arrange • compose • conduct
My favorite list in the Getting Things Done system (and GTD is built on lists) is Someday/Maybe. David Allen, creator of the system, created the Someday/Maybe list as a catchall for everything that doesn’t fit in current projects at any time window. As it sounds, you populate them with any […]
It’s great to find people who are crazy in the same way as you. Tonight I attended a concert production of Les Misérables, performed by a cast of seventh through twelfth graders who started rehearsing together on Monday. (The cast featured two of my students/Aces members as Jean Valjean and […]
My son is not at Blue Lake right now. He was going to experience his first ever real music camp this summer, studying clarinet and being around fellow young musicians, in an experience that is formative for so many musicians and artists. Blue Lake suffered from a significant COVID-19 out […]
Every year, I start my garden with hope. I pick delicious herbs and vegetables, prep my garden beds, nurture them and get them started right. Then, of course the summer gets going – complete with out of town visits, family trips, camps, commitments, and all the work I am doing. […]
I remember when I first spent time in my college’s music library. The sheer magnitude of music available was a jolt of electricity and a continued revelation throughout my time there. Now, of course, a physical archive of commercial recordings is utterly pointless. The magnitude of music available on any […]
How does urgency play a role in your workflow? Is there a solution? I have a harder time writing my daily post in the morning than the evening. The imminent deadline of bedtime and the clock hitting midnight is sufficient to put me in my seat and begin writing. The […]
I love all the many gigs I have: composer, arranger, director, conductor, teacher, mentor, consortium manager, producer, assistant, strategic planner, etc. The best gig I have is father. Done right, as I try to do and as my father did for me, it is the opportunity of a lifetime to […]
What are your summer goals for your students? I like the message from my kids’ middle school ensemble teachers: only take out your instruments on rainy days. It’s the right level of occasional reengagement with music-making. I personally have these three goals for students between when I see them in […]
Overscheduled kids know one thing for certain: every minute is precious. They have so few! Every moment is committed to one event or another, a class project or a math test to study for, plus social commitments with their friends. That’s why, when I’m with my students, I try to […]
What would an alien know if they saw a group of people playing cards? And what does the answer tell us about teaching music? They wouldn’t know if the people were playing poker or canasta or euchre, and if you told them what the game was, the alien would assume […]