Jed Scott Music

Football can be a fabulous activity for teaching character, life skills, team-building, perseverance, flexible and reactive thinking, and plenty of other valuable lessons. Every single one can also be taught in choir, without a pervasive risk of traumatic brain injury. Here is a powerful short film of every reported concussion during a game in the 2017-18 […]

A new job comes with new arcs. When you know the arcs, you know when the busy time is, and when you ease up for a minute and coast. But with a new job, you don’t know the arcs. You have to stay constantly alert to anticipate them, or risk falling behind. It’s […]

I run four times a week – or try to. But every run this week I’ve had trouble getting out the door. Lots to do perhaps, or maybe just the cold. And then this morning, clear as day, I heard a still small voice say, “You can’t do it.” I […]

Too many people worry that their insights aren’t worth sharing. Don’t worry about that. Worry that if you don’t share your insights, someone else may never learn them. Share what you know, as often as you can.

Are reunions a thing anymore? College reunions can be pretty meaningless for a graduating class of thousands: who do you really know from the class? And as we move through college, our close connections are more likely developing across classes, based on common interest, rather than based simply on age. That’s why I love specific reunions. […]

Music students should receive written warning when their teachers are coming back from a conference. CAUTION: FIRED UP TEACHER AHEAD.   Don’t worry, students: we’ll settle back into usual routines and energy levels soon. We’re just so excited about all the amazing ideas, performances, and connections we’ve just made.

Wanting to win can be a powerful influence. It can make you want to look the other way. You could look the other way on student health, institutional failures, ethical oversights. You can look the other way in small ways and massive ways. You can look the other way intentionally or […]

Make notes right away. When you’ve just wrapped a project, don’t wait to recover before making notes on what you could have done better, what you’ll change for next time, what you thought went well. Make them now, while you’re still exhausted. While you’re still in it. Wait a couple of […]

Conferences always offer too many good sessions. You can’t possibly catch everything of interest to you – particularly if you are also using a conference as a chance to catch up, debrief, and share insights with your colleagues from across the state or country. It’s easy to be frustrated with this […]

What do you hope high school students take with them when they finish an honor choir experience? Here’s some of the things I hope for: A transcendent musical experience of higher caliber than they can have day-to-day. Social connections that continue to strengthen. A sense of what’s possible in music, and how their […]