arrange • compose • conduct
Favorite books can be the best insight into a person’s philosophical outlook. You can learn so much about someone by the books they recommend to you. Wouldn’t you like to know someone’s Life Bibliography? That is, a list of the books that have shaped their life and contributed most deeply […]
In his wonderful headlining sessions at the MSVMA Summer Conference, ACDA Executive Director Tim Sharp shared many great ideas that will affect my work. One sentence of his that I wrote down has been echoing in my ears since he said it: On the other side of tension is the emergence of […]
The best part of a summer conference is the moment when you can’t wait to be in front of your students again. It can come from a session, during a speech, or just from a rich conversation with a trusted colleague. In any case, the conference has facilitated your rejuvenation. […]
A conference offers three major benefits to prioritize. Learning. New ideas, strategies, music. Inspiration. Motivation to improve, renew, or reinvent yourself. Connection. With friends old and new. Walk into a conference knowing those three benefits, and prioritize them. These priorities can change over the course of your career (with a […]
The sooner you recognize that there’s a second, secret, school you can enroll in, the better. Some never realize it, or discover it only after college is over. Others perceive it in elementary school, and are able to enroll in Secret School and get all the advantages of concurrent enrollment. […]
That blissful July hour isn’t what you think it is. Here’s what that July hour means. That yoga class? It’s actually an hour spent after school consoling a student struggling with anxiety. That walk in the woods? It’s actually an extra long weekend at Solo & Ensemble. That soft serve […]
Welcome to Week 1 of The Definitive Version, a new weekly feature of my website. You can read more about the project here. Song: Misty Composer: Errol Garner Lyricist: Johnny Burke Form: AABA, 32-bar Standard Key: E-flat major Composed by Errol Garner in 1954 and first recorded by him in 1955, Misty is a super-standard: […]
For each piece your choir sings, you, the conductor, need to determine how the choir will engage with you and your audience. You have the following options: Singers remain focused solely on you throughout the piece. Singers remain primarily focused on you, but are also able to engage at some […]
First rehearsal is around the corner for many choral ensembles. One of the most important things you can do in that rehearsal is establish pace. The pace of your rehearsal is primarily determined by the amount of time it takes to go from one musical moment to the next. Part of […]
Sometimes having something to say precedes saying it. Often, though, having a place reserved to say something helps you find something to say. Put another way: it’s easier to know what you think when you have to say it out loud. Having to say something helps you have something to […]