arrange • compose • conduct
Over the last 30+ years of being involved in education (on one side or the other), I can’t remember a time when I didn’t come down with MiniBreak Fever after a hiatus longer than 4 days. MiniBreak Fever symptoms include: Certainty that you no longer know what you’re doing. Feeling so far behind […]
I am always on the lookout for examples of men using their head voice effectively. A well-developed head voice is one of the biggest keys to a vibrant and healthful TTBB choir sound. Students need to hear and assimilate this vocal technique. Which is why I’m so happy that Leslie Odom, Jr.’s star has […]
Sometimes the world seems against you. The journey may leave a scar, But scars can heal and reveal Just who you are. The people you love will change you, The things you have learned will guide you, And nothing on Earth can silence The quiet voice still inside you. – I Am […]
I enter this day overwhelming thankful for my musical community, who do so much to inspire me, teach me. I have a big, loving family with whom I am spending this day, but I am doubly blessed to have an even bigger musical family all over the country, and indeed the world. By […]
Note: this is the eigth of a series of posts investigating the leadership style of John Wooden and its applicability to choral music education. John Wooden’s third block in the second tier of his Pyramid of Success is INITIATIVE. Wooden says, “Failure to act is often the biggest failure of all. Initiative is the ability to act. Simple […]
I finished my last rehearsal before break with two attempts at connection. Reminding them of their connection with some Thanksgiving sharing. What are you looking forward to over break? What is your favorite food? Hearing that your choir neighbor is looking forward to seeing a cousin they never get to see, or that […]
With strongly held views, we are all liable to ignore evidence to the contrary. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to avoid this trap, and I think it comes down to one simple question. What would it take to make you change your mind? I ask myself the question often, and […]
There is often a box on an audition form that reads something like this: I will accept any role offered YES [] NO [] (If no, please explain) I am firmly in the camp of accepting any role. Perhaps the opportunity being offered isn’t what you’d hoped for or believe […]
Does your understanding of music extend beyond music? Do you appreciate, and encourage your students to appreciate, musical behavior in nonmusical situations? I love farce, particularly well-performed farce. The dialogue becomes music. The same is true of Aaron Sorkin’s beautiful dialogue. Today, I’ve been enjoying this epically brilliant duet – two very different instruments […]
This is the last day of first trimester finals at my school. Quick math…that means that the 2016-17 school year is 1/3 over. Yes, that’s right – the first third of your year is behind you. (Of course, December is still December, and choir teachers are permitted to count it twice, it’s so […]