arrange • compose • conduct
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 […]
I’ve been working on virtual recording projects a lot this year, and pieces of these projects often trickle in over days and weeks. The result is that I’m piecing together recordings one part at a time, and often with major parts or voices missing. Generally, I’m familiar enough with the […]
The most we can achieve together in an ensemble are the lowest aspirations of any one member. I refuse to use the phrase the “only as strong as the weakest link” because someone with low aspirations isn’t weaker than anyone else. It’s just that their aims are different. It’s okay […]
We rehearsed together today–I and the next generation of The Rockford Aces. It wasn’t like any other rehearsal we’ve ever had. Between the masks, the distance, and the September wind, we could hardly hear each other. None of us had sung in a group in a solid six months. But […]
Early correctives are so much more effective than late ones. It’s the beginning of the year/semester/trimester/quarter. Now is the time to make gentle correctives. A small, gentle corrective of a student in the early weeks can profoundly affect their trajectory. A much bigger correction at the end of term will […]
I heard auditions today for the Rockford Aces – outside, distanced, masked. They were auditions – nerve wracking in the best of times, and probably doubly so when the singers haven’t had sung with a choir since at least March. So I simplified my audition protocol, I removed aspects, and I tried […]
This is my fourth year directing Shades of Blue Vocal Jazz Ensemble at Grand Rapids Community College. It goes without saying that normalcy isn’t going to be found in choral ensembles anywhere in the world this year. Here’s my plan for Shades of Blue. The ensemble will be focusing on […]