arrange • compose • conduct
Do you rely on the threat of imminent failure to get motivated? I do, too. Do you realize it’s fear of finishing that is underpinning it? “The reason is simple: they can’t push through the common fear of completion unless they can create a greater fear of total failure.” – […]
The Wait-till-I-Get-There Syndrome: “I’ll do my best when it counts.” “When I get a lead, then I’ll put in the hours.” “Once I get into Chamber Singers, they’ll see what I can do.” There are two problems with this mindset. 1. Every opportunity leads to the next one. If you […]
Yesterday I wrote about trusting yourself with your work. It’s equally important to have someone else you trust just as much. Have someone who you trust to say, “that voicing sounds weird” or “this passage in the piano doesn’t work.” And believe them. I spent three hours yesterday with my […]
Looking at the blank page is easier if you trust yourself, and if you’re not afraid to delete what you’ve written. Combine those two things, and you’ll never suffer from writer’s block. I’ve suffered the disappointment of coming back to a piece and having to delete hours of yesterday’s work. […]
Rest actually begins the 26th. The gifts have been purchased (let’s be honest, choir directors bought them either in the summer or after break started.) The gifts have been given. No one is calling to book carolers for 11 months! Don’t think about music today. Grab a thick novel, a […]
According to research by Time Magazine, These are the most popular Christmas songs, based on number of recordings since 1978. I’m using this list to compile my Ultimate Christmas album – nearly thirty of the most popular songs, in my favorite version. It’s my little Christmas gift to you. Spotify […]
It’s the seventh year of the Rockford Aces, and in that time we have had 41 members, counting all current members and alumni. 23 – more than half – of them showed up for the Aces + Alumni Christmas party on Dec. 22, one of the busiest of the pre-Christmas […]
Do you play chess? I have never played competitively, but I’ve found myself playing more as my sons are able to understand it. Already this break, we’ve played dozens of games. Morning chess with Julian. A photo posted by Jed Scott (@jedscottmusic) on Dec 12, 2014 at 4:55am PST Chess […]
Why do we get in our own way? What is it about middle- or long-term goals that makes them so hard to prioritize? A few examples: I could not count for you the number of talented singers (even future professionals!) I have seen memorizing Italian on their way to Solo […]
Here’s a thought Alice Parker shared with me during one of our conversations last year. Like Alice, I spend my musical life switching between writing music for others and conducting music by others. After a lifetime of this, Alice says that for her composing and conducting are 2 sides of the […]