Giving a student the stick is one of those “Pay it Forward” things we are supposed to do as choral educators. When we identify a student with both musical aptitude and the interest in becoming a conductor, it is incumbent upon us to then provide that fledgling conductor an opportunity to lead the ensemble in […]
Others
Stick Time: Pass the Baton, Literally
How to Win a Nobel Prize
Cal Newport, who writes one of my favorite blogs, posted this summary of a talk given in 1986 by Nobel Prize winner Richard Hamming. The talk he gave, and Cal’s post, speak to the value of hard work, time use, and creating conditions to foster creativity. I found it a fascinating read, and super valuable to […]
Name That Choir Tune (No. 11)
Improving Skills 5
More from Daniel Coyle: Tip #8 – To Build Hard Skills, Work Like a Careful Carpenter To develop reliable hard skills, you need to connect the right wires in your brain. In this, it helps to be careful, slow, and keenly attuned to errors. To work like a careful carpenter. . . . Precision […]
Improving Skills 4
From Daniel Coyle’s The Little Book of Talent: Tip #7 “Before you start, figure out if it’s a hard skill or soft skill.” Coyle divides up the skills we learn into two basic types: “Hard skills are about repeatable precision, and tend to be found in specialized pursuits, particularly physical ones.” He then gives […]