Uncategorized

An experienced sailor knows to pack her foul weather gear, even if she sets sail on a cloudless day. We start the school year with grand expectations, high hopes, and the best of intentions. For most teachers, most students, and most parents, the First Day of School is as cloudless […]

Welcome to Week 5 of The Definitive Version, a new weekly feature of my website. You can read more about the project here. Song: “Cheek To Cheek” Composer: Irving Berlin Lyricist: Irving Berlin Form: A(16) A(16) B(8) B (8) C (8) A(16) Standard Key: C Major “Cheek to Cheek” was originally written for […]

In the olden days, everybody sang. You were expected to sing as well as talk. It was a mark of the cultured man to sing. – Leonard Bernstein 100 years ago today, one of the most shining lights of American music joined us. As a composer, conductor, educator, and more, […]

Pursuing excellence and musicality should be paramount, of course. That’s the ultimate job of a music educator. But more and more, I’m convinced that music classes must be a respite for our students. Our students are subject to time-consuming demands well beyond what I experienced in high school twenty-five years ago, and […]

Intention matters, and beginning a new school year is a great time to consider your intentions, whether as a student, a teacher, an administrator, or a parent. You are on an educational journey for the next nine months: what is your intention for it? What do you hope to get […]

I was reminded tonight of this classic bit of cooking wisdom: the first crêpe never comes out. (Actually, in my case it was more like the first four crêpes….) The reason probably has to do with the metal of the pan getting to the right temperature and sufficiently covered with a […]

Success in life requires reaction in the moment. Faced with new information, we often need to make decisions immediately, or at the very least alter our behavior in response. Of all the classes we can take in school, none prepares us for this moment-by-moment reaction better than singing in choir. […]

As we start another school year, a reminder to teachers that we are building moments. How many moments will your students remember from your class this year? How many do you remember from any one class? Instill values. Teach concepts and build factual knowledge. But most of all, create moments. […]

Welcome to Week 4 of The Definitive Version, a new weekly feature of my website. You can read more about the project here. Song: ‘Round Midnight Composer: Thelonious Monk/Cootie Williams Lyricist: Bernie Hanighen Form: AABA, 32-bar Standard Key: E-Flat ‘Round Midnight is said to be the most-recorded jazz standard composed by a jazz musician. […]

Sometimes we overdo it to the point of utter exhaustion. And sometimes in that exhausted state, we make a bad choice or lose perspective on a situation.* If we’re not careful, there can be long-term repercussions, professionally or personally. What we need to learn is to recognize the point before […]