arrange • compose • conduct
In the news yesterday, Adele announced she was canceling the rest of her tour due to a recurrence of the vocal cord hemorrhage that required surgery in 2011. I have several thoughts on this, many shaped by friends who are experts in teaching healthy non-classical singing technique. First, a blind spot for pop singers. Every […]
I just opened a new bottle of honey today for my tea – we buy it locally, from a beekeeper who also happens to be a science teacher colleague at the high school. And I was reminded of why I love local, unpasteurized honey. He must have recently harvested a new batch – it […]
There’s something about weddings and music. Most of my fondest wedding memories (and I’ll bet many of yours) have a musical element. A pickup choir, the live band, a favorite song that brought everyone to the dance floor. Nat “King” Cole for the mother-son dance and so many performance of Ave Maria […]
My sons are participating in immersive art camps this week – architecture for the older, clay work and drawing for the younger. One of the biggest lessons I think they’re taking away from this experience (beyond the specifics of their curricula) is the iterative nature of art. In elementary art class, students don’t have […]
When you start working from recipes, you tend to want to follow the recipe as precisely and completely as possible. Every 1/4 tsp. of salt, vanilla extract measured precisely, flour sifted exactly as directed. Over time, you learn what should stay close to the recipe, and what can be adapted. The vanilla can be substituted, or […]
Cooking experts consistently tell us that sharp knives are less dangerous than dull. With a dull knife, you have to press harder, leading to more risk of slipping and injury. A sharp knife works without effort, leading to gentler and safer cutting. But sharp knives are scarier. It’s a classic human error of […]
The social media world has buzzed today with celebrations of the 20th Anniversary of Harry Potter’s publication. Both Twitter (custom hashtag) and Facebook (fancy tagging animation) have had tributes to the series. We’re in the midst of a read-aloud trip through the series; the thing I come back to as I re-read […]
I give myself two choices with my opinions: have something positive to say, or be silent. Life is beautiful, and complex, and I want to add positivity and light into the world. So if I’m speaking out loud, or writing here or anywhere, it’s either positive skipped. It’s easy to write criticisms […]
This time of year is a great time for most choral professionals to take a step back and try to put play back into the work they do. You got into this work because you loved it. Because it brought you joy. There was a time when making music with a choir, […]
I’ve become a big believer in using streaks as a way to develop habits and skills. But there’s a liability with resting your motivation on your streak. Every streak is temporary. Literally every streak. If your motivation comes entirely from the streak, it’s easy to lose motivation, momentum, and all progress when you lose […]