whole ensemble committing to […]
I had a little bit of a down day today. For unimportant but real reasons, I was feeling frustrated, tired, and run down. (I mean, we are still in a pandemic. That alone is enough justification for all of us to have these occasional days.) I almost canceled my rehearsal […]
We get to pause in warmups to answer a musicianship question that would otherwise eat up too much of rehearsal. We get to devote time to our team, with formal and informal team building. We get to learn how to be successfully internally motivated by the love of music-making, rather […]
Certain breads use what’s called a sponge to enhance the final loaf. The baguette recipe I use (from Baking Illustrated) explains that using a pre-ferment method like a sponge enhances the flavor of the final loaf by enabling the yeast to fully mature rapidly in an unusually proportioned dough-batter (water, […]
Setting intentions at the beginning of rehearsal is great. For example, I might say, “Let’s set an ensemble intention to have fewer side conversations during rehearsal.” But this intention is more effective if, in the previous rehearsal, I provided feedback at the end. In other words, setting an intention for […]
I’ve been attending a great series of physical and vocal warmups on Wednesdays, presented by Katarina Henryson and The Real Group Academy. She leads a group on Zoom for a 40-minute warmup that leaves me feeling recharged, ready to sing, and inspired. She pointed out today that her warmup has […]
Musical retention and forward progress can be a challenge with an intermittent rehearsal schedule. Short daily personal practice can make the difference between continued growth and stagnation or repetition. Weekly rehearsal with no practice in between is like going up the down escalator. You can get it done, but the […]
It’s a good thing to make great music with a group. It’s a better thing to make great music with a group of friends. It’s the best thing to make the best music you’re capable of with a group of friends. For the first, you need a good choral leader. […]
I like to imagine myself ready to answer this question at any moment in my rehearsal. Why are we doing this particular warmup? Why are we singing this particular repertoire? Why are we spending ten minutes on this particular 4-bar phrase? Why are you taking time away from singing to […]