Have you ever noticed how defensive we can become about our widget? We are so focused on our view of the world (our widget) that it becomes easy to assume that the piece of pie we see is the whole picture. This concept is never clearer to me than in my work in non-profit organizations. … Continued
As I have done many times in the past, I recently visited a high school in southern Texas. Their school’s choir had been chosen to sing for 3,000-4,000 audience members at our most recent Houston Symphony Family concert, Aladdin & the Arabian Nights. The air was filled with energy and anticipation. As I was being … Continued
One of my favorite things about conducting education concerts is the time just before the concert starts. I have made it my practice to stand in the lobby and greet our young concert attendees (usually with a bottle of hand sanitizer in my pocket) as they enter the lobby. I do this for a few … Continued
One of the oldest projects of the Houston Symphony League, this competition was open to student musicians 18 years of age or younger who had not yet graduated from high school and who played any standard orchestral instrument or piano. This year’s competition took place at the Moores School of Music at the University of … Continued
I have a theory that people have two modes of existence. One is to do, and the other is to think. Some people are so focused on thinking about what they can or can’t do that they simply become ineffective or inactive. Conversely, others seem to do a lot, but don’t take the time to … Continued
What is it about Handel’s Messiah that makes it such an amazing masterpiece year after year? At first blush, performing the same piece each season could become repetitive and less interesting, but it doesn’t. How can a piece of music feel different each time you perform it, even though nothing on the page has changed … Continued