arrange • compose • conduct
Setting a purpose with your ensemble is a valuable thing to do first thing in the year. Actually, second thing. First thing should be singing. But maybe halfway through your first rehearsal, pause to breathe and talk purpose. Having your own reasons for being in a choir is great – […]
Welcome to Week 6 of The Definitive Version, a new weekly feature of my website. You can read more about the project here. Song: “Nature Boy” Composer: Eden Ahbez Lyricist: Eden Ahbez Form: A B A B’ Standard Key: E Minor Eden Ahbez wrote this song for Nat “King” Cole, who premiered […]
You do best when you find your own little corner to flourish in: one that supports the work you do. I live in a community near a lake – a lake artificially engineered to have as many lakefront homes as possible. It’s a network of coves, bays, and curves from […]
We are all too busy, we are all trying to do more in less time than we used to. So when you drop a ball, I think the three steps you should take are: Pick it up. Fix the problem, restart a stalled project, or repair broken pieces. Make a […]
Is there anything quite as thrilling as ensemble folders stuffed with music for the year? So much potential! So much work ahead! Of course, the real thrill is when the music comes off the page, and becomes something alive. But in the meantime, with a group ready to sing it, there is […]
It’s a cliche to say that “absence makes the heart grow fonder,” but choir directors across the country can vouch for its truth right now. We live for the moments we get to spend making music with our singers, teaching our singers, connecting with, sharing with, emoting with our singers. […]
He was a canny performer. He knew where the camera was, how to accentuate the move, draw attention to himself. He learned at an early age how to give a performance that was unforgettable, and from his days fronting the Jackson 5 to the preparations for his final tour (memorialized […]
Knowledge is additive: you can learn just as much on the 180th day of school as on the first. But learning about your process is cumulative, like following a compass. Slight changes early in the process can have a profound impact on where you end up. That’s why it’s so […]
An experienced sailor knows to pack her foul weather gear, even if she sets sail on a cloudless day. We start the school year with grand expectations, high hopes, and the best of intentions. For most teachers, most students, and most parents, the First Day of School is as cloudless […]
Welcome to Week 5 of The Definitive Version, a new weekly feature of my website. You can read more about the project here. Song: “Cheek To Cheek” Composer: Irving Berlin Lyricist: Irving Berlin Form: A(16) A(16) B(8) B (8) C (8) A(16) Standard Key: C Major “Cheek to Cheek” was originally written for […]