arrange • compose • conduct
“I deal in real time.” So went a prized and oft-repeated expression of my mentor, Steve Zegree. Real time means I don’t cheat on how long things are going to take. Real time means I don’t arrive late or leave early. Real time means I don’t commit to a project […]
One of the hardest musical dances to perform is the dance of committed vs. exaggerated. We seek musicality with deep commitment, but often we end up with musical elements exaggerated, almost to a parody. Rarely do we really want that sort of exaggerated musicality – perhaps the occasional sforzando or […]
No one achieves excellence without sacrifice. Instead of going out with friends, you spend time in the practice room or in the law library. Instead of taking an extra shift at work, you spend time in rehearsal. Instead of turning completely off on vacation, you stay in touch with your […]
People love to share this memeified list of tempo definitions. I can’t say I agree with the sentiment, though. If my choir needs to watch me every second, I’ve done something wrong in the rehearsal process. If my choir watches me every second, they are seriously limited in their ability […]
More than any one concrete skill, more than any particular song or style or technique, here’s what I want my students to leave being able to do. Talk music. I want them to be able to “get the joke” – to be able see the big picture, understand what a […]
This morning, I answered a prompt from On Being for a “found haiku.” Sometimes you can say more with less, yes? Music Everywhere. I yearn for silence,But there’s music everywhereSince I learned to hear.
I love Austin Kleon’s map of “The Life of a Project.” Nowhere does the process move faster to the “Dark Night of the Soul” than when you pass out new music to the choir. You go from the excitement of getting new music in your hands to the hard work […]
“Music has the ability to uplift our lives and heal us from within.” Esha Alwani Music educators and music therapists need to take a few minutes to listen to this wonderful TED talk from Esha Alwani, describing her experience with Tourette’s Syndrome and the relief she gets from making music. […]
“I just did not realize how much of the pie chart in my brain was the hustle versus the art.” Amanda Palmer, on the Tim Ferriss Show Amanda Palmer was talking specifically about how her transition to Patreon, and the support of 15,000+ subscribers, has changed the way she makes […]
In his excellent music podcast Broken Record, Malcolm Gladwell was without his cohost Rick Rubin for his interview with Pentatonix. Maybe that explains the following exchange: Scott Hoying: We usually learn everything on our own, and then come to rehearsal, and then, if we have it all learned, it comes together very […]