arrange • compose • conduct
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 […]
My son mentioned recently that any possible arrangement (there are 43 quintillion) of a Rubik’s Cube can be solved in 20 moves or less. (This is confirmed mathematically.) But it’s not the solution most of us are going to take. We’re more likely to look at a scrambled cube and […]
“What choices would the me that I want to become make?” That’s as good a motivating question as I can think of. Of course, it leads to other questions: Who do I want to become? What choices do I make unconsciously every day? How do I change entrenched choices? And […]
Ira Glass, in an interview I read a long time ago, talked about an important early step in his growth. (I’m sorry I can’t currently find the link.) He described the three weeks of full-time mixing of his own voice that it took for him to stop feeling uncomfortable listening […]
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. Julia […]
A lot of people are taking up new music practices this spring. Learning new instruments, learning to sing, writing songs, or learning new repertoire. It’s a good reason to remember this truth: Perfect is a trap. Perfect is unattainable, and if you wait for your art to be perfect, you’ll […]
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. Touchstones […]