arrange • compose • conduct
“If you go to the dentist twice a year, but never brush your teeth, your teeth are all going to fall out.” – Simon Sinek It’s not big mistakes that cause us to fail, it’s little ones. It’s missing the daily 5-10 minutes of piano practice. It’s not writing your […]
Three great reasons to record your ensemble: Musicians learn new ways to listen and make music in the studio. Conductors expand their ears and learn their strengths and weaknesses as they produce recordings. You have a permanent memory for the ensemble to carry with them. Studio recordings are powerful educational […]
When to make next time better is right after you finish. Don’t wait, don’t postpone. Find time when it’s fresh in your mind to make as many notes as you can. Discuss ideas, admit errors, and celebrate successes. In a week or a month, you might have more time – […]
In the book La Bella Lingua, author Dianne Hales devotes a chapter to “Eating Italian” – the words surrounding Italian food. She describes, “one of my favorite Italian proverbs: Anche l’occhio vuole la sua parte (the eye too wants its part). In Italy food must be bello as well as buono.” Having just returned from a choir tour […]
As we read and learn new music, there are many chances to roll and sing a first chord before singing through a section. Typically, we roll a triad and then build it from the bottom up: Root-Third-Fifth. Try these two tips instead: Only play the root. If our goals include […]
Schools don’t give students adequate opportunities to learn how to lead. The students lead anyway. They lead anyway, because they are called, because they are passionate, because someone needs to. Today I was lucky to attend one of many events nationwide on the anniversary of the Columbine shooting. Students led, […]
The core of leadership is in Step 2. One of my all-time favorite cartoons is this math-y cartoon by Sidney Harris. But it’s not just math. The secret of great leadership, and the lesson new leaders need to learn, is that leadership happens in step 2. Leadership isn’t having […]
In an excellent recent longform essay, Tim Urban of Wait But Why unpacks How to Pick a Career (That Actually Fits You). I want to highlight one idea from early in the piece: Kids in school are kind of like employees of a company where someone else is the CEO. But no […]
How would you sing if you knew your audience was hearing choral music for the first time in their life? How would you sing if you knew your audience was hearing choral music for the last time in their life? I think in both cases, you would singing with passion, trying […]
When someone’s behavior doesn’t match your expectations, make a generous assumption. Assume that their failing is a result of being busier than you can imagine. Or assume that it’s because they’ve had a sinus infection. Assume their parent is in hospice, they’ve just lost a pet, they stubbed their toe in […]