arrange • compose • conduct
What a joy it is to have a hand in the creation or premiere of new music. Right now I am working with two composers on commissions for my group, the Rockford Aces. Emailing about texts, style, duration and so on is exciting – together we are shaping what a […]
Are you as frustrated with the lack of quality arts coverage as I am? Over the 20 years I’ve been reading the Sunday New York Times, coverage of classical and jazz music has slowly been replaced with stories of pop/entertainment. The quality remains high of what they do cover, but the space is reduced, as […]
Recently Seth Godin wrote compellingly about humanity’s ability to look away when the problem seems unsolvable. He challenges those who want to effect change to look deeper rather than look away. One of the best ways I know to look is through art. Today the Rockford Aces will present Kurt Bestor’s Prayer […]
We are hardwired to equate time and value. The more something is worth to us, the more time we are willing to spend on it. I think our brains assume the converse is true, too: the more time we spend, the more worth that experience has. By that measure, the […]
Dear Choir Directors, Statewide education cuts got you down? Feeling undervalued by society? You already have the skills you need for a new career! An experienced choir director is ready to leap into any of these positions without blinking an eye: Executive Director of a non-profit Camp Director Private Voice Teacher […]
There is simply no way to overstate how important Gene Puerling’s influence has been on 20th and 21st century vocal music. I believe he is the among the most important choral writers of the last 100 years, and someday his writing will be recognized by the choral world as on […]
“Most people have the will to win, few have the will to prepare to win.” -Bobby Knight Success comes to those who show up, day after day, in the practice room, in class, on the field, in the studio. It isn’t an accident. If you really want it, then you […]
What are you going to do for you this spring? Music teachers are among the most selfless, giving, group I know. I know one teacher who complained that they needed their own school alarm code because 5am was too late to come in and start working. You’re giving 200%, double […]
The best voice lessons for elementary students go by a different name. Piano lessons. If your kid loves to sing, let them sing. Find a youth choir to join. They will eat it up. The best one-on-one musical education she or he can get is in musicianship. Learn to read […]
Michigan high school graduation requirements include several areas of coursework beyond the core curriculum of science, social studies, English, foreign language, and mathematics. I thought I’d take a look at two of these and how they are implemented. The two major requirements beyond those are: Physical Education – 1 credit […]