arrange • compose • conduct
There are a lot of things I’ve adjusted to since we entered the pandemic in March, 2020. I’ve adjusted to wearing masks (no big deal…).I’ve adjusted to Zoom meetings.I’ve adjusted to surprise changes in teaching modality. But there area a few things I keep forgetting, 18 months on. I keep […]
There are a few times of year when a choir director can’t hope for work-life balance, and one is between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The commitments come non-stop, and the most you can hope for is a single quiet day with your family, or a few moments of peace between school […]
There seems to be an ever-growing list of people offering to “teach” you things – Masterclass, Skillshare, and dozens of other learning platforms offer a space for online learning. Of course, those people aren’t actually teaching. They are performing a public game of “Know and Tell.” It’s simple: they know […]
One secret to good writing is this key command: Ctrl-A, del. (Cmd-A, del on a Mac.) Being willing to blow up your work and start over opens up possibilities. It can be painful – especially if you’ve put effort into it. But I have never – never – not been […]
When I look at the days between Thanksgiving and Christmas Break, I shudder, then cheerfully tie up my running shoes. I have for years. It’s a mad dash – all the normal things a person does in this time, but, like all musicians, also in one of the busiest months […]
Every year around this time, the Rockford Choirs are shaken with the latest “battle” an ongoing “war” between Mrs. and Mr. Scott. “Oh no,” they say, “Mrs. and Mr. Scott are fighting about Christmas again.” Even our kids, now, take sides in the argument. We are arguing about the pronunciation […]
I teach a jazz theory class and (don’t tell anyone) recently finished my third draft of a jazz theory book aimed at choral musicians. Full disclosure: I say “jazz theory” but I honestly don’t like either one of those words in this context. I always prefer “music literacy” to “theory” […]
How you have to finish the hatHow you watch the rest of the worldFrom a window while you finish the hat […] That, however you live There’s a part of you always standing byMapping out the sky, finishing a hatStarting on a hat, finishing a hatLook, I made a hatWhere […]
I want my students to graduate with the same constellation of skills, regardless of the year they graduate. There needs to be some consistency to the experience, year after year. I want to have novelty – I am teaching between 15 and 20 pieces per year to each of my […]
Part of the draw of board and card games is that they serve as a microcosm of life. “Here’s how skill is important, but here’s how luck plays a role.” “Here’s capitalism around a card table.” “Learn how much you can trust people as stakes get higher.” “This game starts […]