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I’ve been reflecting over the rise of Podcasts and how it has changed the method and content of what I listen to. (Both in the past and now, I listened to story-based reporting, a la NPR.) Bear with me, this has a choral connection. It seems to me that more and more I hear the […]

Do you have this problem? I can’t work halfway. On these summer days, I want to spend a few hours working, and then take advantage of my family being home from school. But my mental state seems to be binary: either I’m in vacation mode or I’m working; even when I walk […]

We are all a mix of extrovert and introvert, though you probably identify more as one or the other. Many choral conductors at least appear to be extroverts, judging by the way they spend their professional lives: “on” in front of students…”on” in front of concertgoers…”on” in lessons and personal interactions…always “on.” Even introverted […]

I’ve been struggling to prioritize reading books, which I love, in recent months. I knew that the lure of online dithering was a big part of the problem. But even with that more under control, I still struggled. It was only recently I recognized the other piece of the problem. […]

Alton Brown, creator of Good Eats and host of Iron Chef America, was recently a guest on the excellent podcast The Moment with Brian Koppelman. During the discussion, Alton said this about his teaching: Curiosity is the most powerful force on the earth. People talk to me about, “Well, you know, you’re a great teacher, blah, […]

I’m filling music folders for my ensemble for next year, and that always puts me in the mood to set some goals for the individuals in the group. If we are open to it, we can reflect on and learn from our shortcomings to become better educators. While I think there are many things I […]

In a 1947 letter to Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland wrote: Bob Shaw did a bee-utiful job with my new chorus….I can only imagine how you’ll react to it. Any ho you won’t have to conduct it – since there’s nothing but voices. (I decided that Bob’s conducting technique derives from the […]

You deserve a break. Not from the work. Keep doing the work. You deserve a break from the onslaught. From the news, from the updates, from the posts. From the constant attention-sapping. From media old-, new-, and social-. For the last week, I pre-loaded my posts and disappeared into a no-cell-tower, no-wifi, no […]

To end Alice Parker Week, here are a few things I recommend reading as you delve in. (And of course, please download and listen to her interview with Krista Tippett right now!) The Anatomy of Melody: Exploring the Single Line of Song – her book on the foundations of music in all […]

It’s Alice Parker Week: In addition to being a living legend as a composer and arranger, Alice is a beautifully polished author. Her writings exhibit the same clarity and parsimony of her music. I’ve selected some quotes from her books as meditations for this week. Today, a few choice lessons Alice describes in her […]