arrange • compose • conduct
Periodic updates and announcements from my professional journey.
I support artists on Patreon because of what’s in it for them. I love that a few dollars pledged monthly can give artists a steady income, enabling them to devote more time to their craft. But it’s easy to understand the “What’s in it for me” mindset. Like any voluntary […]
“Who is it for?” is one of my top animating questions for any artistic project. The more specific you can be about who the art is for, the more decisive you can be in crafting the art. Who, then, is my new Patreon experiment for? It’s for people who want […]
Why did I choose to experiment with the Patreon direct-patronage model? First, I think the model is really good. Working for a patron when patronage was prevalent in the Baroque and Classical eras correlates with some really remarkable music being written. Moving away from the single commission model can light […]
I’ve been creating music as a career for a long time – my first paid commission came about 20 years ago, and my work is now fairly evenly divided between teaching/conducting and writing for choral ensembles. While virtually all of my work over the last 10+ years has been on […]
2020: Inconceivable. Unprecedented. Unpredictable. But not without work, not without growth, not without successes. (Let’s be clear: my 2020 was not without failures, disappointments, sadnesses, confusion, frustration, and more. This is just a snapshot of a very complex year.) Here’s an overview of my work year. Writing I published a […]
I published a post here every day in 2020. Here’s a favorite post from each month. January: Three Goals For RehearsalFebruary: DisputableMarch: Do The Right Thing & Permit Yourself to GrieveApril: The Best We Can…Is Pretty GoodMay: Form Goes DeepJune: SaltingJuly: Not For Me Right NowAugust: Don’t Be A Game ChangerSeptember: […]
2020 was not a great year for listening to new recordings. For me, anyway. It’s a combination of a few things. The pandemic. I didn’t want to listen to new music. I was strongly motivated to listen to comfort music, and new music rarely starts out at comfort music. There’s […]
Books remain at the heart of the media I consume – not perhaps the most significant by volume, but certainly by the effect they have on my life. I read 26 books in 2020. I would have thought that number would be higher, given the state of 2020, but it turns […]
My family is wishing you peace and connection this holiday season. We made this little music video together just for you! Wishing you all a Happy Holidays! We’ve built a lot of skills this year in our house – singing, juggling, audio & video engineering. And we decided to put […]
When I was selecting songs for GRCC Shades of Blue for Fall 2020, “Singin’ in the Rain” was the first arrangement I chose. For many reasons, including: It’s a killer a cappella jazz chart – swinging, great harmony, fun to sing. April Tini had a major influence in introducing me […]