The year really starts in September

Well, I nearly managed to do daily updates for a week last month...I only fell down on the last day!

Since then, I have gotten an apartment - not the slightly-too-expensive one I was worrying about, but a very reasonably-priced and spacious place in Cambridge, MA with three other people. Unpacking is proceeding slowly and fitfully.

I'll be substitute-teaching music at a private middle school in September, and school starts tomorrow with a day of teacher meetings. Then all the kids show up on Thursday! I don't actually start teaching classes until next Tuesday, however - everything until then is various sorts of orientation.

And today I just found out that one of the jobs I was really crossing my fingers for - the general manager of the Cantata Singers - was taken. (I say they need to take down the job announcement on their website since it's no longer open.) I found out in a rather abrupt way - I was interested in auditioning for them as well as working for them, but I didn't want to hurt my chances of getting the job by trying out if they didn't want their manager to sing. So I called the office, and was starting into my lengthy explanation of my predicament, but I didn't get beyond, "So, you have an opening for a general manager position -" before the woman on the other end said, "Oh, yes, that's been filled." So. Right. At any rate, I can now audition for them in an uncomplicated manner. I really hope I get in - I hear good things, and they have some overlap with Emmanuel Music, which is the best choral group in the city.

So, currently I'm trying out for Cappella Clausura and the Oriana Singers tomorrow evening, the Cantata Singers on Sunday, and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus on Sept. 20. If I get my act together, I'll make a recording and send it to the Handel & Haydn Society as well, but luckily that's not due until mid-October. I'm also debating whether or not to audition for Boston Cecilia, but I'm thinking now that I don't need to. And I also have an interview for an arts management position I'd really love this coming Thursday, so keep your fingers crossed for me on that one!

If anyone is wondering where I'm getting all my information on Boston choral groups, the Boston Choral Consortium (www.bostonsings.org) is an invaluable resource. It's not quite comprehensive, but it's pretty damn close. They're having odd trouble with their website this week (a bad week to have trouble for a choral website!) but hopefully they'll be back up soon.