B minor is they key that Gershwin chose For his sublime creation “Summetime.” But for a previous singer the band chose A full C minor chart; hardly a crime.A half-step up makes little difference To saxophones in their ideal range, But for a vocalist, it explains whence A lovely piece can end up sounding strange.And … Continue reading June 22: Necessarily So

If I achieve some measure of success And am invited, then, to sing or play, I hope that graciousness I will possess Like Emily Saliers and Amy Ray; That when I've been performing thirty years May I still be amenable to things Both new and different with an easy cheer, And may I still have … Continue reading May 18: Mood Indigo

A woman who is looking to dispense With part-time jobs in lieu of one that pays Commensurate with her experience, Has got an interview in several days. Her research shows they have contracts galore Despite the fact the company's quite young; She's done good work with some of them before- She hopes to make it … Continue reading May 14: Revised Expectations

I speak in breathlessness at breakneck speed, My thoughts are rushing with greater rapidity. Exuberant I am, but now exceed My normal levels nearly to vapidity. But this great joy and feeling of inclusion Is rare enough that I elect to relish The giddiness, and should it prove delusion, The memory will be one I … Continue reading May 12: Buzz Buzz

Franz Schubert wrote a lovely little lied About a fish who frolicked, scales agleam Until an angler's gimmick did succeed, In hooking it by muddying the stream. Sometimes, I'm like that playful little fish Anticipating anglers' every whim, But other times, perspective's what I wish, To keep the world from seeming quite so grim. So … Continue reading May 8: Fishing

When I first heard the phrase “to woodshed,” in The context of rehearsal, I inferred That it meant chipping at a score, therein Discovering the sounds that should be heard, Such as an ancient master might have done To find the form inside a marble block, And though painstaking work is rarely fun, To get … Continue reading May 7: Woodshedding

As one who meditates must clear her mind Of vagrant thoughts, so must musicians, too, Because to notice all we are designed, And our experiences we accrue. But like a person climbing up the stairs Who pauses to admire his innate grace, Distractions all too easily ensnare, And the distracted ends up on his face. … Continue reading May 2: On Singing a New Composition