arrange • compose • conduct
I like to program only repertoire I love – I love the text, or I love the arrangement, or I love the melody, or I love the concepts it teaches – but it’s never attainable for all singers in a choir love all the pieces in their folders. As a […]
Love must be at the center of great music-making. Not always romantic love, but love nonetheless. Love of friends. Love for the human connection. Love for music. Deep connection is at the core of all the best music I’ve ever experienced. The connection comes from love. Without that core, the […]
Real artists are generous. Even as they work to make a living at their art, they give as much as they collect. This month, our family ordered some chocolates from a Belgian artisan that we believe makes some of the finest anywhere (and which figured in our early dating, while […]
I have long loved Steve Zegree’s beautiful setting of the Gershwins’ “Love Walked In.” It’s a study in suspension-resolution, it reaches beautiful jazz harmony while retaining excellent voice leading, and it brilliantly teaches expressive singing. I selected it for GRCC Shades of Blue this fall, because while a cappella ballads […]
It was awfully cold here in Michigan, but my dog is a winter dog, so she was delighted to go on a 2 mile walk this morning at -3ºF. Over the last two years, she has drilled home this important lesson to me: winter is a lot better if you […]
I’m working on a MIDI guide track for part-learning, and am heeding the advice of Anders Edenroth, who suggested moving beyond a simple clave-style click track. Even though the final track will be a cappella, there is value in giving a rhythmic foundation that helps singers feel the groove as […]
I listened to a couple of young men talking about their favorite games the other day. “How many hours do you have in-game?” one asked. “1,100 hours,” was the reply. “Oh, I only have 650.” On it went, and it became increasingly clear that in addition to knowing the games […]
I like to ask myself this question sometimes, as a self-reminder. In my mind, sheet music was invented to help us recall more and more difficult music. The sheet music isn’t the music, it’s a short hand for us to be able to sing or play the music well. Certainly, […]
What is one thing you canceled due to the pandemic that you don’t want to bring back? There are so many things – singing without masks, concerts, hugging friends, family trips, and on and on – that I’m looking forward to doing again. But there are some things I am […]
I learned to luge today. (Wow, that’s a funny sentence to type.) The thing I learned about luging is that the right choice is highly counterintuitive. You need to lean back, and tuck your legs in, when your instinct is telling you to sit up and use your legs to […]