arrange • compose • conduct
You want to be able to do everything possible: all the potential good things. But you can’t, because there isn’t enough time. Do what you can. Do enough. Consider today’s midterm elections. Today, some people volunteered and drove neighbors to the polls. Some donated to candidates, went to rallies. Others […]
It might seem logical, given the choice, to solve a problem once rather than repeatedly–but so often we miss the mark. Page turns are a consistent problem in choral rehearsals. They are the most predictable place for a choir to falter, as they briefly lose their spot. As a composer, […]
If I want to make a project ongoing – of indefinite length – here are the most important aspects it needs to have. My passion. If I’m not passionate about it, I won’t be able to keep going. Passions change over time, and so do the projects I work on. But […]
A sage, as I mentioned the other day, is a great method of curation. You can glean insight from their experience and knowledge. An algorithm can be an effective method of curation – it uses machine learning to suggest new media or ideas to you. Another method of curation I […]
After his service in World War II, Tony Bennett used the GI Bill to study bel canto singing – probably many of the same songs and techniques we ask young voice students to learn today, including art songs in multiple languages. At age 92, he is still performing, touring, and interpreting songs […]
We’ve gained so much from easy access to musical recordings. I can sample thousands of recordings as I seek to expand my own knowledge and appreciation. A student can immediately find and impeccable recording of whatever song I assign her. A neophyte can immerse himself in an entire musical world […]
Some of the things you teach today are important for tomorrow. Some are important for the next generation. Most of our time in school – choir and elsewhere – is spent planting annuals. Annual flowers are ready to bloom pretty much when you plant them, and they die with the […]
The music isn’t done until you share it. It’s only when you perform it for another – a recording, a video, a live performance – that you have completed a loop that started when the composer created the song and began to live when you learned it. It’s important to […]
Comfortable conversation can be a powerful tool for team building. Honest sharing, laughter, gentle teasing: really, any kind of verbal connection can be effective in bringing your choir closer together. It’s easy to feel like you’ve failed your choir’s mission if your spend a chunk of time just having conversation. […]
The question I least like to hear from my students or my children – and from my own mind – is this one: “Is that enough?” Better to ask, “Does that solve the problem?” Or “Is that what’s needed?” Or my personal favorite, “What else can I do to help?” […]