Ready to Rumble?

Thursday, March 28, 2013

A leader can sometimes be blind to what is obvious to everyone else.  I learned this more than 25 years ago when I guest-conducted one of the most famous American orchestras in the Rumble scene from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story.

The Rumble is a violent piece, bursting with explosive, jagged syncopations. It’s tricky to […]

Continue Reading

The oboist's perspective

Saturday, March 23, 2013

At some point in every Music Paradigm session I ask one participant to come to the podium, stand in front of the orchestra and hold the baton in her hand. I then move her arm in such a way that the musicians can read the baton’s movements. For the participant it is an astonishing sensation: […]

Continue Reading

Leadership Without Authority

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

How do you exercise leadership when you don’t have any authority over the people you’re supposed to lead? This is one of the most frequent challenges I hear about as I prepare to design Music Paradigm sessions. Every time I’m reminded of a story that Mark Kiefaber, the brilliant Lead Partner at Focus Leadership, LLC, […]

Continue Reading

The Pope on working like an orchestra

Saturday, March 2, 2013

On his last day, Pope Benedict XVI was widely quoted as saying “May the College of Cardinals work like an orchestra, where diversity — an expression of the universal church — always works toward a higher and harmonious agreement.”

I am grateful to Pope Benedict for drawing the world’s attention to the symphony orchestra. I […]

Continue Reading

Watching Daniele Gatti

Friday, March 1, 2013

I recently attended the dress rehearsal of the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Parsifal. I had heard great things about the conductor, Daniele Gatti, and was excited to see and hear what he’d achieved.

The Met orchestra always sounds great. But this time it seemed to speak with one voice. It was as if every musician […]

Continue Reading