T. S. Elliot stated that “the journey, not the arrival matters.“ I think we can all agree with that wonderful thought. As teachers, that is our stock-in-trade. It is what we...

As you walk into your classroom today, remember these words of Anatole France, “To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also...

When rehearsing an ensemble, one of the challenges is to convince our musicians that they must make the piece not only come to life, but do so incredibly vividly. The best way I...

I have often suggested that you should write a quote of the board at the start of a class or rehearsal, and then simply point to those words or tap on the board. I wouldn’t say a...

Seemingly every day I teach, I realize something I am doing that I need to improve, correct, or completely reimagine. It might be my choice of words, the tone of my voice, my...

I once was speaking with a perspective college first-year student about his musical studies in high school. He spoke about the ensembles and classes he had, his experiences in...

One of my favorite quotes, one that I think truly encapsulates our profession, is by the remarkable Socrates, who said, “We cannot live better than in seeking to become still...

In my last blog, I wrote about the idea of using scatter seating in rehearsals. The virtues of this approach can’t be overstated. Another related idea is using what I call...