arrange • compose • conduct
Find a way to create a sense of urgency: it’s among the most powerful motivators for your choir. To feel a sense of urgency, there are multiple pieces that must all be in play: A sense of ownership of the music. The desire to give a positive performance. Perception of […]
Here’s a simple test of self-efficacy (for any age). Can you happily spend an hour without… A. A screen occupying your eyes and mind. and B. An authority telling you what to do, or even doing it with you. Can your children do this? Can your students? Can you?
Metaphors can be a great way to get your meaning across quickly to the choir. Here are two easy metaphors from nature. Hills. “That decrescendo was like a San Francisco road. Can you make it more like 10 Mile (pick a road in your town)?” Rivers. “There is the same […]
I didn’t know how lucky I was when I started directing this group. Ten years and so many amazing musical moments later, I wake up every Monday feeling blessed that I will rehearse with The Rockford Aces* that evening. There are 46 alums from the previous nine years, and we’ll […]
Over time, you can find people and organizations whose taste you trust no matter what. For me, they include my wife, On Being, Michael Chabon, The New Yorker, and a number of other people and organizations. There are authors, hosts, magazines, news organizations, and individuals on my list. When you discover one, […]
If you aren’t ready in here, you aren’t ready out there. One of the reasons it’s a good idea to practice performing in front of your peers is because it’s a first test of your preparation. If you can’t sing it in rehearsal, confidently, from memory, with attention to all […]
The familiar urge from your math teacher every year in middle and high school…SHOW YOUR WORK! Every student I know fights against showing every step. “Why do I need to?! It’s obvious!” Perhaps the reason we don’t want to show our work is that we don’t understand just how valuable […]
The Michigan Choral Commission Consortium (MC3) is one of my pet projects, and it’s been taking off this spring. I’m excited to share this update. The multi-fold mission of MC3 is as follows: Commission more new choral music. Include organizations that can’t otherwise afford to commission. Create a community around […]
I’m not big on self-promotion. Inasmuch as I feel it’s my duty to let people know about the things I’m doing, I’ll promote myself, but it doesn’t come naturally or frequently. But if my promotion can have a potential benefit for my students? It’s a no-brainer. I’ll stand on my […]
Seth Godin has argued persuasively that we no long have a mass culture: there are no longer things everyone has in common. What we have, Godin says, are ever-more tribes of like-minded people. But in my choirs, I love to include some things we all know. Across years, there are […]