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In October, my singers need to know the program several weeks in advance. We’re just gelling as a group, learning new music, and they want to be ready. By April, they’re learning music faster, have an intuitive sense of each other, and are (secretly) hungry for a challenge. That’s why […]

I love Mondays. There’s a simple reason – it’s the day I get to spend two hours rehearsing with my favorite group of singers. I get so jazzed about the 7pm rehearsal that I’m moving fast from the second my feet hit the ground. But it’s gotten me thinking – […]

Trust comes from showing up. Your audience, your friends, your students – they won’t truly trust you until they know without question that you are going to keep showing up. Build a streak of showing up – on the easy days, on the hard days. Show up for the successes and […]

I’ve written before about replacing the term talented in my vocabulary. Because I’m trying to encourage a growth mindset in my students (and sons), it’s important to me that I never imply that their success comes entirely from something innate. Here are some phrases I’m trying not to use, and […]

When you’re in the worst moments of a head cold, do you forget how it feels to be healthy? And when you’re healthy, can you truly remember what it’s like to be sick? In the middle of an illness, it’s easy to imagine you’ve always felt…and always will feel…like this. […]

Last year Brené Brown did a 90-minute long form live show with photographer Chase Jarvis. It’s on Youtube. The entire conversation is great, but I want to share three quotes from Brené that need to be informing how we educate in this country. “85 percent of the men and women […]

Jiro Ono is widely celebrated as the ultimate sushi chef, continuing to hone his art at 90 years old. He was the subject of the 2011 documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi. (it’s on Netflix.) In the video below, he has a conversation with René Redzepi, a world-class Danish chef of almost exactly […]

Take a deep breath. You are doing enough. You have been pushing yourself for as long as you can remember. Willing your efficiency and your effectiveness to ever-greater heights. Perhaps, like me, a recent loss has challenged you to leapfrog a few levels and try to achieve your life’s ambitions […]

Grammy nominee & dear friend Jeremy Fox was in attendance at the Puerling Tribute weekend in Texas and has kindly shared the following reflection. Enjoy! ———- The first time I’d heard music written by Gene Puerling was in 1994. I was studying in Iowa with Phil Mattson, a vocal jazz and […]