Jed Scott Music

Note: this is the seventh of a series of posts investigating the leadership style of John Wooden and its applicability to choral music education. John Wooden’s second block in the second tier of his Pyramid of Success is ALERTNESS. Wooden says, “Perfection doesn’t exist. Thus, actively be alert and looking for imperfections in your team and your competition. […]

Last rehearsal we discussed long phrases in an Arcadelt piece we’re working on. In particular, I pointed out that one phrase seems to defy the barlines that the editor has provided us. I asserted that because Arcadelt didn’t think in strict 4/4, it’s important that we take the long view with […]

I snapped a 39-day Duolingo streak last week. I was so preoccupied, I didn’t even know it had snapped until the app told me the next day. (And offered to restore it for $2.99, but that’s another story.) When a streak breaks, it’s easy to question your ability to execute the skill at all. […]

Sight reading can seem mysterious, a skill you either have or you don’t. And certainly, when you’ve mastered a number of pieces, sight reading becomes fluent. But in the meantime, one strategy I encourage is to look for the patterns. As I sat with my son sight reading a piano piece the […]

As an educator, my life is spent building the skills of amateurs – helping them to grow in knowledge, technique, and insight. One weekend a year, though, I get to work with pros to support my students…and I’m reminded what it’s all for. Professionals see the big picture immediately. They interpret not at the note-by-note […]

I just went for a run and came back with a heart more open to the world. Whatever your personal opinions, I truly believe that you, like me, want to heal the fractured relationships in our world. You want to understand the people you disagree with, you want to walk through the day […]

People who make music together cannot be enemies, at least while the music lasts. – Paul Hindemith Your assignment: make music together today with someone you disagree with.   (This is the Grand Rapids Symphony Youth Choruses – and if you squint, you can find my son Owen, in a light blue […]

I have no words today. Do you feel the same? A lot of teachers will be at a loss today, unable to find the words they need to process the election. And so I lean on Hans Christian Andersen’s famous words: When words fail, music speaks. Here are three ideas to help you get […]

I work almost exclusively with bright young people who are disenfranchised by the voting age. The outcome of today’s election will profoundly influence the direction of this countries on issues that affect them more than anyone. Education. The Environment. Health Care. Social Equality. These are issues where 17-year-olds, 10-year-olds, 5-year-olds need their voices heard. […]

The ideal kindergarten experience leaves lots of room for making a mess. Markers, glue sticks, glitter, popsicle sticks–there’s lots of clean up involved, but these are important tools for spurring creativity and empowering brain development. In many public school systems, pre-secondary music has been cut to the bone or eliminated; in these […]