arrange • compose • conduct
I love collage format – the holding of applause until the end of the concert – in certain situations. For example, the Holiday Collage Concert my high school music department presents every year. Collage format allowed for substantially more music in our 75 minutes concert by transitioning seamlessly from piece to piece, […]
There is a popular quote from Beethoven that goes, “To play a wrong note is insignificant; to play without passion is inexcusable.” I certainly agree that passion must be an an integral part of great music-making. However, I think there’s something even more important. Here’s what I would say: To play […]
Every day is easier than three times a week. Than once a week. If you’re forming or maintaining a habit, it’s so helpful to adopt the mindset that you do it every day. I find it really difficult to maintain habits that are inconsistent–MWF habits or every-other-day habits. But if I […]
I’ve written before about the Radio Show On Being with Krista Tippett, which is far and away my favorite audio source for inspiration. It’s a remarkable show. In September I made a list of my favorite episodes, but I have a feeling that there’s going to be a new favorite released today. […]
Note: this is the tenth of a series of posts investigating the leadership style of John Wooden and its applicability to choral music education. John Wooden’s first block in the third tier of his Pyramid of Success is CONDITION. Wooden says, “Ability may get you to the top but character keeps you there – mental, moral, and physical.” He explains […]
I believe that the silver bullet in teaching is to instill intrinsic motivation. Once a person is motivated from their very core to learn, there is nothing that will stop them from a lifetime of learning. But instilling intrinsic motivation turns out to be harder than it sounds. Every time you try to […]
My students and I have been having a lot of fun learning more about just intonation, and understanding the syntonic comma in theory and practice. I want to share these exercises by Ross Duffin, which we’ve been using to get inside just tuning. In them, he marks each note which must be […]
This setting of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” was among my first exposures to the compositional style of Alice Parker and Robert Shaw, and it remains for me a fine example of Alice’s way of thinking about arranging. I sang it hundreds of times with my caroling group in the late ’90s. (Here’s the […]
I’ve been repeating my mentor’s mantra for years: “Five minutes a day” was what Steve Zegree constantly encouraged his students to put in on various skills, from ii-V-I’s to sight reading to improvisation. I’ve repeated and believed it, but somehow I always put subconscious exceptions in, without even realizing it. […]
Dear choir directors in December: This is just a reminder that you get to make music every day for a living. As you proceed through another stressful December of tree lightings, Madrigal Dinners, caroling nights, solo auditions, extra rehearsals, and more, be sure to take a minute for gratitude. It […]