arrange • compose • conduct
There is a moment when a choir is starting to dig in its heels, hoping that, perhaps, they won’t have to put in the hard work to learn a tricky language or harmonic progression. Or maybe not digging in their heels, just in denial about the personal work it will […]
Whenever I go to conferences, I’m always amazed by the sophisticated, polished music-making delivered by the choirs my colleagues conduct. And I also try to remind myself: you are viewing a cropped frame. A photographer or filmmaker crops her image to show what she wants you to see. She cuts out […]
Not all conducting jobs are created equal. It’s worth taking a minute to ask, “what’s my function?” In this rehearsal, am I a … Cheerleader? (I encourage the choir to higher peaks.) Task master? (I exhort the choir to lose their bad habits.) Facilitator? (I assist the choir in their […]
One of the best tricks I’ve learned, with practice, is to dream without being tied to the outcome. Dream big dreams, and try your hardest to succeed. But don’t let your self-worth, your feeling of life success, be tied to the outcome of any one dream. It’s not precisely easy, […]
We lost the revelatory poet Mary Oliver today. And while others will remember her for her Pulitzer Prize and her contributions as a leading American author, I will prefer to remember her as the author who can make every person in my house laugh, cry, smile, and nod in agreement […]
It might take a snow day (or two in a row!) to remember that you’re not as in control as you think. In our climate-controlled, rigidly scheduled, satellite-beamed lives, you can feel like how your spend your hours and minutes is decided by you, alone. But a snow day can […]
Arranger, conductor, educator, and vocal jazz legend Phil Mattson passed last week at the age of eighty. I didn’t know Phil Mattson as well as his closest students, but I knew him pretty well, thanks to attending his week-long boot camp four times (known officially as the Phil Mattson Vocal […]
We use “wrangle” in many situations, but it’s worth remembering that it comes from herding livestock, and especially herding horses. A herd of horses doesn’t want to be wrangled. The horses want to call the shots on where they’re going. It’s the same with being tired. You need to learn […]
It’s vital to know the answer to the question, “Is this sustainable?” But it’s not always possible to know in advance. You can’t know what a project is going to cost – monetarily, but also in emotional labor and time. So before committing to a long-term project, commit to a […]
I remember the first IAJE conference I attended, at eighteen. I didn’t understand how so many of my teachers, mentors, and idols seemed to be so casual about missing sessions or concerts I viewed as essential. I had my conference schedule obsessively highlighted and mentally practiced the paths I needed […]