My new Director of Music position!

I have a new job!  I’m so excited about it!  The position is Director of Music at Christ United Methodist Church in Northampton, MA. A surprise email response It must be Karma.  Just after applying for an office job online, I alerted my references by email.  The minister of the church is on my list. [...]

Guest Post: 9 Movies That Never Should’ve Become Musicals

Thanks to Jennifer Lynch of www.toponlinecolleges.com for sharing this article. Posted on January 19, 2012 by admin Music has charms to soothe the savage beast (or breast, if you’re going with the correct but weirder version of the saying), but these movies-turned-musicals have the power to have us plugging our ears and rolling our eyes. [...]

Opera rehearsals, next stage

How preparation changes to accommodate the needs of each rehearsal.

Guest Post: 10 Incredible Musicians With Physical Handicaps

Follow the links to learn more about these incredible musicians!

Last weekend’s Met broadcast

 The best opera broadcast was on the radio last Saturday from 1:00-5:00 p.m.  Bellini’s Norma, was followed by some Donizetti with Roberta Peters and Carlo Bergonzi. The Norma recording was from 1970 ~ Joan Sutherland‘s Met debut and Marilyn Horne‘s first Met Broadcast.  The cast also included Carlo Bergonzi and Cesare Siepi. (Saying “also included” [...]

How to practice for opera rehearsals

Many readers have expressed an interest in detailed practice notes. So… let’s try it! For the next few weeks, I will be accompanying rehearsals for Haddon Hall, a light opera by Sydney Grundy and Arthur Sullivan. Since it has likely not been performed in the United States, no one in the group has sung the [...]

Some perspective on rejection

Why we shouldn’t be discouraged by rejection.

Listen first, learn later?

When is it acceptable to listen to a recording before learning a piece? Most of the time, I am strongly against this as a learning method.  For purposes of interpretation, copying someone else’s recording will always sound like a copy.  It will never sound like you. One scenario I heard of two pianists who played [...]

Guest Post: What is the Suzuki Method?

Suzuki method art class ~ Image by Lee Fenner via Flickr Thanks to Brittany Lyons* of OnlinePhD.org for sharing this post. Introduction:  What is the Suzuki Method? Learning music can be a difficult process for many people to master. The different ways to learn music include gaining an understanding of musical theory on your own, [...]

Holiday Funnies (mostly)

with a BONUS!