The Seven Best Books I Read in 2020

The Seven Best Books I Read in 2020

I love taking time in December to look back at all the books I’ve read during the year.

As in years past, I set out with a book list, and then I changed my mind as I discovered books in the library (pre-COVID!) and books came recommended by friends. Also, as the world shifted and changed this year, I looked for books to reflect that.

This year, I read 27 books (not counting the ones I started and didn’t finish).

Looking for book recommendations for 2021? Today, I’m sharing the seven best books I read in 2020, along with a brief description of what I liked about each one:

Introducing Musician & Co. - A New Resource for Self-Employed Musicians

Introducing Musician & Co. - A New Resource for Self-Employed Musicians

Ten years ago, Steve and I finished our master’s degrees at the Eastman School of Music and set out to build careers in music.

We decided to make a move that was less common in our field at the time: Instead of heading to a big city with lots of opportunities to begin a freelance career, we moved to a small town in rural Massachusetts.

That became the impetus for everything that followed.

Editorial: Looking for Light

Editorial: Looking for Light

This year, December feels a little different.

For those of us used to the rush of dress rehearsals and holiday concerts, dinner parties and family gatherings, neighborhood caroling, and late-night Christmas Eve services, this December is a little different.

We know what it means to be "the people walking in darkness." We long to see a great light.

And we're growing tired of waiting.

But maybe it's here, in this waiting, that we'll find it. Maybe it's not a great light we're waiting for, but small fragments, like the tiny flames that dot the dark sanctuary on Christmas Eve.

Maybe we've been looking in the wrong places.

How to Host a Virtual Christmas Party for Your Choir

How to Host a Virtual Christmas Party for Your Choir

This year, things look a little different.

The Christmas Eve service will be a little smaller, a little simpler, and maybe completely virtual, with choir members scattered and singing from their homes.

The children’s Christmas Pageant will be presented via Zoom with an array of virtual backgrounds (no really, here’s a virtual Christmas pageant kit).

And the annual choir Christmas party? Well, that’s going to be different, too.

But don’t let a global pandemic keep you from celebrating the season with your singers! You can still have a (virtual) Christmas party even if you aren’t able to gather together in person.

The Tools I Use to Run My Business (and My Life)

The Tools I Use to Run My Business (and My Life)

In today’s digital age, there are a number of software programs, hosting platforms, apps, and tools designed to help you do your best work.

Some are designed to simplify things or take the guesswork out of decision-making. Others are designed to save you time and help you focus more on creating than organizing or getting set up.

I'm always curious about what tools and resources others use to organize and run their creative businesses (and life in general), so today, I thought I’d give you a peek behind-the-scenes into my own life and business and the tools I use on a daily and weekly basis.

3 Things I'm Learning About Being a Musicpreneur

3 Things I'm Learning About Being a Musicpreneur

I always knew I wanted to be a freelancer. I liked the variety of doing different kinds of work: teaching, accompanying, writing, creating, designing.

But I didn’t really know what it meant (from a practical standpoint) to be a music entrepreneur (musicpreneur for short) until I was in grad school.

As a musicpreneur, you wear two hats:

  • You’re the CEO — the money person, the one making big decisions about your brand and values and the work you’ll do, the one paying quarterly taxes and reading about SEO and conversion rates.

  • And you’re the artist — the creative one, the dreamer, the idea person, the one seeking inspiration and doing the work, the one learning the music and planning the lessons and exploring the bounds of creativity.

A New Virtual Children's Music Curriculum for Advent

A New Virtual Children's Music Curriculum for Advent

Advent looks a little different this year, doesn’t it?

In the midst of a global pandemic, we know what it feels like to be a people walking in darkness, waiting for the light. We know what it feels like to hope for something and long for peace in the world.

This year, Advent takes on new meaning for us. But that doesn’t mean we have less to celebrate.

Whether you're gathering via Zoom or in person (6' apart), here's a fresh, creative resource you can use with your children's choir this season.

8 Skills That Set You Apart as a Church Musician

8 Skills That Set You Apart as a Church Musician

A career in church music and ministry requires a variety of skills:

  • Performance skills: playing for worship and accompanying choirs, instrumentalists, and congregational singing. It sometimes includes harmonizing melodies, improvising, transposing, and even composing some of your own service music from time to time.

  • Leadership skills: choosing music that ties in with the rest of the service, perhaps selecting hymns each week, and leading the congregation in song.

  • Educational skills: introducing a variety of musical styles into worship, teaching new hymns or songs to the congregation, and if you’re directing an ensemble, teaching music-reading, rhythm, technique, musical expression, and aural skills.

Editorial: The Doing is the Thing

Editorial: The Doing is the Thing

There’s a lot going on in the world these days and a lot to occupy our minds and hearts.

There are new rules (keep 6’ of distance from others), old rules (love your neighbor), and a running list of things to remember (first and foremost, what day is it?).

There are racial injustices and protests happening around the U.S., a global pandemic to worry about, and an upcoming election that has everyone picking sides (p.s. Are you registered to vote?)

What do we do with all this information?

How to Host an Online Piano Recital

How to Host an Online Piano Recital

Every year in my studio, we celebrate the end of the school year with a spring recital.

Each student prepares two pieces — sometimes memorized, sometimes with duets played by me or a parent or an older sibling or even a friend in the studio, and always with lots of supportive friends and family members in the audience.

This spring, like teachers around the world, I found myself suddenly immersed in the world of online teaching.

I knew that instead of gathering in person in the school theater on a Saturday morning in late May, we’d need to find another way to celebrate this year. We’d need to find a way to move the recital (like everything else in life) online.

Follow along with my creative work and daily adventures: @ashleydanyew

Halloween 2024… …The Lion King 🦁 Swipe to see the outtakes, including lion-wrangling and the 20th photo we took before we realized Rafiki had his mask on upside-down. 😂
The October Musician & Co. Book Club pick is… 📘 Hidden Genius: The Secret Ways of Thinking That Power the World’s Most Successful People This book is a collection of stories, insights, and lessons learned from top performers, entr
Meet Jessie Ning - pianist, graphic designer, and founder of @opushaus, a lifestyle brand for musicians. A former Creative Director at TikTok, Jessie combines her extensive background in graphic design and scenic design with her musical talents. I