arrange • compose • conduct
This is a challenging time of year for choir directors. Because we have well-defined endings and beginnings to our year, we have clear endings and beginnings. But because of the immense advance planning necessary for a school year, we are already fully invested in the next year before this one […]
I hope, like me, you’re taking time to call to mind loved ones who have left us – especially those who served the country. One of the most potent ways to honor the spirit of America is with song, and so I share with you this amazing bit of Americana, […]
A video has gone viral in the last week showing a man learning to ride a backwards bike. The bike has been adjusted so the handlebars work opposite of a normal bicycle. It took him months of practice for his brain to learn to ride it without falling, and then […]
I’m getting ready for the Steve Zegree Memorial Celebration being held today at Miller Auditorium in Kalamazoo. I’ve tried unsuccessfully to write the story of his influence on my life – it’ll come someday – but in the meantime I thought some numbers would be appropriate. Given his love for […]
Why is it a good idea to build (and keep track of) a streak? It’s for the days when you don’t feel like doing the work. Every hash mark in your streak is like a pound weight on one side of a scale. Get up to a couple hundred pounds, […]
Becoming a magician is about developing skills. Concrete skills like palming, misdirection, forcing cards. All take deliberate practice and slow repetition. But there’s another aspect that we overlook. A good magician can see what he’s doing from the audience’s perspective. It’s only by knowing what they are seeing that she can position […]
Tonight is the Rockford Choirs’ Farewell Concert. For me, it’s a good time to reflect on the students saying goodbye. Have I served them? Are they walking away musically, intellectually, spiritually richer for having been in my choir? It’s easy to focus on the “stars” – the ones heading off […]
I’ve started training for a half-marathon later this summer. There are lots of things in life you can cram for: math tests, presentations at work, 16-bar solos for an audition. The things I care about, though, can’t be mastered in a day. Being a great parent. Making music with an […]
It’s hard to go against the current in society. It’s hard to listen to your heart and go in the direction you truly believe is best. Modern American society is great at discouraging individuals from being different. Cultural reinforcement of the norm has never been more pervasive. It’s ironic when […]
When you’re competent, you get asked to do things. What a flattering experience: to be trusted with a new project, a new job. But saying “yes” to every offer means taking time away from other important activities. The thing to do is look ahead. Where do you want to go? […]