Writing on running community music groups, teaching music, and the software that supports both.
October 14, 2026
A community orchestra rehearsal costs your musicians two hours of a weeknight they could have spent otherwise. That’s roughly a hundred person-hours for a fifty-piece group, every single week. Treating that time carefully isn’t just good practice — it’s the main way you respect what your volunteers are giving you.
October 6, 2026
Finding repertoire that sounds substantial but sits within reach of a developing community orchestra is one of the most persistent programming challenges. The literature is enormous, but a significant portion of the famous works are written for professional forces — and a group that programs beyond its level spends a whole cycle struggling instead of making music. This list focuses on works that are genuinely playable by developing ensembles, sound fuller than their difficulty suggests, and are mostly in the public domain (meaning free to download and legally copy
September 29, 2026
The holiday concert can be for a lot of orchestras the biggest audience of the year. It’s the program where audience expectations are strongest and where a well-built concert can convert casual attendees into people who come back in March.
September 22, 2026
Starting a community orchestra sounds like it could require a conservatory degree and a series of benefactors. In reality, most community orchestras begin with one person who couldn’t find a group to play with, a handful of interested musicians, and a borrowed rehearsal space. The hard parts of starting an ensemble aren’t musical - they’re organizational, and the good news is that they are all solvable. This guide covers everything from first rehearsal to a functioning organization.