arrange • compose • conduct
The first time I wrote band charts for our school’s Dessert Cabaret, I was sure I wasn’t going to make it. It was too hard. The time between auditions and performance was only three weeks, there were some 30 different songs being performed. It was taking me 30-60 minutes per song. […]
Some tasks are tough because they’re tough. No matter how many times you assemble a 2,000 piece puzzle, it’s not easy. Prepping a space shuttle for launch is always tough. So is running a marathon (physically). Other tasks are tough because they’re new. On your first international flight, the jet lag can […]
Mistakes are part of a human life. If you don’t make a mistake in life, you’re not human. If you’re more creative, you make more mistakes – it makes you more human. When you make mistakes you should feel that you’re more human and more creative. Don’t feel bad when you […]
Whenever I attend a conference, I struggle to describe what I do. “I’m, a stay-at-home dad, write music, conduct, daily blog, …” Whoever asked is often already gone by the time I finish. It’s a typical freelancer problem – I wear so many hats, it’s hard to pin me down. […]
Alice Parker’s 90th Birthday celebration this year has included lots of festivities including Chorus America, the Harvard Glee Club Medal, and more. You can read her most recent newsletter here. Most importantly, her nonprofit, Melodious Accord, is sponsoring a major celebration with the hashtag #AliceIs90. They want you to sing a Parker […]
I haven’t missed a single day on this blog since a year ago today. A lot has happened since then – a lot of writing and a lot of connections made. One news story I haven’t written about yet involves the song “Happy Birthday To You,” which has long been […]
I’m in the midst of a project that involves lots of Great American standards. George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Rodgers & Hart. Timeless music that has been interpreted and reinterpreted for close to a century. Here’s the thing. When they were working, they were writing. You never get the feeling […]
I’m restarting a project after a 10 month hiatus. It’s just a minor piece of arts education advocacy in my community, and one that I maintained successfully for about 1 1/2 years before I fell off a cliff with it and couldn’t pick back up. There were three steps I had to take […]
Here’s a Heartwarming Halloween Story, written by my wife. —– Our oldest came home from school Friday feeling disappointed that his classmates didn’t recognize his Percy Jackson Halloween costume. There were lots of tears and lots of hugs. After the boys went to bed, the hero of our family (Jed) posted an […]
Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross were the state-of-the-art vocal jazz group of the late-’50s and early-’60s. More than any other group, LH&R brought real jazz ethos to harmony singing. They swing. They scat. They collaborate with jazz masters like Count Basie, Joe Williams, Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck. It’s a revolutionary sound – you […]