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If you can learn how to practice, you can learn anything. The not-so-secret real skill-building goal in all of my private lessons is: learn how to practice. Every lesson should contain a discussion of practice. My first lesson with a new student is about 50% getting-to-know-you and 50% How To Practice And Why. […]

Note: this is the fourth of a series of posts investigating the leadership style of John Wooden and its applicability to choral music education. John Wooden’s fourth block in the base of his Pyramid of Success is LOYALTY. Wooden says, “Let those you lead know you have sincere care, concern, and consideration for their welfare and you […]

The one thing I find most lacking in vocal arrangements and compositions in 2016 is timbral variation. Because we live in an choral age that glorifies harmony, it’s easy to slog through page after page of four- or six-part chords. But there are many more options than homophonic harmony. The most consistent genre offenders to me […]

When you’re feeling paralyzed by a huge project, the best advice is to just take the next step. Why? Two important reasons. Taking the next step is all you can do. The only way to get to the finish line is one step at a time. Taking the next step reminds you: […]

It’s just over three weeks away. You likely have your mind made up. So does everyone else. This is me giving you permission to return to your center, to leave the presidential race behind. Return to your center: close down Twitter, turn off the TV news, don’t hit post on that Facebook […]

I’m in the middle of Julie Lythcott-Haims’ fabulous recent book, How To Raise An Adult.  In it, she lays out the ways our society has gone astray in child-rearing, leading to a rash of overgrown children rather than adults. She then lays out a number of suggestions for how to right the ship, giving […]

I’ve been stagnating with Finale 2008 for a long time. I waited to upgrade until around 2011, and then I was seriously considering jumping ship (after 20+ years) to Sibelius. But at just that moment, the programming team was let go from Sibelius, and began a brand-new notation project with Steinberg. […]

I’m always seeking ways to further empower my students, and one way I discovered this year builds on the back of the seven or so “Aces Standards” that are in our folders. These are songs that we sing every year, forming the backbone of a repertoire to enable them to sing a […]

  Thirteen By Three Thirteen three-word phrases I aspire to. 1. Love deeply always. 2. Say thank you. 3. Trust without hesitation. 4. Do better tomorrow. 5. Don’t be afraid. 6. Stand for something. 7. Have big ideas. 8. Make art daily. 9. Read with gusto. 10. Silliness is important. 11. Know your people. 12. Family comes first. […]

What if, instead of performing music for your audience in concert, you invited the audience along with you to experience it? The perspective shift is big, and I think it’s a better reflection of the aims we should have. Performing for has an essence of rote that belies the goals of a choir. […]