Moving to IL, and goodbye to Lasell

It would seem that I am quite overdue for an update on this blog, but it's really been a rather eventful month.

All this year I spent applying to DMA programs in choral conducting. Earlier in April I found out that I have been accepted to the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and I will be moving there in August to study with Dr. Andrew Megill, who was just appointed Director of Choral Activities there in March. Needless to say, I am very happy about this; working with Dr. Megill ten years ago while doing my Masters at Westminster was wonderful, and I am looking forward to three more years of learning, especially at such a huge and terrific school.

Last night was my first set of good-bye's. The Lasell College Chorus, which I have directed since the fall of 2009, did a program of music from video games (plus two songs from Wicked.) They sounded great, and I was particularly pleased with their rendition of my arrangement of "Still Alive" from Portal (which I intend to post here on the blog when I get permission to make the sheet music available.) And then at the end of the concert they totally surprised me by getting up and singing "Seize the Day" from Newsies, which is one of my favorite Broadway pieces, and a song we had sung several times in years past. I was blown away that they had found the time to get together and rehearse during the busiest week of the semester. And they sounded really good, too! It was a very satisfying and emotional evening. I'm so proud of my kids! (I refer to anyone in any of my choruses under the age of 25 as "my kids.")

Next up is my final concert with Cantilena this coming Sunday, May 4 at 4 pm. Stay tuned for more info about that!

Job openings

Job openings with H&H for conductors in Boston. You're welcome!

Samson Recommends...Buxtehude!

Hey, it's been a while since we did a Friday cat post!

Samson had some dental surgery last month, but I am happy to say he appears to be doing well. And he would like to recommend some music to you! Have you heard The Sixteen's recording of Buxtehude's Membra Jesu Nostri? It's quite excellent, and Samson recommends you give it a listen!

P.S. I had to mess around with the photo layout quite a lot - let me know how it looks in your browser?

Opportunistic Tuesdays

Mark your calendars - Harvard is going to be hosting a symposium "exploring the neurological, therapeutic, and social benefits of community singing."

On Friday, April 11, the group Joyful Noise will be joining the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum for a concert under the direction of Alice Parker. The concert will be at 8 pm in Sanders Theatre, and tickets are available through the Harvard Box Office.

On Saturday, there will be an all-day symposium where musicians, researchers, and disability advocates will explore the intersections of music and disability, neuroscience, wellness, and community. Renowned conductor, composer, and educator, Alice Parker, and Joyful Noise, a chorus of adults with significant physical and/or neurological disabilities, will lead symposium attendees in song.

For more information, and for the symposium schedule, check out the Harvard website, or the Facebook event.

Alice Parker is not to be missed - if you are free, you should definitely try to get to one or both of these events!