In life there are many pairs of opposites. Order and freedom. Reason and passion. Justice and mercy. Equality and individuality. Tradition and innovation. Like long tones and lip slurs, these represent divergent goals.

"The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity." - W.B. Yeats I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about uncertainty. I’m uncertain how much. I’ve thought about it so much my mind sometimes gets twisted in knots. Like the King in the famous musical, “In my head are many facts, … Continue reading In No Uncertain Terms →

“Seatbelts Save Lives.” When I was growing up, I saw this slogan often. Even before seatbelt laws, ads encouraged people to wear seatbelts. I remember watching driving safety films in high school that graphically depicted what could happen if the driver or passengers of a car didn’t wear seatbelts. They also showed what could happen … Continue reading Coyote Logic →

Captain’s Log: Now have 6 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies remaining. Make that 5. Our mission has been extended. Concerned supply won’t last. So far crew unaware of the problem. Sooner or later they will figure it out. Captain's Log: Down to last box of Girl Scout cookies. Rationing in order. Decided to keep them … Continue reading Captain’s Log: Social Distancing →

In the late 1980’s, I had the opportunity to take a course in Baroque music under the guidance of Dr. A. Peter Brown (1944-2003) of Indiana University. Knowing Dr. Brown was a thorough and knowledgeable professor, I had anticipated the course would cover a lot of ground. I was not wrong. I kept my notes … Continue reading Good Advice →

Jack was the one to beat. This was not his real name, but it will do. I knew about Jack from the year before. He was a fine trumpet player and was by all accounts most likely to win first chair in District Band. We were all expected to learn our parts and audition for … Continue reading Competition Revisited →

Years ago, I worked with a trumpet student who thought I “didn’t care” about his progress. His reason was simple: I didn’t “yell” at him like his old band director did. Apparently, he was under the impression that the more someone cares, the more they should act like a drill sergeant. I assigned good quality … Continue reading What does it take? →

Whenever something bad has happened or may be about to happen, we have a few choices. These depend on how much we care, how invested we are in the outcome. My dad used to say things like, "If you really care that damn much about it, then why don't you do something? Don't just complain, … Continue reading When You Care Enough →

When I was teaching orchestration, we would have a “play day” for each project. Students would provide a Sibelius (music notation software) file, the class would listen, and we would offer comments. I would sometimes make edits or revisions in a project to demonstrate how a change or two might improve it. One day, as … Continue reading A Good Question →

Many years ago, my wife and I lost a dear colleague to breast cancer. She battled the disease for several years and underwent a mastectomy and eventually the amputation of one arm before the cancer took her life. She was a caring person, and to put it in the terms of one of my mentors, … Continue reading Two Thoughts →