arrange • compose • conduct
Just a quick perspective to carry forward on the trope that teachers “have summers off.” The truth is that teachers are a different kind of busy. If they aren’t heading off to summer jobs, as is increasingly common, they are getting caught up on projects that they had to set […]
How many listens does it take to fall in love with a piece? The truth is, it varies. You might need lonely one listen to understand, love, and sing along with the latest top-40 pop song, while understanding the Shostakovich string quartets might take dozens of listens or more for […]
In the musical revue Sondheim on Sondheim, the composer says the following in one of his video narrations: I write on yellow pads. I prefer the kind that have exactly 32 lines on them, because it means that you can make alternate choices of words in between two lines. If there […]
It’s easy to say “I love you” on the easy days. But love means saying “I love you” when it’s hard. It’s what good teachers do so well. They give love to their students in real, subtle, tangible ways every day. When it’s easy and when it’s hard. Admittedly, it’s […]
Sometimes, the most powerful action is to be still. Sometimes, the most powerful action is to be kinetic. Recognizing which it’s time for is the secret.
It won’t take you long on social media to find someone inviting recommendations for books, podcasts, TV shows, or other cultural goods. (In the choral world, the most common posts in conductor discussion groups are looking for [1] repertoire recommendations and [2] behavioral problem suggestions.) Step back for a second, […]
A teacher’s summer is, among other things, for rebuilding capacity that she can use during the busy months with no time to slow down. (Though that is increasingly hard as more and more teacher spend their summers in second jobs, extra professional development/training, or working their social media side hustles […]
Take a listen to the news, and you have reason to abandon hope. Michigan candidates are repeating that Michigan third-graders are the worst readers in the country. (Erroneously repeating, mind you.) TV and online news offer shocking or salacious stories to entice their audience, and we tend to assume they […]
Asking questions can be hard. I think we’re taught, unwittingly, that asking questions – betraying lack of knowledge – is a sign of weakness. Teachers, parents, mentors want answers from you, not questions. Which is ironic, because I think one of the things teachers most want is to be asked […]
Design an audition to reflect what you prioritize. There are many “right” ways to hold an audition; many “right” things to prioritize: Ear Sight singing Solo potential Heart Reliability Intellect Perseverance Passion Musicality Probably your ranking of these characteristics is different than mine, and that’s as it should be. Every […]