arrange • compose • conduct
The real art of teaching is singular. The real art of teaching is figuring out what makes one student tick, and then devising techniques to (a) make them curious about a subject and (b) help them feed their curiosity. It’s not scalable. It’s personal. It’s one-on-one. The best teachers can […]
What you’re doing looks like magic. In 1962, Arthur C. Clarke published his Three Laws, and the third and most famous is that “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” As digital technology gets more advanced, that certainly feels true – computers and computer software take on a more […]
Cynthia Erivo is not as well known as she should be. That’s because it’s almost impossible that she could be. In my experience, every song she performs is instantly the definite and best version of that song. Three examples to prove the point: What makes Cynthia Erivo’s versions of songs […]
How many of the things you do could be described with this statement? I can describe so much of my life as things I didn’t expect to be doing. Some are things I aspired to, but that came into my life unexpectedly. (Directing Shades of Blue!) Some are things I […]
Summertime affords space for reflection. Can you bring that to your everyday? But I think that waiting till summer to reflect on what’s working and what isn’t takes too long. Often, when I’m in the middle of work, I don’t think I can possibly also devote time to stepping back […]
How do you do your “one last look” at a new project? Even thought I do my music writing almost all on computer (sometimes some sketches are done with a pencil and paper), I feel like I always catch an error or two if I only edit it digitally. Printing […]
There are two types of vocal jazz ensemble. One (call it the Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross-type) uses group singing as a means to deliver improvisation, solo artistry, and essentially a vocal cover of instrumental jazz. It’s a jazz combo, but voices. The other (call it The Singers Unlimited-type) uses group […]
It’s my end-of-school-year tradition to publish the repertoire my ensemble sang over the year. With my fifth (!) year at GRCC in the books, here are the pieces Shades of Blue learned and performed. Shades of Blue had five singers in the fall semester and eleven singers in the winter. […]
The Aces endeavor to sing in as many musical styles as possible each year, with no discrimination except quality of music. In that spirit, the entire list is organized alphabetically, as in our folders (except music for December, which goes at the end…) This was the first year with a […]
Content dictates form • Less is more • God is in the detailsall in the service ofClaritywithout which nothing else matters. – Stephen Sondheim This is the mantra at the beginning of both volumes of Stephen Sondheim’s magical lyric collections, Finishing The Hat and Look, I Made a Hat. But […]