arrange • compose • conduct
At a fabulous presentation tonight about parenting from Julie Lythcott-Haims, I was reminded that sometimes winning the long game means failing the short game. (In her context, it was that often we need to let our children fail now so that they can succeed later.) We need to let our students […]
Some rehearsals surprise you – your entire tenor section has a cold, say…or some unexpected event or distracts the choir from the task at hand. In those situations, you have to think on your feet and adjust your plans to meet the challenge. It’s not easy, and having a successful […]
Welcome to Week 19 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: “Nice Work If You Can Get It” (1937)Composer: George GershwinLyricist: Ira GershwinForm: AABAStandard Key: G Major. Starting in 1918 and continuing until George Gershwin’s […]
Emily Dickinson’s famous couplet goes Tell all the truth but tell it slant —Success in Circuit lies I think the same can go for building community – we can do it slant. Sometimes we can be focused on building community through our most on-brand work. Say, “building your choir’s community […]
When I solve Matt Gaffney’s Weekly Crossword Contest, I’m always looking for the click. The moment when one small logical bridges the gap to the solution. I’m not alone, there. When his Crossword Meta Puzzles require too large of a logical leap to get to the answer, there is always […]
Standardized tests mostly show whether you are good at taking standardized tests. Having coached students in leading “test prep” programs, having done well on the tests myself, and having watched students and my own children take numerous standardized tests, I can absolutely confirm: they are not great predictors of subject […]
The challenge is this: balance on every scale. Check at the scale of a single rehearsal: are you balancing all of your repertoire that needs work? Are you balancing drills and scrimmages? Are you balancing your various educational and social goals? Check at the scale of a week: are you […]
“When you write a book, you have to let it go at some point. You stop fiddling with the text, and the story is set in print. And then, it isn’t yours anymore. Not really. It belongs to the people who read it, which is a wonderful – and painful […]
Even the most tried-and-true workflow sometimes can feel tired. “I always do it this way” is a great way to build consistent success, and also a great way to feel stuck in a rut. Recently I’ve been composing a new piece, and was gratified to be able to try a […]
One of my singers for the GR Symphony gig I worked the last few weeks mentioned during the intermission that he had still been circling notes that day – during the first act of the last performance. “I guess I can stop doing that,” he said. I watched orchestra members […]