Musings

  • On Tater Tots, Proverbs, and Just Showing Up

    Did we know the teacher was likely only a step or two ahead of us? Probably not, but it didn’t matter because the Computer Expert followed a proverb more primal than docendo discimus, probably the sine qua non of parenting and civic engagement—and probably the best advice when the stakes fall somewhere between tater tots and rocket surgery, which is, let’s face it, nearly all of the time.

  • On Object Lessons and the Probabilities of Parenting

    Utah natives know that the often-stinking, ever-shrinking Great Salt Lake is reserved for brine flies and European tourists. So if you grew up in S...
  • Beware the Meat Dude in All Of Us

    Don’t just sell me chicken. Convince me my political foes are plotting my demise, and stockpiling thighs and drumsticks is my only path to avoid extinction!
  • How does a cat look to a mouse?

    By adapting They All Saw a Cat for narrator and orchestra, I hope I’m providing the opportunity for kids and their grownups to playfully meditate on these questions while also they experience the incredible human achievement of orchestral music. 
  • How NOT to Write a Flute Sonata in 3 Simple Steps

    Here are a few things I’ve learned about the creative process that might be useful to you next time you’re stumped or not sure what to do next.
  • One Complete Thought

    For many years, I’ve been interested in the musical discipline of counterpoint ...