arrange • compose • conduct
My writing work takes a lot of different forms, from working for groups who have a very specific song and concept, to open-ended compositional commissions, to things I write for particular pedagogical reasons. My favorite arranging, though, is when I can insert more of my own musical perspective into the […]
I’ve heard Yannick Nézet-Séguin described by an ultra-reliable source as our generation’s Bernstein. In a recent amazing interview with Terry Gross, they had the following exchange: GROSS: I’m wondering if you think there’s a generational shift that has happened in conducting ’cause I think we think of the maestro as […]
You don’t have to play tug-of-war for very long to know to brace yourself as the referee counts down. If you don’t, you’ll find yourself flying forward pretty soon after. As your approaching a pretty busy week, particularly one that comes after a quiet week, you need to adopt the […]
This song has been playing almost non-stop on repeat in our house since we heard Johnaye Kendrick last Friday as the guest artist at the Gold Company Vocal Jazz Festival. A classic fable is combined with a great second-line groove, killer singing, and more. Listen, enjoy, and then dig into […]
The unavoidable happens – a momentary lapse in focus, and the choir is suddenly singing two different phrases at once. No matter how hard you prepare your ensemble, these mini-disasters strikes on occasion. There are multiple steps with multiple time frames to consider. Get the choir back together! Give the […]
All relationships need time together – new or old, personal or professional. Spending time together allows for rebuilding of bonds, creative growth, airing of grievances, and the sharing of viewpoints. It’s true in romantic relationships, collaborative professional relationships. And in creative relationships – large or small. Choirs need time together. […]
Some people have asked why, with 15 Snow Days this year, we are still having a Spring Break in our school district (and countless others in our area). Leaving aside that (A) it is contractual and (B) many parents already had vacation plans that they could not change, what about […]
Stay Focused. Have Fun. Those were the two potentially contradictory instructions I gave Shades of Blue, the vocal jazz ensemble I direct at Grand Rapids Community College, just before we walked onstage on Saturday. How can you stay focused when you’re busy having fun? How can you have fun when […]
Welcome to Week 20 of The Definitive Version, a regular feature of my website. You can read more about the project here and read all past entries here. Song: “Emily” (1964)Composer: Johnny MandelLyricist: Johnny MercerForm: ABA’CStandard Key: C Major. Johnny Mandel, born in 1925, was and is a prolific composer and arranger in […]
They say the news cycle is going faster and faster – stories move in and out of the news in hours instead of days, and are replaced before we have a chance to process them or learn anything beyond a surface understanding. And the same is true in day-to-day teaching […]