arrange • compose • conduct
I often recommend Seth Godin’s marvelous free book Stop Stealing Dreams, It speaks to our particular time of massive evolution of educational paradigms. In a companion article, Godin takes on the idea of enrollment. Not as in, “I enrolled Jane in elementary school” but as Godin writes, Enrollment is what […]
We planted a couple dozen vegetable plants today – tomato, squash, cucumber, herbs, kale, chard, lettuce. Planting vegetable plants is, in the grand scheme, a necessary act – for human survival. But in the small scheme, for instance in my backyard, planting vegetables is an aspirational act. When I plant […]
Come to the orchard in Spring. There is light and wine, and sweethearts in the pomegranate flowers. If you do not come, these do not matter. If you do come, these do not matter. Rumi
My friend told me his secret to finding a four-leaf clover is to get really good at finding three-leaf clovers. Get so good at recognizing the patterns in three-leaf clovers, and they’ll fade into the background. Suddenly the four-leaf clovers jump out for their obvious difference. Learning to lead is, […]
Algorithm : a procedure for solving a mathematical problem (as of finding the greatest common divisor) in a finite number of steps that frequently involves repetition of an operation broadly: a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or accomplishing some end Merriam-Webster This week, my mantra has been, “I’m all about the algorithm.” […]
Thank you to the LA Master Chorale, who have been putting together a wonderful series of online replay concerts and virtual choir performances, called Sundays at Seven. This week, they paid tribute to Alice Parker, whose music they would have performed last weekend, until the concert was canceled. In lieu […]
Musical form goes deep into our subconscious. We feel regular four bar/eight bar phrases almost without thinking. Actually, definitely without thinking. I helped film a video of some people dancing today, and the song had a pre-chorus with an odd phrase length. Six bars instead of eight, I think. The […]
One of the things I love most about the choral community is how proactive it is. Choral leaders are planners and communicators. They see what’s coming, and they want to plan for it, face it head on, and communicate about it. With the very real issues facing group singing in […]
Almost exactly a year ago, a college student named David Sikabwe made a video performing his version of “Fly Me To The Moon.” He capitalized on the impetus for the song, which was the 1960’s space-craze, to write an inspired, funny, and delightful rap. It quickly went viral, which is […]
In times of upheaval, I lean on touchstones–works of art that have shaped me and the continue to be sources of inspiration, influence, and solace. It might be rereading a favorite novel, a cherished poem, a movie, or (especially often) a favorite album with a good pair of headphones. How […]