arrange • compose • conduct
The branches on every deciduous tree in my yard are hanging so low right now. After days of rain, every leaf and every stem has absorbed as much water as it can, and the net effect is hundreds of extra pounds of weight for every tree. When the rain stops, […]
There are many ways to celebrate success in video games. Beat your friends! Get the high score! (If I could have ever just gotten past the final Bowser on 8-4, I would have counted it as ultimate success…) One way of measuring success in recent years is speed running. A […]
What does it mean when you say, “I wouldn’t be good at that”? I see a few different possibilities: I’m not good at it now, and I’m unable to imagine that changing. I’m not good at it now, and I am unwilling to put in the effort I know it […]
If you’re like me, you’re thinking a lot about what our gatherings will look like in the fall? Will it be “normal”? What will be different? And will the changes in your gatherings be because external forces cause changes (as they did in 2020 and 2021) or because the grand […]
It seems to me there are two mindsets in the choral classroom. You can be student-focused, or you can be music-focused. A student-focused choral educator will always prioritize the mental and emotional needs of their students. They create a safe space for student expression, teach leadership, collaboration, and trust as […]
I’ve dipped my feet into the waters of eCommerce, with a new Shop – available at the top of my website or here. I’ve so far introduced one chart available for purchase – the arrangement of “What’ll I Do?” that I did as my second Patreon project. I’ve also included […]
I have been blessed with some fabulous Patrons on Patreon supporting me in creating new vocal music every month. In April, my project was an a cappella SATB arrangement of “What’ll I Do?” – the classic Irving Berlin ballad that recently entered the public domain. Patreon supporters get free access […]
Sometimes we focus on mastering one tool for every case, when we’d be better served by using two tools with different strengths. I use two applications for when I want to write words down. Google Docs and Adobe InDesign. How do I choose? Easy: if I care how it will […]
There comes a time when we all have to become specialists. Time is maybe the biggest cause – there simply isn’t enough time for us to be generalists about everything. Also the demands of a specific job or career path tend to focus us into specialization. But I think it’s […]
“I don’t like their voice” is about the least compelling criticism I’ve ever heard. Almost any singer whose voice is distinctive from the average sound is going to receive this criticism. I’ve heard it recently about both Jacob Collier and Lin-Manuel Miranda. But I could have heard it said about […]