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If only you had more unstructured time. I’m watching my sons create, design, and plan a scene in the basement – complete with foil props, improvised costumes, and who knows what else. It all resulted from a long unstructured afternoon. I don’t know many adults who have much unstructured time. I […]

There’s an argument to be made for preemptively canceling a rehearsal if you know it’s going to be less than ideal. Singers missing for other activities, illness (singers’ or conductor’s), general exhaustion from other commitments. The better argument is about defining who we are as an ensemble. We are the sum of […]

Would you rather (A) hear a soulless but flawlessly in-tune singer, or (B) hear an occasionally pitchy singer who moves you with passion? I know, we don’t have to choose. There are plenty of fabulous singers who do both. (Hint: don’t listen to top-40). But we do choose. We choose […]

It’s the start of Daylight Saving Time, when we start to have more sunshine during the peaks of our days. (Unless you’re an early morning person, like every high school student…) In celebration, here’s Gene Puerling’s arrangement of Stevie Wonder’s “You Are The Sunshine of My Life.” Enjoy the approach of […]

Conductors attending conferences often return home inspired, rejuvenated, and full of new insights and music to try. The music is easy – contact your favorite music distributor and buy it! The insights are harder. It takes time to integrate novel techniques or approaches into your tool bag. Because conductors overwhelmingly lead frenetic lives, they often […]

Toss the talisman, lose the lucky charm, and halt the habits. Professionals are creative on demand. Morning, noon, night–whether you have a four-hour block or twenty minutes, you have the opportunity to create. Think about it: you might have a favorite mug, but if it’s not available, you don’t skip your […]

Are you striving to teach respect – or obedience? In the classroom, respect and obedience can look quite similar. A quiet, well-organized group of students going about their assigned work are very respectful. Or are they just obedient? We don’t do enough to tease apart these two concepts. Respect is built […]

Yesterday was the two year anniversary of our loss of Steve Zegree. And tomorrow at the ACDA National Conference, four WMU Gold Company Alums will comprise a panel discussing the legacy and future of collegiate vocal jazz. In light of that, here’s a cherished memory of my time with Steve. I first shared it in […]

The biannual ACDA 2017 National Conference starts tonight in Minneapolis. Although I won’t be attending this year, I have many colleagues who are and want to share some previews. I’ve prepared a cheat sheet of conference offerings that appeal to my particular interests: vocal jazz, TTBB Choirs, and composing/arranging. I’ll offer separate posts with each area, […]

The biannual ACDA 2017 National Conference starts tonight in Minneapolis. Although I won’t be attending this year, I have many colleagues who are and want to share some previews. I’ve prepared a cheat sheet of conference offerings that appeal to my particular interests: vocal jazz, TTBB Choirs, and composing/arranging. I’ll offer separate posts with each area, […]