arrange • compose • conduct
We tend to think of intervallic consonance on a relative scale – maybe octaves at one end, minor ninths on the other. In between you have every other interval – M3, P5, TT. It has long been my sense, though, that relative consonance is built on a sliding scale. Where one person draws the line […]
We all make epic mistakes. Sometimes (if we’re lucky) they only affect ourselves. Sometimes they’re seen live by a billion people. In every case, compassion is what’s needed. Compassion for people given false hope. Compassion for the people who have to fix the mistake. Compassion for the people who made […]
Want more responsibility? Do your best at the responsibilities you have. Want better gigs? Do your best at the gigs you have. Want a better job? Do your best at the job you have. Want a bigger role? Do your best in a smaller role. You know when you’re doing your best. You […]
I first knew I needed to make music my path when I spent a few days at a pre-orientation for a top technological institute. I was around intellectual peers, had real science-y experiences and loved the beautiful campus. But the lack of music made my heart ache, and that was how I knew. […]
A choir teacher has many jobs. But in the end, the most important one coincides with this cherished quote from Howard Thurman: “Do not ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Choir […]
I’ve struggled with the right system for students to log and report their personal practice. I’ve given detailed logs requests, simple ones, even built forms to complete. In the end, though, I typically don’t see a great response rate, particularly for an extracurricular choir like mine. The burdens our students face are […]
I was repeatedly heard yesterday urging students to make mistakes, loudly. Why loudly? The better to fix them. Because fixing mistakes is a three step process. MAKE mistakes. DISCOVER mistakes. FIX mistakes. As makers of mistakes, we tend to overlook step 2, and that’s where making them loudly can be of use. […]
The most unexpected moment to bring me to repeated tears in Hamilton: An American Musical is this song, “One Last Time.” It dramatizes George Washington’s decision not to run for a third term as president, and the reasoning for establishing the presidency as an office greater than any office holder. This level […]
Frustration is an inevitable part of learning a new skill. At the beginning of the process, you can visualize what you want to do, but you can’t actually do it. The gulf between the two is a consistent and profound source of frustration. How you handle this frustration can make a huge difference for the […]
This is the soulful, rich, true music I need today. What about you? Bobby Mcferrin’s VOCAbuLarieS came out almost seven years ago; if you haven’t listened deeply, you’re in for a magical treat today.