Every once in awhile, usually when I’m in the middle of a slew of pieces about assault, my mom will check in with me about my writing. “You are taking the time to write happy music, right?” she often asks. It’s a time-honored song and dance—she asks, I reassure; lather, rinse, repeat. Less often,
Read MoreIn the last year, I’ve sat down several times to break down problematic and offensive programming and publishing decisions by major music institutions. Sometimes it’s started on Twitter, sometimes on my blog, but I’ve found myself circling back to many of the same issues again and again and again. In
Read MoreOver the past few years—especially since the election—I’ve seen lots of meaningful conversation, art, and advocacy on behalf of women composers and their work. I’ve seen an elevation of public consciousness—not necessarily across the board, but within classical and jazz spheres, to be certain. And yes, we’ve got a lot
Read More[The following is a transcript of a thread I did on Twitter this evening. I’ve kept things as intact as possible, besides some minor punctuation changes to make it make sense when it’s not delivered 280 characters at a time. Additional thoughts added for this version are in brackets.] So
Read MoreMy dear readers, friends, colleagues, and peers, I’ve had the time of my life in 2019 working with a series of commissioners on new works and bringing many of my 2018 pieces to the stage for the first time. By my best count, I’ve written almost an hour of music
Read MoreI don’t like being the only gender-marginalized person in an ensemble. Let’s talk about why.
Read MoreOnce upon a time, I accidentally opened up a Title IX investigation. “Lead the change,” a professor told me. Hang onto your hats; it gets weirder.
Read MoreWe’ve got music to play, and for the first time, a lot of it’s our own. Let’s talk about where we’re playing those shows and why.
Read MoreLet’s talk about Paying Your Dues and irresponsible gatekeeping, particularly in the Phoenix jazz community. Buckle up; this is a long one.
Read MoreLet’s talk about how we tell each other we like each other. (Hint: it’s complicated.)
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