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There are two costs involved in performing any task: The work: the time and effort it takes to complete. The reaction: the mental and emotional energy surrounding it. To be efficient at doing what you want to do, you have to ensure that the second cost does not also involve significant time and […]

I find the major art I practice relies on the minor art I practice in the small moments. Notes to my kids, a lovingly prepared meal. Even a well-made bed or a clean kitchen counter. Tackling these small tasks with the same detailed attention I give to my art doesn’t deplete me – […]

When it’s time for a concert, you should know what your goals are. It might seem self-evident: give the best performance possible of the music you’ve prepared. But there are more and subtler possibilities to consider. For example: my group, The Rockford Aces, are preparing to perform at the ACDA-Michigan Fall […]

As I write this, my son is trying to sound out “Shave and a Haircut” at the piano. He’s six, and has a fine ear, so it won’t take him too long. But listening to all the wrong attempts isn’t easy. I could show him. It would take me twenty seconds. But […]

I have loved MOSS since I first heard their 2008 album. And I was lucky to hear a rare live performance Thursday night. Before I reflect in detail about that wonderful performance, I want to share this song. I hadn’t really listened to Joni Mitchell’s The Hissing of Summer Lawns, so I knew MOSS’s version much better. […]

patina (noun): a surface appearance of something grown beautiful especially with age or use – the beautiful patina of this antique table (Merriam-Webster) I got to go “home” to my undergraduate music building last night for an amazing concert. On the way home, we reflected on the beautiful patina a space can acquire […]

Mindfulness has been a fruitful area of scientific study in recent years, and of formal religious study for thousands. Recently, an article gained popularity in choral circles with the headline, “Choral Singing Boosts Mindfulness,” and the sub-headline, “New research points to one reason joining a choir boosts mental health.” Well, of course […]

I often use the metaphor of reins to describe parenting; I believe that it is the job of parents to consistently, and intentionally, let out reins for our children – allowing them ever-larger chances to learn, to succeed, to grow, and, indeed, to fail. Holding too tight to the reins […]

Robert Shaw was famous for his letters. His first biography was named after his familiar opening – Dear People – and Robert Blocker has edited an entire volume, The Robert Shaw Reader, to Shaw’s written words. Why did Shaw feel it was so important to communicate textually with his singers? It maintained […]

My oldest son is teaching himself how to pop wheelies on his bike right now. He’s frustrated, because, in his words, “The front wheel is too heavy.” I think this is likely the feeling of most novice-wheeliers…and it has nothing to do with the weight of the bike. If you keep […]