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Not long ago, I had the luck to be visiting family when my dad took part in an interview rehearsal with a conductor candidate for one of the community choirs he sings in. I joined my dad in the baritone section and got to spend an evening singing music next to him […]

I met an old friend at Blissfest yesterday. He’s a big music lover and supporter of the arts – volunteers for the festival, runs his own smaller festival, and knows many of the best musicians on tour in Northern Michigan. My friend told me he plays bass and guitar and has had several […]

I know a lot of choir directors–a lot of professionals in general–who every year try to do a little more. Add one more educational activity, add one more community-outreach performance, add one more piece to the repertoire. What if, instead of more, you focused on better? Make the moments more […]

A high school student asked me through Facebook, “When you start writing a piece, do you start with the melody line, a form of accompaniment, a thematic concept, a short musical idea to elaborate on, or something different all together?” Here’s my reply. What a big question! When I start composing, […]

And? If we win our independence? Is that a guarantee of freedom for our descendants? Or will the blood we shed begin an endless Cycle of vengeance and death with no defendants? From My Shot in Hamilton: An American Musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda Let ours be the generation that ends that endless cycle.

What is your highest priority lesson? What is the sine qua non – the lesson that, if students graduate without learning it, you have failed at your mission? Now is the time to readjust your future day-to-day teaching to emphasize it. While you aren’t in the daily grind, look back at where you de-emphasized it, and […]

The other day I had an illuminating conversation in interruptions with my 10-year-old as he was reflecting the differences between himself and his friends, academically and socially. (X is better at math than me, but I’m better at puzzles than Y, and so on) “You know, schools are very good at making students […]

I tweeted last night, while listening to the third evening in a row of fireworks being set off at dozens of homes in our neighborhood: “We seem to have decided as a society that the arts should only be handled by professionals, but pyrotechnics are fine for amateurs.” There are so many […]

I am writing early, listen to the songbirds sing on a beautiful July 4. The birds mean a lot to me, and especially today–because they remind me of a gentleman who is a core inspiration to me as a parent, grandparent, and artist. My Pop Pop was born on the Fourth of July. […]

I’ve written before about my own lack of boredom–that I don’t even remember what it feels like to be bored. I think, though, that I’ve learned how to be bored, and how to parlay that into creativity. It’s not the boredom that’s important, it’s the willingness to hear and follow ideas. […]