arrange • compose • conduct
The week before school starts is always a tenuous time. Then there’s 2020. The week before is about trying to balance the first-day jitters and the prep work with the desire to squeeze every last bit of joy from the summer. The week before is about looking around and saying, […]
There are at least four different mindsets around the universal human urge to make art. I want to make art, so I make art. I want to make art, so I ask for help and learn. I want to make art, but I don’t want to fail, so I wait […]
Your best work is only 10% of your collected works. This is true no matter how good your work is – the best is the best. It’s true for you, it was true for Frank Lloyd Wright, Joni Mitchell, and Ludwig von Beethoven. It’s true for Lin-Manuel Miranda, Stevie Wonder, […]
This is my fourth year directing Shades of Blue Vocal Jazz Ensemble at Grand Rapids Community College. It goes without saying that normalcy isn’t going to be found in choral ensembles anywhere in the world this year. Here’s my plan for Shades of Blue. The ensemble will be focusing on […]
Weeds aren’t manageable if you’re only available to manage them intermittently. For essential reasons, I’ve spent most of the summer unable to work in my new vegetable garden. (I built a 4×12 raised bed last spring, and added its twin this spring.) They’re fully planted with organic veggies – herbs, […]
A significant part of any creator’s life falls into the category of “Not Being Creative.” Responsibilities in the home, family, or community are in that category, but so are the many non-creative aspects of any creative project. Billing, email, promotion, negotiations, “networking“. I admit to feeling guilty when I let […]
Among the most pervasive arguments for reopening school buildings centers around student mental health. Here’s a quote from the initial guidance from the American Association of Pediatrics: “COVID-19 Planning Considerations: Guidance for School Re-entry” stresses the fundamental role of schools in providing academic instruction, social and emotional skills, safety, nutrition, […]
My dad sent me an article (he likes to avidly read opposing viewpoints) that outlines many of the arguments being made by people opposed to school building closures. I read three paragraphs before I had to take a break, but I went back and finished it. While I don’t want […]
What would you do if you wanted to win the first round you played of a new, tricky game? Say you’re playing Settlers of Catan or Scrabble or poker, never having played before. With complex games, I think losing a few rounds is a great way to learn how to […]
I’ve been thinking a lot about what sorts of musical characteristics will be effective in arrangements and compositions written for virtual choirs. Here are a few I’ve settled on: Guided aleatoric writing. A freely sung section lessens the burden on lonely singers to master tricky rhythmic timing. Great voice leading. […]