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The days grow short in two ways, as we approach the winter solstice and the end of 2018. But short days mean long nights to dream, and year’s end is a time to reflect on what transpired. Dream and reflect in equal measure as the days grow short.

I can go on at length about the value of commissioning, and I have. But at the premiere, we should zoom in from the big picture of commissioning, and focus on who the premiere is for. The premiere is for: The performers who have worked so hard to prepare the […]

Don’t underestimate the power of your regular space. There are always a couple of weeks in December when I have to forgo my usual rehearsal space because it is being used as a staging space for elementary concerts. Instead I use a nearby room and wheel in a piano. Same […]

Where do you find good ideas? Couldn’t be less important. Ideas aren’t the hard part. The hard part is finding the time to take good ideas and put them into action. Carve out the mental, physical, and emotional space to take your good ideas and make them a reality. Because […]

I hereby resolve to stop saying the more common phrase “notes and rhythms” and replace the phrase with “rhythms and notes.” In my experience, singers on their own focus far more on notes than rhythms – so we’re always fighting to get back to accurate, crisp, rhythmic singing. There are […]

I’m an avid reader, and one of my favorite experiences is when you get to the “No Turning Back” point of a good novel. The moment when, regardless of the time of day or night, you’re digging in and finishing. Music has the same ability to take us on a […]

Listening, transcribing, copying, and assimilating – this is the core of growing up through the aural tradition of jazz singing. Don’t believe me? Listen to Cécile McLorin Salvant, the celebrated jazz singer, telling NPR’s Terry Gross about her development.   [When I] started singing jazz and studying it really, she was […]

Pros show up. Even when they’re sick. Even when they’ve got more on their plate than they can possibly (sanely) handle. Even when the weather is forbidding. No matter what, pros show up. There is much to be said for the amateur. Having an amateur spirit is something we should […]

Maybe my most common request in rehearsals – aside from “fix the wrong notes” – is “MORE ENERGY!” Or as an insightful student said last night, “More focused energy – we have energy but it isn’t going anywhere.” Of course it’s hard – we have long days, we have a […]

We’ve just started a lovely new piece and are sight reading a section at each rehearsal. But we took some time out after reviewing the first section this week to identify three recurring details and decide on our approach to them. In our case they were: Moving lines with eighth-note […]