Since I really enjoy doing composer/conductor residencies with college students, I would love to do residencies in French-speaking and/or Spanish-speaking countries. I want to immerse myself in the language, work with composition students on writing choral music, and conduct a concert with a collegiate choral ensemble featuring my choral works.
I want to sing my own music with a small group of highly-skilled singers, performing concerts in the Los Angeles area and beyond.
I want to write or record or collaborate on something that’s good enough to win a Grammy, or a Pulitzer, or something else like that.
Dream big or go home, right? What dreams do YOU have?
Composing
My newest composition “From the Stone Age” premieres with Melodia Women’s Choir of New York on November 19, at Church of the Holy Apostles in NYC. Check it out here:
I’m conducting a reading session of my works along with works by my friend Reena Esmail (pictured) at the Southern California Vocal Association Fall In-Service, and it’s coming up later this week! on
Friday, October 27, 2023 9:00am to 4:00pm
Glendale City Church 610 E. California Ave. Glendale, CA 91206 Map & Directions
Playing djembe at church with native Tongva flutist Michael Whitehorse AvilesSpider problems at home. Happy Halloween!Ollie in his classic sexy ‘sploot’ positionI ran into Betty J. Ford at Rhythm of the Village African boutique in Altadena. Betty J. Ford is a well known pianist, composer, teacher, mentor, and pillar of the community. She took me to dinner at the vegan restaurant next door before I gave her a ride home.Archie in the laundry hamper. Just, why?
I want to rest and relax. But I want to catch up on chores and personal projects. I want to respond to all my unread emails. I want to do something special, eat something special, go somewhere special. I want to play video games and nap all day long. But I want to exercise. I want to go hiking and kayaking. I want to practice piano and compose music. I want to get my car fixed and schedule doctor appointments. I want to pay my bills and call my mom and update my website.
Alas, at the end of the day, I basically did none of this! But maybe all I was supposed to do today was make this list. I also took a short nap. I got my COVID booster and caught up on correspondence.
Conducting
I’ve been earnestly practicing conducting lately. I make short videos and post them to social media to hold myself accountable. It’s scary and frustrating, but valuable. Check out what I’ve added to my TikTok and IG pages.
For Fun
Hurray for Bell Choir at NUUC!Ollie, looking like he was assembled incorrectly First football game of the season at HW: we won! Ollie and Archie on timeout after a morning of mischief
My work as a composer, music director, teacher, wife, and mom is incredibly complex. Though it’s overwhelming at times, the exhilaration and affirmation I receive from my work makes it all worthwhile. But self-care is crucial! You can’t effectively take care of anyone or anything unless you take care of yourself!
Self-care is everything including (but not limited to) taking your medicine as directed, going to bed early/on time, consistently cooking and eating healthy meals, saying prayers and meditating, waking up early and reading a book or exercising instead of checking email and social media sites as soon as I open my eyes. Self-care is anything we do to bring balance and perspective to our bodies and minds.
After enduring the Armageddon-level struggle of bringing Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast to Carnegie Hall this past spring, I decided I needed some epic self-care. Here’s what I did:
I took a trip by myself to Costa Rica in May, and visited my friend, Dr. Jaclyn Normandie:
I went to Hawaii for the first time and took my daughters with me in June:
I went to the ECCO Choral Conference to recharge and serve with friends in July:
CCDA ECCO Retreat (aka summer camp for choral musicians)
I hosted a terrific Summer Intensive with the Zanaida Stewart Robles Singers at the beginning of August:
And I went to Disneyland for my oldest daughter’s birthday in August:
Not gonna lie, the financial strain has been difficult this summer. But it was oh, so worth it! I cherish these photos as evidence that my self-care work was warranted. And I’m inspired to ensure my future self-care regimen always includes something epic that I can look forward to and look back on with pride and joy.
Conducting
Calling musicians of all ages, new, and returning! A vital part of our worship is music. This is your opportunity to join in. Register now for our 2023-2024 church year in Neighborhood Chorus, Youth Choir, or Bells. Registration ensures we have enough materials for everyone. All participants register anew each year. For questions contact music Director, Dr. Zanaida Robles. The schedule is as follows:
Neighborhood Chorus 1st rehearsal: Thursday, 8/31 from 7pm-9pm (earlier start time for 1st rehearsal) Rehearsals every subsequent Thursday from 7:15-9pm First Performance: Ingathering on Sunday 9/10 at 10am
Youth Choir 1st rehearsal: Sunday, 9/17 at 1pm Three Sunday rehearsals: 9/17, 9/24, 10/1 Performance: Sunday 10/8 during the 11:30 service
Neighborhood Bells 1st rehearsal: Tuesday, 9/5 6pm-7pm Rehearsals every subsequent Tuesday from 6pm-7pm First Performance: Sunday 10/15 at 9:30am & 11:30am
Upcoming events
Thursday 12/7 @ 7:30pm Harvard-Westlake Upper School, Studio City, CA A fall choral concert featuring multiple composers. My piece “Umoja” is being performed by treble choir Bel Canto.
Saturday, 12/2 @ 7pm St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Philadelphia, PA The Chestnut Street Singers are performing my piece Ecstatic Expectancy as part of their concert entitled “Ask the Winter Moon.”
Ollie (and Archie’s) Corner
Ollie and Archie, our new kitty, are already close buds!
We’re in full swing! The Zanaida Stewart Robles Singers are gearing up for our Summer Choral Intensive that starts in early August (there’s still time to sign up!), I have commissions in the works, and I’ve been traveling a bit. As a teacher, summer is always a time of renewal and contemplation, and this year is no different.
Below, you’ll see bits of the biggest projects coming up. It’s going to be a big new season, this 2023-24! More soon…
Conducting
I’ll be conducting a special service at Neighborhood Church on Sunday, August 13… but here’s the project that leads up to it. We’d love to have you join us!
Be sure to check out the new “ZSR Singers” page on my website. We’ll continue to post updates there, as well as on the Facebook group for this growing community. Hope to see you there!
Join us in August for our first Summer Choral Intensive with the newly-formed Zanaida Stewart Robles Singers! There will be beautiful music and a US premiere of my “Blühende Bäume”, and our venue at the Neighborhood Church in Pasadena is just gorgeous. It’s a chance to work on your choral chops, rediscover the joy of singing together, and perform with a live string ensemble.
We’re particularly in need of tenors and basses, but all are welcome. If the program fee is the only thing holding you back, please contact me, and let’s talk.
Details are in the flyer above, or click the button below to go straight to the registration page.
To keep an eye on what this amazing new ensemble is doing, you can also join our Facebook group for the ZSR Singers, and be sure to follow us on Instagram!
With a new commission for the Los Angeles Master Chorale this season, it’s going to be a busy year. Their concerts often sell out, so be sure to grab your seats early for April 6th or 7th, 2024. Here’s the basic info, and you can get tickets and details on their website.
When I was a doctoral student at the USC Thornton School of Music, I was regularly faced with disappointments and challenges that felt too heavy to bear. I often felt like I had nothing intelligent to “say” with my weak gestural skills and my lack of practical knowledge. My classmates seemed so brilliant and knowledgeable already. I felt embarrassed and awkward. I wanted to scream, to give up, to run away.
One day, I felt so woefully ignorant in Choral Literature class that I thought to myself, “Since I don’t feel like I have anything intelligent to add, I wonder if I can come up with something intelligent to ASK. What’s missing from the conversation? Who’s missing from the table? What details might be missing from the story? What’s missing from what they’re trying to teach me?”
I realized that contributing good questions could be more valuable than knowing the answers. I didn’t want to ask questions just so I could get answers right on tests. I wanted to ask questions that made me care more about what I was studying. So, I got really good at asking questions, and this is probably the most important skill I learned from my time as a doctoral student.
From the lens of curiosity, things started to change. One of the simplest, most important questions I learned to ask in times of conflict is “What would it take?” This was a question I learned to get good at answering by myself – answering this question first prevented me from making mistakes and asking lame questions out loud. It prevented me from engaging in useless busy work and futile arguments. And it helped me realize that some tasks and assignments that SEEMED useless were actually the answer the question.
“What would it take for me to feel better?”
“What would it take to get there?”
“What would it take for them to give me what I want?”
Then, if necessary, I could ask these questions of friends, teachers, fellow stakeholders, and even opponents. Asking “what would it take” usually yielded immediate and astonishing results. This question leads to another great question:
“Do the benefits of pursuing and attaining this outweigh the drawbacks?”
The wonderful thing about the “benefits vs. drawbacks” questions is that there’s never a wrong answer – the answer must only be right for the person answering, and the response is almost always either “yes” or “no.” The truth is, that answer can also change depending on the circumstances. How freeing this feels to me! And answering this question can lead to making lists of benefits and drawbacks, which can provide enough clarity to get back on track after having drifted into a low-visibility or seemingly hopeless situation.
So what are we curious about? What’s missing from the story? Who’s missing from the table? What do we want/need most right now? What will it take? Do the benefits outweigh the drawbacks?
Are we curious?
Composing
You guys!! Having my carol “Now the Rejoicing” included in the historic Oxford “Carols for Choirs 6” collection is truly an honor and a dream come true for me! This anthology series is legendary in the choral world, and it’s such a thrill to have this piece selected by Bob Chilcott, David Hill and Oxford University Press. It’s available from J.W. Pepper if you’re looking to add some new rep to your Christmas programs…
Join us in August for our first Summer Choral Intensive with the newly-formed Zanaida Stewart Robles Singers! There will be beautiful music and a US premiere of my “Blühende Bäume”, and our venue at the Neighborhood Church in Pasadena is just gorgeous. It’s a chance to work on your choral chops, rediscover the joy of singing together, and perform with a live string ensemble.
We’re particularly in need of tenors and basses, but all are welcome. If the program fee is the only thing holding you back, please contact me, and let’s talk.
Details are in the flyer above, or click the button below to go straight to the registration page.
To keep an eye on what this amazing new ensemble is doing, you can also join our Facebook group for the ZSR Singers, and be sure to follow us on Instagram!
Here’s a little visual tour of what I’ve been up to this month — it’s been busy! Pictured:
High School Scholarship Competition of the Georgia Laster Association of Music, an affiliate of the National Association of Negro Musicians (NAMN). So proud of my daughter who won second place, singing “Del Cabello Mas Sutil” by Fernando Obradors.
Juneteenth dress I wore all weekend long!
Silly and sparkly before the choir concert at Neighborhood Church
Spending time talking shop with my composition buddy, the amazing Amy Gordon
Ollie’s Corner
Ollivander wears many hats: here he is as fashion model, guard kitty and office assistant!
