We had a good rehearsal tonight. We almost always do……but this was an especially good rehearsal. Everyone seemed to be on the same page…literally and physically. When things go well, I try to backtrack and figure out what we did right to make it such a productive practice. For the life of me, this one is a puzzle. Right after Easter, it should have been more of a mess. Instead, we made progress and got a little more done than planned. When we get in the zone, together, things fall in place and we begin to gel. I am looking forward to see what happens next week!

I love my singers. They are as great a bunch of people as I know. They pitch in, volunteer and give their honest opinions when I ask. They talk up the MMS every place they can and talk us up even when the can’t!

They are some of the best people I know and I feel honored to work with them. And they sing great.

I was a guest conductor at a church choir festival yesterday. I also sang as a “ringer” for the organizer’s choir. It was amazing how many people I knew from my travels in the south suburbs. The choirs sounded good and I conducted the massed numbers. I learned about a contemporary church choir composer I didn’t know, saw a few friends and laughed with some of my favorite local choir directors. But, I had fun as did the other participants. Singing together is always fun, no matter what level and with whom. I wish we could sing together more……..

I suppose I should come clean—I LOVE COLLEGE BASKETBALL! I am as mad as anyone in March, waiting for my favorites to come to the Big Dance. I make predictions and choose brackets and think this year, THIS YEAR, I will have the winner. I have my sentimental picks and then, go for the rest by the book. It starts Thursday and I can’t wait.

Back to music. And rehearsals. But I still love college basketball!

We had our first rehearsal of this concert cycle tonight. Wow! We have very, very good people returning and the new members are just wonderful. I always worry about how the old and new will mix, vocally and socially, and this time everything seems great!

I knew it would be good but the sounds, the sounds!

This concert may be the best I’ve ever had. And we hope to build on it.

We begin rehearsals for our spring concert cycle next week. There is so much to do to prepare, almost from the moment we finish our last concert. Of course, the music was chosen a while ago but sometimes, the timing of music orders makes it seem I didn’t. I burn repertoire CDs so the choir can hear the music as it is suppose to be sung. There are auditions to conduct–and they are still being held–and deciding who will ‘make it’ and who will not. Some believe I take anybody who auditions, but that is not the case.

I plan out, in my head and sometimes on paper, how I will structure getting all the music learned in time. I’m flexible but I do have an idea as to how it will work.

Once rehearsals start, it is almost on automatic pilot because the tough stuff has been done months ago. And it’s fun–I can’t wait!

I just finished writing program notes for a performance of the Mozart “Requiem” –a performance that I have nothing to do with, besides writing the notes.

I love writing program notes and lecturing about works…..it’s fun to explain and tell the ‘back story’ of the piece. It’s a wonderful way to hook people on classical music and choral music. Composers are people and I hope I bring the humanity of their lives to my notes. I have a great time writing my own program notes because I know exactly what I want people to know.

When I am writing notes for other performing groups, I always worry I won’t get what the conductor wants known, across. It’s especially worrying for me when I am doing this for an orchestral organization, with someone else preparing the chorus. I worry I will not please the conductor or the chorus master…..it’s challenging!

Eventually, I get into the piece, go to my usual sources and then let it flow! I try to present the work in a nonthreatening way and make it appealing to our 21st century audience. The music comes alive with each performance and I want them to feel it living for them. I hope I have.

I found out this morning the daughter of someone I’ve worked with passed away at the age of 20. She was disabled to begin with and then it was discovered she had problems with her heart muscle–just a week or so ago. Sweet Amanda passed away on Saturday morning from a fast moving pneumonia. Her parents are devastated and those of us who have known and worked with them are numb. Life is fragile. So fragile.

I’ve worked with children and adults with all sorts of problems in my career but it is never easy to lose a child. And parents blame themselves. Sweet Amanda’s Mom worked hard to get her little girl the things she needed, the education she needed and gave her a happy life. She was a happy girl and never met a stranger–everyone was her friend. I hope Jean finds comfort in knowing she was the best Mom she could be.

If you are wondering what this has to do with music, I can tell you– it has nothing to do with music.

I’m singing in a recital Sunday. It’s my voice teacher’s yearly recital and all her students participate. It is fun to wear something other than my conductor’s black to perform in…..I usually wear red…….and it’s wonderful to hear the younger students improvements.

It is also quite freeing to ‘just’ sing. I am responsible for me and me only, instead of the many details I usually am. It’s getting back to my roots of performing and it relaxes me.

Taking private voice lessons again has been good for me in many ways, including keeping my technique in shape. And my ego is bolstered when someone tells me they liked my performance. For one day a year, I am just as vulnerable as every other singer……..and that’s nice!

It’s audition time. Contrary to what most people think before they audition, I want people to do well. I want new singers to add to the great folks who already sing with me. I want people to join us and have fun and sing challenging music and I don’t want to scare them. My auditions take about 15 minutes, give or take a few seconds. We sing, we sight read, we sing something you know and then we talk. That’s it. I know what I want–the sound and the level of musicianship I want–and what will work with those who already sing with me.

I don’t want someone I have to teach everything to but…….I can hear potential. Attitude is just as important to me as things musical. The MMS isn’t some exclusive club, but a group of people who want to sing a certain choral repertoire. It makes for a much more collaborative experience. We are much more intimate than the larger choral groups around. You have to trust each other and that is why attitude counts.

We want you to join us. We’re a great bunch of people. We have fun singing music that isn’t well known around here. And we sound great doing it.