arrange • compose • conduct
One of the skills I most wish for my ensembles is the skill of being in the moment. That is, being responsive to exactly what’s happening, subtly or dramatically shifting interpretation based on the inputs you receive from the audience and your fellow singers. I wonder whether the best music […]
5 minutes a day X 5 days a week is our practice goal for the Rockford Aces, the high school TTBB group I conduct. The last two weeks have seen a real corner turn in terms of how many of the thirteen of them are committing to that goal – […]
My sole tenor in GRCC Shades of Blue was home sick today with stomach flu – unable to come to our final concert of the semester tonight. Here are the lessons I learned along the way today. Vocal jazz singers are resilient. They’ve worked so hard to master their very […]
There are two primary definitions of the verb “practice,” and the one you’re thinking of is its second definition. The second definition is “to perform or work at repeatedly so as to become proficient.” That’s what music educators are usually talking about. But the first definition is “to carry out, […]
I had a great experience with a PA this week where she made a quick diagnosis of an allergy before she ever did any medical tests. Small talk conversation and a few pieces of information and she was able to diagnose, then confirm very quickly. We, the family, were too […]
Be curious about what you’re curious about. Metacuriosity, to coin a term, is invaluable in plotting your course. What do you keep coming back to? What do you constantly wonder about? If a musical idea keeps coming back, chase it down. If you can’t get a different career path out […]
There are many different types of motivation for practice. Internal pressure – the sincere desire to grow and improve. Societal pressure – wanting to keep up with peers. Authority’s pressure – director or teacher’s demands or encouragement. Grade pressure – wanting a good grade on a jury or exam. Performance […]
The question of the week in the vocal jazz educator group was, when should you start rehearsing on system? It’s a different answer for my two ensembles. Shades of Blue, the vocal jazz ensemble I direct at Grand Rapids Community College, rehearses once a week for two hours. We rehearse […]
I desperately, passionately, unreservedly do not want to conduct my ensembles through compliance leadership. I am not, and refuse to be, a chair-throwing, yelling, lap-demanding leader. Part of that is temperament–that type of behavior would fit me exceedingly poorly. But a much bigger part has to do with my aspirations […]
I’ve said before that December is the month that everyone remembers how much they love choirs. Something about vocal harmony speaks to us at this time of the year. For me, vocal harmony is a year-round obsession. (I’m using the term vocal harmony group much more often than vocal jazz […]