Uncategorized

“The desire to keep doors open–to not offend, to maintain a future opportunity–is a thereat to gathering with purpose.” (p.35) Auditions. Auditions are at the core of how many ensemble directors deal with the question of inclusion/exclusion. Musicals, advanced ensembles, even solos – these are all opportunities to wrestle with […]

A popular new philosophical idea is the “Shopping Cart Test” which holds that putting shopping carts back where they belong is a perfect test of a human’s ethical framework, because: There is usually an obvious right choice to make with an empty cart (like a cart corral). Making that right […]

If you’re like me, you’re thinking a lot about what our gatherings will look like in the fall? Will it be “normal”? What will be different? And will the changes in your gatherings be because external forces cause changes (as they did in 2020 and 2021) or because the grand […]

In my rehearsal today, as we warmed up, I looked around the room and saw two things: contorted posture and stress about the end of the school year. Thus began my Overrated/Underrated For Teenagers list: Overrated: Knowing what you want to do with your life. Underrated: Attention to posture. Attention […]

…however you live,There’s a part of you always standing by,Mapping out the sky,Finishing a hat… Excerpt from “Finishing the Hat” from Sunday In The Park With George by Stephen Sondheim I don’t always feel like Sondheim’s George Seurat does in that remarkable musical, but I do feel drawn to lean […]

I’m objectively opposed to having a detailed plan for the musical accomplishments of a rehearsal. Let’s be clear: I am specific and detailed in the plans I make for rehearsal, with regards to music being rehearsed (often down to specific bars), for how long, and benchmarks for ensemble growth. What […]

I hope this year wasn’t too traumatic for you. I hope you found a way to make a little music, consume a little art, practice a little self-care. One year on, I am reflecting on the clarification of my values that the COVID-19 pandemic has given me. I know my […]

“Didn’t I warn you all?” “Warn us what?” “Warn you that my favorite type of rehearsal is one where you spend an hour on four bars?” “Oh yeah….” I love the rehearsal that ultra-focuses because there’s so many layers you can put onto those few measures. In the vamp we […]

I made a fussy bread the other day – a rich brioche that took two days and about a half hour in the stand mixer. But the typical breads I bake (around 120 loves a year) are these three: a honey whole wheat sandwich bread that is out of the […]

In times of upheaval, I lean on touchstones–works of art that have shaped me and the continue to be sources of inspiration, influence, and solace. It might be rereading a favorite novel, a cherished poem, a movie, or (especially often) a favorite album with a good pair of headphones. We […]