If you are a music educator, then this part of the summer most likely has you researching programming options for your 2015-2016 ensemble(s).  As someone who wears the educator, composer, and conductor hats, I implore you to please consider the following:

1.  The music we program IS the music education our students receive.  Hence, if we claim that our students learn about “life & music” in our classes, then our repertoire choices must back that up.

2.  Be very selective.  For Wind Band alone, there are 2,500 pieces published every year.  98.5% of those caused the needless death of a tree.  Yes… that means approximately 37 (across all grade levels) actually deserve to be bought, taught and performed.  We have all summer plus the use of Internet to find them.  Find them!  

3.  Pursue compositions with both musical layers and symbolic layers.  The pieces themselves should be doing as much teaching as we are.

4.  “Technically Difficult & Brand New” does not equal “Worth.”  No one is impressed or fooled by directors who consistently find the most wet-inked, arduous piece each year.  These frauds' musical insecurities continue to waste everyone’s time, their own money, and teach their students a baseless lesson in taste.  If this philosophy were credible, then all tongue-twisters would be poetry.

5.  Every single time our rehearsals succumb to frustration, fatigue, burnout, staleness or distraction by the teacher or students, it can be attributed back to the moment of repertoire selection.  Inspiring music eliminates ALL of those negative mental and physical states as it engages the conductor and ensemble.  Ideally, student-musicians should mutter, “yes” following any title we call out to rehearse, not just some…. and not just one.

6.  There is no composition of quality that is “too easy” for our groups.  I know I write this all the time, but it cannot be emphasized enough...  “The whole note is the first note we learn, the last we master.”

Friends, it’s very simple.  Quality music may be hard to find, but it’s easy to identify.  It stirs us.  It immediately hits us deeper and initiates true contemplation.  A great musical work presents itself as the precise answer to a question we didn't think to ask.   Or, in the words of my own teenagers:  It gives you "the feels." 

Until next time…  Have a safe and happy 4th of July to all of my American friends!

“Something’s at the edge of your mind, you don’t know what it is.
Something you were hoping to find, but you’re not sure what it is.
Then you hear the music and it all comes crystal clear.”
[Emmett, Moore, Levine]

It seems that horrible teachers are always getting the attention.  Whether in the news or online viral videos, this minority of our profession has become the “go to” for haters who are looking to bash teachers.  But, what about the great teachers?  …The inspiring ones, the compassionate ones, the first-to-school last-to-leave teachers, the demanding ones we didn’t appreciate at the time but do now?  Those who care far outnumber those who don’t.  What do those who are conscientious all have in common?  They use their summer experiences to fuel each academic year. 

Great teachers aren’t teachers 180 days a year, they are teachers 365 days a year.  Their every experience is creatively incorporated into an upcoming unit for students.  This gives their lessons a relevance to which young minds flock.

This upcoming academic year will be my 29th year of teaching.  The nine most recent years have been as a freelancer; teaching in over thirty schools and universities each year around the world.  I can claim, with absolute certainty, that my time out of the classroom has made my teaching much more interesting and effective than any in-school preparation.  Why?  …Because the real world is filled with analogies waiting to be discovered.  Analogies are what break down classroom walls.  Analogies give deeper meanings, dimension and relevance to anything.  The foundation of every student’s “Ah-Ha Moment” can be found in an analogy. 

When and where do great teachers find these analogies?  They find them when their minds are free from the preoccupation of mundane, school-year, teacher tasks that occupy all non-instructional time in their schedules.  They find them during the summer; when they stop and look to the left and the right instead of constantly straight ahead; when they have time to travel further than ten miles from their school or their house; when they can do research or make videos to share of their own experiences that have a curricular tie. 

To my fellow teachers…  As you know, the personal attribute of wanting to instruct and guide young people does not turn on and off with the calendar.  It is innate, and it needs time to refuel.  Before September, find as many analogies as you can.  The young people who guidance counselors are assigning to your classes at this very moment will be the lucky beneficiaries of your enthusiasm.  Take time to enjoy the ride this summer.  The more you do, the more gratifying next school year will be, for all.

So, a new website is launched and everything runs perfectly!  Right?  …Well, not so much.  That’s when you find all the dead ends you inadvertently created, leading people to places that don’t exist.  Thanks to Matt Stultz and a pizza, I think those are all solved. 

Now...  Here are some hints to navigate the revised website. 

- This homepage actually scrolls down and has links for commissions, clinics and performances on the right side.

- Under the MUSIC tab, there is now a form for logging your performances of my music and seeing the performances of others.  Composing is a lonely job so I’d love to see where my music has reached!  Please list.

- Under the CONTACT tab, there is a link and form for each reason you may need to contact me:  Commissions, Conducting, Lectures, Clinics or just a “Hello.”

- The previous ABOUT tab "sub-links" are now under HOME, such as Bio, FAQs, and testimonials.

- The #HazoPics in the PHOTO section got some immediate postings and looks great.  For those of you on Instagram, if you have a photo of you and me together, please hashtag it with #HazoPics and it will automatically appear on that page!

Thanks again, everyone, and I hope you enjoy visiting these pages!  Here's to version 2.0!

Hello, everyone!  Welcome to my new and much improved website.  It was designed to be a home base for anything relating to me or my music.  It is here that you can find social media posts, reference recordings, details of how we may work together with your ensembles, commission information, photos, answers for research projects, and the latest updates regarding my composing and conducting.  This site truly encompasses everything.  I hope you find it useful and, as always, I wish you the best!

Special thanks to Matthew Stultz of "Together We Can" for his amazing help with this website!