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If you do the work, you rarely regret committing to a project. The problem is that this can be very tough to remember in the thick of the work. While you’re doing the work, you’ll be thinking, “should I have done this?” Every idea worth doing comes with doubt. From […]

My ensemble, The Rockford Aces, has been working hard to build to today. These twelve young men, ranging from 9th to 12th grade, will present a full-length concert tonight in Rockford. They have built the stamina and the repertoire to perform sixteen pieces in four sets, with music ranging from […]

This is a challenging time of year for choir directors. Because we have well-defined endings and beginnings to our year, we have clear endings and beginnings. But because of the immense advance planning necessary for a school year, we are already fully invested in the next year before this one […]

I hope, like me, you’re taking time to call to mind loved ones who have left us – especially those who served the country. One of the most potent ways to honor the spirit of America is with song, and so I share with you this amazing bit of Americana, […]

A video has gone viral in the last week showing a man learning to ride a backwards bike. The bike has been adjusted so the handlebars work opposite of a normal bicycle. It took him months of practice for his brain to learn to ride it without falling, and then […]

I’m getting ready for the Steve Zegree Memorial Celebration being held today at Miller Auditorium in Kalamazoo. I’ve tried unsuccessfully to write the story of his influence on my life – it’ll come someday – but in the meantime I thought some numbers would be appropriate. Given his love for […]

Why is it a good idea to build (and keep track of) a streak? It’s for the days when you don’t feel like doing the work. Every hash mark in your streak is like a pound weight on one side of a scale. Get up to a couple hundred pounds, […]

Becoming a magician is about developing skills. Concrete skills like palming, misdirection, forcing cards. All take deliberate practice and slow repetition. But there’s another aspect that we overlook. A good magician can see what he’s doing from the audience’s perspective. It’s only by knowing what they are seeing that she can position […]

Tonight is the Rockford Choirs’ Farewell Concert. For me, it’s a good time to reflect on the students saying goodbye. Have I served them? Are they walking away musically, intellectually, spiritually richer for having been in my choir? It’s easy to focus on the “stars” – the ones heading off […]

I’ve started training for a half-marathon later this summer. There are lots of things in life you can cram for: math tests, presentations at work, 16-bar solos for an audition. The things I care about, though, can’t be mastered in a day. Being a great parent. Making music with an […]