arrange • compose • conduct
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall – four seasons. Well, sure. But actually, we have all sorts of mini-seasons. The March day when it hits almost 70, followed closely by the mid-April day when it snows an inch. chilly June mornings and sweltering October afternoons. The year is made up of over-arching […]
My family adopted a dog this past autumn, and we soon discovered that she’s a walker. Big time. She needs a minimum four miles a day to be settled at the end of the day. Her upper limit for daily mileage? We haven’t found it yet. The magic of this […]
As I watch the snow keep coming down, it’s hard to believe it, but it’s true: it’s time to think about Summer Music Camps. In particular, I’m thinking about camps appropriate for students interested in advancing their understanding of vocal jazz – as soloists, as ensemble singers, and as improvisers. […]
Here are a few currently working musicians inspiring me and influence my work. These women are singers, composers, arrangers, conductors – and often more than one of those. Jennifer Barnes Carol Barnett Abbie Betinis Sara Gazarek Jocelyn Hagen Christine Helferich-Guter Nayanna Holley Lauren Kinhan Kate McGarry Alice Parker Andrea Ramsey Kate […]
As of last Friday, I have completed my service to MSVMA as staff for the Summer Conference. For four years, I had the honor of working alongside some amazing colleagues in programming, planning, and coordinating the conference, and while I’m excited to be refocusing my volunteer time on the All-State […]
It’s rare to be present at the start of something new and important, and I feel that I got that chance last night at the inaugural performance of Mirabai, the new professional women’s chorus conducted by artistic director Sandra Snow. It should go without saying that the performance, titled “All I Was […]
A reader asked me what I most often listen to when I deprofessionalize my Christmas listening. Here are 20 of my most likely go-to Christmas albums. (You can check out a shorter Christmas playlist here.) Solo Singing The Christmas Song (Nat “King” Cole) A Merry Christmas With Bing Crosby and the Andrews […]
Every December I like to take an hour of rehearsal and do a guided listening with my students. An hour is half of our weekly time together, which should give you an idea of how important I consider this activity. Christmas songs are great for guided listening because of their ubiquity – we […]
I’m on the organizing team for the MSVMA Summer Workshop. It’s three days of sessions on a wide range of choral topics, including a headliner – this year the fabulous Sandra Snow. I started working on this year’s workshop about 50 weeks ago, just after the last one finished. It takes […]
When you really don’t feel like it, do your daily practice anyway. Usually when you get the urge to quit, it’s because there are troubles happening in other part of your life. Perhaps a longtime friend is sick. Maybe your car broke down. You didn’t get to say goodbye to […]