arrange • compose • conduct
Expressive singing doesn’t happen automatically, particularly in the puritanical USA where emotions are so often viewed as something to be controlled and hidden. Particularly not in a TTBB choir, where traditional views on masculinity consider sensitivity a flaw. Particularly in teenagers, who are self-conscious and cautious of being seen as different. Here, then, are […]
More and more students have smartphones: it’s up to us to help them realize that the smartphone can be a tool for efficiency in the practice room. Here are a few of my favorite apps for practice. Metronome: MetroTimer [iOS] – there are lots of fine, fully-featured metronome apps. I like this one because it […]
I’m passionate about what I do, and one of the things I feel most strongly about is bringing new music to the world. I’m involved in the commission and premiere process on a number of different levels – writer, conductor, and something in between. All three of these roles have exciting new movement […]
One of the things I envy most of the musical stage production our students participate in every year is the repetition. Not the rehearsal repetition. The hours required to learn dialogue, staging, choreography, music are massive! No, what I envy is the performance repetition. Bright students can learn so much from each […]
I had a friend recently ask me what my rate was for guest coaching a choir. It depends, is the answer. It seems to me that freelance work comes down to one big question and two followups. Do I need the work? If yes, take the work and charge whatever you […]
This week I heard about abhorrent, racist behavior in my hometown. It made me terribly sad on many levels. But this is a blog about education and music, not politics and racism. The first article I read about the events had this quote: School officials said they hope this type of […]
Two weeks…two long weeks of no rehearsal while my students were busy putting on a musical. Last night we got back together to rehearse, despite our mutual exhaustion from 3-show-weekends, DST, and a new trimester. And: they sounded better. They had practiced individually, which helped. But perhaps more important was they started […]
Sometimes even the most committed, passionate students come up short. Whether they were too busy, too distracted, or just underestimated the challenge – your most reliable student occasionally shows up underprepared. In these situations, the overachiever can feel lost – they might not know how to pick themselves back up. It’s our job to […]
I do most of my arranging and composing between 4:30 and 6am on weekdays. That’s my sacred writing time and I can’t count on any extra time (though I sometimes steal time in the afternoons and evenings). Today’s clock-switching marks the official end of my busy writing season. I take full advantage of […]
So much of today’s choral music is so Deep. Philosophical, emotional, psychological depth is wonderful, of course. But it is only one expression of our emotional range. I would love to hear more composers express themselves less ponderously. Many choirs seem to turn to “pops”, Spirituals, or jazz for their “lighter” fare. But I see a […]