My private lesson students are in their final week of preparing for All-State and All-Southern auditions. Here’s what I want to remind them of before they step into the room to perform.   CONTEXT Practice Performing Students may play perfectly in lessons or when practicing by themselves, but putting them on the spot can sometimes … More Last Minute All-State Audition Tips

With the DCI audition season in full swing, questions have been rolling in on Instagram and Facebook (live stream Q&A’s on Sundays). While I’ve started putting out weekly tips on my YouTube channel, I’ve also compiled my most popular posts on the whole process in my 2nd edition of the 2017 DCI and WGI Blogpost Recap. … More 2017 DCI and WGI Blogpost Recap

I used to love watching this show on Food Network called “Dinner Impossible.” Each episode, the show’s central figure, Chef Irvine, would be given some ridiculous task, such as serving 1,000 people in the amount of time it takes most people to go grocery shopping. I learned a lot of things from watching the show, … More What’s Done? Setting Goals and Taking Action (4/5)

“How are you doing?” When I finally learned being “busy” and being “productive” were two different things, I eliminated “busy” from my list of answers. Here’s how I stopped just talking about my ideas, and found a process to actually start doing something about them. This is the second post in a series titled, “Setting … More Put it in the Calendar: Setting Goals and Taking Action (2/5)

My story for the last two years has been a succession of chapters written under the influence of inspiration, deadlines, and action. Here’s how I stopped just talking about my ideas, and found a process to actually start doing something about them. Have you ever had someone tell you about a great idea they have, … More Setting Goals and Taking Action (1/5)

Some of my analog world friends have been peering into my professional online music side of things, and through their encouragement, I thought I’d share a little bit about what I’ve been working on… I never imagined I’d be at this point, but over the last year and a half, I’ve been combining my love … More To My Analog World Friends

I once explained how reaching out to current members, vets and staff of a group can offer tremendous insight into the audition process. They’ve been in in your exact shoes, AND they’ve come out victorious in the end. Who better to tell you how they did it and inspire habits for you to adopt? I … More Bass Auditions: Do you have these traits?

We had purchased plane tickets to fly across the country, and we had no idea what we were doing. I was attending my first drum corps audition as a high schooler. My buddy, Nick, and I hadn’t even registered beforehand or gotten the audition packet. Coming from Texas, I was more distracted by the snow … More 5 Things to Do If Auditioning for WGI or DCI Soon

I came across a quote this week that I wanted to share:   “The way you live your days is the way you live your life.” — Annie Dillard   As many of you know, I have a daughter who is almost 2 years old. Everyday, I can see her changing right before my eyes. It’s … More Earplugs Everywhere