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Just a reminder that when you’re in the middle of a storm, it can feel permanent. It can literally feel like it will never stop raining. It will stop. All you have to do is weather it until then. Don’t do anything rash mid-storm: it’s not an accurate impression of your […]

You’re only going succeed in music if you acquire massive skills. It’s too competitive, too challenging, there are too many other good people out there. Skill building is – and should be – the primary motivator of serious music study. But you’re also only going to succeed in music if you continue […]

Rehearsing in a new space can be daunting. New spaces come with new acoustics, new visuals, new interpersonal dynamics. It can affect personal space, intonation, balance, blend, and so much more. You can lose a whole rehearsal to overcoming challenges that aren’t due to any person in the room, but due to a change […]

Creativity requires space. Space free of obligations, space free of distractions. Maybe that’s part of why childhood is such a fertile time for creative thinking. Children create with abandon, given the space and a few tools. (And without the tools, they improvise!) There are two factors in recent years that undermine this […]

We’re entering the time of year when everyone remembers how much they love choirs. Tree lightings, Holiday Concerts, run-outs, caroling parties, sing-alongs, Candlelight ceremonies, teas, and on and on. Just remember: it’s time limited. Four weeks from today, it will be Christmas Eve. Just keep moving forward, do your best, catch […]

So much writing is devoted to how to be a leader. Books, courses, articles, magazines, and on and on. They all offer the way to be a leader, (and offer different ways) but too often ignore the main point. The way to be a leader is to know who you are. […]

Great art comes from specific conditions. It can be a specific ensemble or performer, a specific message from the creator. It can be a specific story to tell, a specific theatre to perform in, a specific time in your life. Stephen Sondheim says in the revue Sondheim on Sondheim, “If you ask […]

Music-making is sweeter when it comes from a place of gratitude. Gratitude for the opportunity. For the music. For the fellowship. For the collaborators, supporters, audience, leadership, composer. Remember the spirit of gratitude that you cultivate on Thanksgiving, and try to carry it into the music you make year-round. Some past […]

Human beings carry inertia. We like the ruts we’re in. Even when we don’t like the ruts we’re in, we like the ruts we’re in. As educators, we try to change habits, to affect inertia, one minute step at a time. And that is important – the culture of my […]

Music preparation is never static. Even a few weeks without rehearsal can profoundly affect the level of performance of the most polished pieces. The most challenging music requires daily interaction to be performance-ready. Students can easily forget the dynamic nature of music preparation. It’s worth occasionally revisiting previously-performed music in rehearsal, to give students a concrete […]