Fifth Concert

It's my first Tuesday without any choir.  It also means Thursday will be without choir.  And now my Tuesdays and Thursdays are available for thesis research, homework, presentation designing, and graduate school applications.  Right now, my goal is to finish my graduate applications to three of the schools except the final video, which will be done next week (after our concert this weekend).  Once those three schools are done, I can apply to another school or two- maybe.  And then here I am!

My teacher came to observe the choir rehearse last night.  He also made mention that this was my fifth concert with them, and every concert the group gets better.  That was nice to hear.

Right now I am waiting for my iMovie to create a movie so I can put it on a DVD and sent it out with an application.  Let's see how fast it can move!

I think I was supposed to start Le Roi David tomorrow in conducting lessons (at least that's what my teacher told me Sunday night)- but I have not even looked at it.  I have not received my score in the mail.  So with that in mind, I'm off to look at some music for Winter Festival and then Le Roi David!

Just Another Wednesday

Yesterday was a really good day.  But it was the longest day I have had in awhile, or at least it felt long.

It started in the morning with my run.  Then immediately I tried to fix a broken light.  By "immediately", I mean I got home from my run, showered, and in my rob was climbing on the piano bench to take out the florescent light bulb.  John has been taking care of a lot of house-related things lately because I have been so busy.  For example, he's taken care of car repairs (whether in the shop or fixing the front headlight).  He also is spearheading the selling of our car.  So I thought I would try to take care of the three burned out lights. After resetting the breakers and causing some sparks, I got one of the lights to work again, but not the other two.  I met up with a friend for lunch (whose birthday is today).  We went to school and then our hour long choir rehearsal turned into an hour and a half.  At this point I was going to making some photocopies and PDF files for graduate school applications, but it turned out that we had a guest teacher for our conducting lessons and instead of our half an hour lesson, we would have a 2 hour master class (more on that later).  Immediately after that I met up with a student to go over some music I am conducting in her recital.  Then I ate supper before our 7:00 rehearsal last night with choir and percussion.  From 7:00-8:25 we rehearsed Carmina Burana.  Then from 8:45-10:05 Chamber Choir rehearsed their music.  My friend Mike gave me a ride home so I was home by about 10:25.  I got home and pretty much collapsed.  So, a good day but really full and lots of singing.

We had a guest teacher in conducting lessons yesterday.  His name is James Kim and he is the director of Choral Activities at Colorado State University.  My friend Austen received his masters under Dr. Kim.  Before my lesson I was really nervous.  First because I felt like I didn't have Britten's Festival Te Deum completely in my body.  I had the pattern and I knew what I wanted musically, but I still hadn't incorporated showing everything yet.  However, in my 30 minute lesson we made it through the entire piece and went back to work different sections.  It was my first (and last) lesson on the Festival Te Deum.  I received some great musical feedback from Kim.  I agreed with everything he said and some of my fancy gesture work was thrown out the window because it made it more difficult for the singers to make it chant-like.  I literally needed to make my gesture passive at times.  He didn't comment much on what musically I was doing.  Two of my conducting colleagues said it seemed like I was really solid and only Mike said I seemed a little uncomfortable, but it still seemed as if I knew what I was doing and what I wanted.  So next week we are working on Winter Festival stuff for Women's Choir.  Dr. Kim told JT that he was really impressed with us- said we were doing great things with great literature.  He also commented on how our teacher "must beat us up."  We laughed because... yes, that's kind of true at times.

I thought I wanted to do a Requiem next, but thinking about the rep out there, I might want to do one of the Brahms choral/orchestra pieces (Gesang der Parzen maybe?) or Honegger's Le Roi David.  I hope we have time.  I will also have to do recital rep. It would be nice to do Gesang der Parzen.

Sequoia

A brief explanation of photos:

This one was taken on top of Moro Rock.  Great hike.  Great Heights.

This one is the largest tree in the world (volume-wise).  The General Sherman Tree.  It was amazingly huge and the trees were so massive.  This tree is in something called the "Giant Forest."

This picture below is the fire I built even though John said, "Let's see you light it, girl scout."  And I did.  It only took me 7 matches.  But I did not need paper for kindling.  

Below is the tent we set up.  Stephanie and Brandon gave it to us as a gift for our wedding and we finally used it.  Perfect size. 

We woke up at 5:45 AM to drive to Panoramic Point and see the sun rise.  Well worth it.

This picture was from our hike today in Sequoia National Forest.  It was on the Boole Tree Trail.  

Collaboration

My conducting lesson was cancelled yesterday since it's a pretty big week for my teacher with one of his other jobs.  While I miss having the lesson, I was not prepared for my new piece- which is Benjamin Britten's Festival Te Deum.  I have looked at it.  I have markings.  I know the patterns and some of the shape I want, but I certainly do not feel comfortable enough even to fake it yet.  This weekend John and I are going camping, but I will have to bring my conducting.  Gone all weekend- and I can't take that time off of conducting.  The good news is that I will bring no other work with me.  

Last night in my orchestral conducting class my professor explained a situation he had happening in a community orchestra he conducts.  He is the artistic director/conductor of a community orchestra in Michigan.  They have collaborated in the past with the chorale in town.  Apparently the director asked JMS (my professor) to collaborate on something, and he said sure.  But then the director scheduled a concert a week before an orchestra concert.  JMS told the choir director they couldn't make that date work and the choir director said they were going to move forward with it anyway.  So now they are not collaborating.  And JMS shook his head and said, "I've just about had it with choral directors."  (Except, he said it with his German accent).  Stephen, a fellow choral student, and I giggled a little and JMS looked at us and said, "But not with you."  But it was evident, from various things last night, that JMS was not happy with people who don't collaborate.  He made a few other remarks too, although less obvious.  

This led me to think about collaboration.  Sometimes collaboration is difficult because the directors are not on the same page.  The collaborations I have done that really work are the ones that are thoroughly discussed and envisioned beforehand.  Not simply a, "It would be great to collaborate on this- what do you think?"  But an excitement, a discussion of the process, of what a collaboration would take up in terms of time, etc.  And then it takes trust (that the other person will prepare their ensemble, that who ever is conducting will do a good job, etc).  I enjoy collaborating.  I think it gets more people invested and involved.  

Alright, back to Festival Te Deum!

Genesis

If a student signed up to be a keyboardist for an early music group, you would not expect them to say, "Realizing figured bass is not really what I do as a pianist."  Seeing as I am not the professor for this group but just volunteering my time, I am not going to worry about it.  I will also not do this next semester.

Listening to "Genesis" by Charles Wuorinen.  It's my last large master work!  This means I will start reviewing, because initial study is done.  I won't worry too much about studying until Christmas break (over which there will be much writing revision and studying). How excellent!

The Past Month in Photos

Above is a picture I took in the mountains while on choir retreat.  Not such a bad view!

And below are some of the ingredients I used to make pumpkin muffins.  

Last week I went on a run when it was dark.  This was the view from the beach as I ran.  

Below is a picture of our lunch from Saturday.  We went to a Korean BBQ place.  It was amazing.  

Yesterday I spent 7.5 hours recording a colleague's new Christmas Cantata.  The three of us laid down all the female parts.  It was a great experience!  

Day 3

This makes the third day in a row I am feeling stressed.  But my goal today is to keep my nose to the grindstone so that when the day is done, I can think back on how productive the day has been.

So far this morning I have taken notes on a source for my thesis and have listened to the Barber of Seville Overture, which I am preparing for orchestral conducting.  I will be looking at Festival Te Deum, which is my next conducting piece for my lessons.  I will also spend some time thinking/conducting/practicing Dieu! (Debussy) and "I Sat Down Under His Shadow" by Bairstow.  I think I will be auditioning for the choral conducting competition for ACDA- and I will record these two pieces.  Next week.  I have a meeting with my graduate advisory (finally- for advancement to candidacy) and will hit my Brahms hard so I can analyze it (I have finished the harmonic analysis... I need to think about form analysis now).

Yesterday was a rough day.  I always wonder if other people have those days where they feel like they open their mouth too much and stick their foot in.  It's not an awesome feeling.  But today is a new day and because I will be intentional about getting things done, I think I will have less cause to talk.

Tomorrow John and I get to see Corey (he was in our wedding) and his girlfriend Michelle.  They are flying to CA for a conference and will spend some time with us.  This will be much needed.  Sometimes there is nothing better than connecting with friends.

One last thing to share: Lately I have been thinking about a Halloween party that is coming up.  It's being thrown by some undergraduates.  One of these undergraduates happens to be in Chamber with me and just about all my friends here are going- graduate and undergraduates alike.  I have been invited and all my friends expect me to go ("What is your costume?" is the question being asked).  I would like to go- as I enjoy my friends and I really like the two undergraduates hosting the party.  However, some of my Women's Choir girls will be there.  I just can't really permit myself to go if my students are going to be there.  Some of my graduate student friends think I'm being too strict about it- but none of them teach undergraduates and give them grades.  The party came up last night in conducting seminar, so I just had to talk about my reasons for not going again.  The argument back to me was, "Well, you're not going to get sloshed at the party."  Of course not, but that's not the point.  At any rate, it's been on my mind.  And I seem to be the only one who thinks it would be unprofessional of me to go.

Back to work!

Personal Statements... Again

I am still revising my personal statements for DMA school applications.  I am dragging my feet a little bit- not because I don't want to submit the applications, but because I am concerned that it's not "good enough."  I need to make decisions and submissions soon.  Sure, I have to December 1, but the closer the date gets, the more nervous I become.

I want my personal statements to show my drive and determination, my passion and my belief that I can do this.  It's different than it was when I was applying for my masters- I know exactly what I want now.  I have always known my ultimate goal, but was always hesitant to commit because I didn't know if I truly believed that I could do it.  I thought I could, but I wasn't sure.

So here I go... off to focus on yet another revision for my personal statements.

Cops

Although this has been a great beginning to the school year, I do enjoy the amount of sleep I received last year versus this year.  Today both John and I are exhausted.  We had a couple friends over last night for dinner and games.  We went to bed about 12:30.

At 2:15 I woke up because there was a lot of shouting outside.  I laid in bed and listened for a few minutes.  There were men shouting and every once in awhile a female voice piped in.  I heard a fence rattling (there is a fence in between our apartment complex and the one next door) and our security guard yelled, "hey, get off the fence!" At this point I got up and walked to our window.  I saw outside two guys.  One was being held back by his taller friend.  I saw a silver car parked and a handful of other people.  I didn't pay much attention.  I tried to go back to bed, but the noise came back so I went back to look out the window.  At this point, the tall guy was holding back a different guy (it was clear he didn't know this guy).  His friend from earlier was completely smashed and was trying to get into his car, all the while saying, "The cops are going to come.  I need to get out of here."  Finally his tall friend realized what he was doing and went to go stop him from driving.  The stranger-guy went over and was attempting to "help" the drunk guy too, although it was evident he was an antagonizer.  The antagonizer said he would drive his car away for him.  He called the belligerent guy "homeboy," and the belligerent guy got really offended.  While the antagonizer and the belligerent guy were talking, the tall dude went over to a lady who was standing on the side and was trying to reason with her.  She had said something about "let it go" and other such things.  The other two guys started reacting to each other, telling each other they would "sock" each other up, so the tall friend came over to stand in between them.  The antagonizer accused the belligerent guy of being racist and before much else happened, the antagonizer smacked the belligerent guy.  It seemed like the antagonizer was just waiting for a reason to get mad, and his race being pointed out was all he needed.  A couple more punches were thrown (all by the antagonizer, because the other guy was so drunk, he fell immediately), the tall guy wrestled both of them to the ground and there they stayed for another 30 seconds to a minute before the cops came speeding up.  The belligerent guy tried to get in his car and drive off, but he was so drunk he couldn't even shut the door.  All three guys were arrested.  The woman earlier had completely disappeared.  Through conversations the cops were having, two of the guys were marines.  The cop that seemed to be in charge (who was the only female officer) made a comment about how he was representing himself.  The tall friend was a bit more cooperative, although he did get briefly sassy to the officer.  She asked if his Washington address was still his address, his response was, "F--- if I know."  She said, "F--- if I know?  Is that your answer?"  There was a pause and he seemed to think better of it and became more cooperative.

I thought about going out there, but I don't think the minimal amount I saw before they arrived would help much.  The entire reason the cops showed up was for a reason I never discovered.

So I finally went back to bed around 3:15.  It was the city's marathon this morning too, so I woke up at about 7:15 to people cheering outside our apartment.  So I'm a little tired today.  John is as well, but he is currently taking a nap.

I also made pumpkin muffins this morning.  And now I need to stop blogging and go do some school work.

Age

Today I want to talk about age.  Yesterday one of my friends gave me a little ribbing- about my age.  It's odd- at 29, I'm certainly not young.  But I'm far from old.  I'm young in my career.  Choir conductors are not in the prime of their career until at least mid40s, and I would argue older.  You couldn't pay me to be 20 again.  Or 23.  Or 26, for that matter.  While I have loved every age I have been, I can only see more excitement and amazing things in my future.  Whether it's career or family or even vacations, I love what I have done but look forward to what is next.

By the way, my professor missed my advancement to candidacy meeting yesterday.  She's normally on top of her game, so I'm sure we'll make it up and I will still advance to candidacy.

I was nervous immediately before Women's Chorus rehearsal last night.  I had received multiple e-mails and we had SEVEN ladies missing.  Seven.  Unacceptable.  And about six more were tardy.  One lady asked if I would mark down their grade for entering at 7:01.  I said yes.  If it happens once, probably not.  If it becomes a habit, then yes.  We start at 7:00.  The door closes, warm-ups start, and I need their focus.

However, after that beginning, the rest of rehearsal was amazing.  We covered so much ground.  They were focused.  The Heavens Are Telling was fairly solid.  We won't pull it from our concert.  Music is starting to get memorized.  They were starting to watch me.  I could demand more from them.  I played with the tempo and made them watch.  I stopped on chords to tune them.  The pace was quick.  There was even about a half of page in The Heavens Are Telling in which things sounded interesting.  Their lines were interesting and parts were popping out of the texture in a good way.  It wasn't just a mess of sound but three distinct, interesting parts.  We will be able to make music on the Haydn!  And my accompanist?  He was on fire.  He was with me the entire time, with his awareness of my tempo being the best I had ever seen.  I was able to move or pull back and he followed.  And he was right with me, playing pitches without me asking.

This morning I have still had to deal with the aftermath of missing seven singers.  I have sent e-mails, have set up meeting times with singers, etc.  I face the reality of knowing there are some singers who will not be happy with their final grades because of their attendance issues.  But the ladies that were there know how great rehearsal was last night.  I do not feel the need to e-mail the entire group and remind them of the attendance policy.  I believe I made that pretty clear last night.

I am very inspired today.

Advancement

Today I have my meeting to start my official "advance toward candidacy."  I'm sure it will be fine and by the end of the semester, I'll be a candidate for graduation and my master of music degree.

And my references for DMA applications are now in place.

Mondays and Wednesdays are days that I normally allow myself a little slack in the morning, but I have found that Mondays between 4 and 7, I don't focus well and waste my time.  Because of this, I have set some goals for myself today.  The first goal is to write in translations for my vocal pieces.  My second goal is to finish writing translations in the Women's Chorus pieces (the reason this isn't the first is because I already know what each piece means and many of the translations are already in my head).  My last goal is to continue to work on my DMA applications.

And for the last portion of the blog post, a decision... The Women's Chorus has been assigned an SSA arrangement of "The Heavens Are Telling."  It has been one of the most difficult pieces the women have been asked to sing.  While normally I would be perfectly okay with them having a piece that is kicking their butt, we have so much music this semester.  At Winter Festival, all of the mass pieces must be memorized since we are taping.  And their Coventry Carol arrangement is a premiere and has some difficult moments.  That arrangement MUST be at top level readiness.

I had assigned the women homework- today they must come knowing a little more than half of the song.  The notes must be perfect.  I am going to have them sing it.  If it isn't together, I'm pulling the song from the program.  We already have five other pieces.  And I will not let them perform pieces that they wouldn't be proud of.  This is my job.  They trust me to do this and although I feel bad (I hope they don't think I believe they can't do it), given the amount of time we have, it may not be a feasible piece.  And although it's a good arrangement, I am not that sold on it where I would have them do it in the spring.  In the end, if we pull the piece from the concert, it's not a big deal.

I am still over the moon about the Coventry Carol.