arrange • compose • conduct
There are lots of ways a piano can help increase your practice efficacy. Here are ten: Use the piano to play your part in time with your singing. Use the piano to play first and last pitches in each phrase. Use the piano to play the full accompaniment as you sing. Use the piano […]
We go through many stages in our development of skills. Here’s a rough outline of the progression. I can’t do this at all. I can’t do this well. I can do this well as long as I’m not doing anything else. I can do this well with slight distractions. I […]
“I work from a hypothesis of generosity with you. If things are not going well, I assume the best I can about your intention and behavior, and I ask you about it.” – Brené Brown, in conversation with Krista Tippett (unedited interview) I find that approaching work, love, and life with this generous mindset […]
Do it now. You are overestimating the stress you will feel when you dig into the work you need to do. You are underestimating the stress of having it hang over you until you start. Do it now. You are overestimating the difficulty of the work. You are are underestimating the great […]
What is your favorite pizza place in the world? Chances are, your favorite pizza is excellent, but also tied to fond memories. For example, at dinner tonight, as we discussed this question, I admitted that I have never had a better pizza than the one I had sitting outdoors on the streets […]
If you don’t plan for a Snow Day, it will come on your final rehearsal before a performance. (This could be any school-canceling calamity, of course.) This is particularly challenging if, like me, you only rehearse once per week. A well-placed Snow Day can wreak havoc on the arc of your preparation. […]
When you hope or plan for a Snow Day, the best you can get is “met expectations.” The worst is “deeply disappointed.” But when you don’t hope or plan for a Snow Day, the worst you can get is “met expectations.” The best is, “unexpectedly delighted.” If you’re near me […]
Do you post a weekly note for your students? I remember the long-hand notes posted on the ensemble bulletin board in college – they were so beneficial in helping me focus my own practice, personal goals, perspective on upcoming events, and enhance buy-in to the group. Bulletin boards may be passé, but you already have the […]
On the really, truly busy days – when you feel like you’ve run a marathon before lunch and then the speed picks up, it’s easy to feel as if it’s always this busy. You’re drowning in busy-ness and it will never change. On those days, it helps me to widen my lens. […]
If you shovel your driveway when the snow is fresh, the snow usually comes up easily, leaving clear pavement. If one car drives on it, you’re left with deeply compressed tracks that are near-impossible to clear. Before you express anger to your students, before your temper gets the better of you, remember: expressing anger in […]