{I'm at the midway-point through the program of OperaWorks. This is my first time on faculty here and it's a joy to be here for four weeks. 

 

The curriculum here is very much based on the joy of creation. Thus, it contains a lot of improvisation and play.}

It’s now mid-August, or about a month after I began this post. I returned home on July 25th and have been home for now a period of three weeks. I know that I’ve taken the “best” of what that program has to offer, and in doing so, am closer to answering some long-time questions that I have. 

The questions were,

”Why record a solo CD?” 

“Who will buy it or listen to it?"

“What value do these add to my market?"

“Are these my own voice?" 

 

 

My siblings have been after me for a long time about “solo material,” knowing that I mostly earn my living playing with, or for, others. 

The project:

Bach, Well-Tempered Clavier, Volume II (on harpsichord)

Shostakovich, Preludes and Fugues, Opus 87 (on piano) 

And:

Some improvisations - my own “voice” tying the pieces together. 

Here’s the first one, recorded casually in one take (on my iPhone) - 

 

Please return to read more about the process ...

 

PHOTO: a "Bach" in Colorado (March, 2015)

Magnificat

This past Sunday, I got to make music in a way that I really "believed.” During the course of times that have been far too crammed, this came (strangely) as a huge blessing and gift.   

I have known the Bach Magnificat perhaps since undergraduate, when I played some of the solo arias in lessons for friends and colleagues. 

At Westminster Choir College, Dr. Andrew Megill led the Westminster Kantorei in a rehearsal and performance process that was life-changing.

Several other performances have followed.

When I was asked to take over (some) choral duties at UNM for this academic year, I bartered for the top auditioned choir. This year has been an amazing journey for me with them, as I have learned some things as a choral conductor “from scratch” (warm-ups, administration). Other things I feel have been a very natural extension of me (rehearsing a cappella, further development of ears, honing in on rhythm, controlling more lines of polyphony, further work on musicianship). 

The only thing I REALLY wanted to do, all year, was this piece. 

Thirty minutes of unadulterated joy. It’s also one of the most perfect pieces of music ever written. It’s the best of Bach (and that is saying a *lot*). Imagine my surprise when my colleagues delightedly volunteered to play in the orchestra. They were able to recommend graduate students to fill out the ranks.

One of my best students (a good undergraduate singer) said,

“The thirty minutes we shared on stage might be one of the best memories of my life. Doing anything."

Thank you.

As Bach said, "Soli Dei Gloria."