I conducted my piece “The Summit is Nigh” along with “Bogoroditse Devo” by Rachmaninoff and “Pal-So-Song” by Hyo-Won Woo at the University of Redlands High School Choir festival on Friday February 20. I’m so proud of my students!
A huge thank-you to Dr. Nicholle Andrews for hosting and to Dr. Hyejung Jun for being our clinician. Many thanks to my friend and collegue (and chaperone extraordinaire) Ms. Bladen for the pic.
And in Arizona…
The legendary Jazz Madrigal Festival in Flagstaff, AZ was pure magic! I was exhausted after adjudicating and doing clinics with 26 choirs over 2 days, but it was some of the most rewarding work I’ve ever done as an educator. Plus I met some of the most amazing educators in the country and even saw a live performance by the New York Voices that blew my mind! Thank you Dr. Ryan Holder, Dr. Tim Westerhaus, and the wonderful students of Northern Arizona University for inviting me and making me feel welcomed. I hope to do more of this kind of work in the future.
On Tuesday January 26, I got to sing with a bunch of incredble artists, including fellow LACHSA alumnus Prez Blackmon during the Education Through Music-LA Awards Gala honoring legendary song writer Diane Warren.
For Fun
I borrowed my daughter’s shoes for the ETM-LA gala. They were fabulous!
I came up with this list about 15 years ago, when my kids were little and I was in graduate school. The definitions and/or requirements for each of these tasks change from time to time, but the basic principle is this: the more consistently I complete the tasks on this list, the more likely I’ll feel peaceful, at ease, and content. Another word for this might be discipline, and discipline is a form of self-care. My chore today was mending a couch pillow – very satisfying after enduring the gaping hole and trails of stuffing for months!
As I’m writing this, I’m reflecting on the fact that I’ve done everything today except practice/play. I tend to rotate unevenly between short spurts of practicing singing, piano, conducting, flute, yoga, and video games – a rotation which works for me. But lately, practicing anything has been tough. Practice involves some disappointment and failure before there’s progress – hard to bare in difficult times. Maybe I keep forgetting the “play” part – that’s the part that makes life fun and bearable.
May our daily disciplines be a source of peace, ease, and fun in difficult times.
This just in!
I’m thrilled to share that I’ve been selected as a recipient of CSULB’s “49 Under 49” award. What an extraordinary honor! See link below to find out more about the history and process of this award.
We each are a miracle. Our gathering together is a miracle. And we are each other’s gifts.
My favorite part of the holiday season happens within the first 10-15 days after Thanksgiving, when Christmas lights are just starting to appear on houses. The sparkle and splendor of the season feel new and long-awaited. That’s when the first holiday parties start, the baked goods are fresh, and the potlucks feature the first fruits of our holiday spirit. Because many students have finals, juries, and projects due the week before winter break, schools put on their holiday concerts and festivals as soon as possible after Thanksgiving. Teachers have what feels like NO TIME AT ALL to build back the rehearsal momentum lost from the Thanksgiving break, and must immediately produce the most highly anticipated (and mandatory) performances of the year. Students learn the meaning of grace and hope as they succeed despite their frequent tardiness, unexpected absences, and lack of preparation, sometimes due to illness and often due to severe overwhelm due to all their other social and academic obligations. It’s a time of frenzy, high stress, and anxiety, but also beauty, tenderness, nostalgia, and magic – I love it.
We each are a miracle. Our gathering together is a miracle. And we are each other’s gifts.
Around 10-15 days before Christmas, people are exhausted. Students and teachers stress over juries and finals. The decorations are starting to look boring and worn out, instead of nostalgic and precious. At this point, folks are tired of bringing and eating potluck food. The leftovers are overwhelming and unwanted. The awkward Secret Santa and “white elephant” gift exchanges are happening, whether you like it or not.
We each are a miracle. Our gathering together is a miracle. And we are each other’s gifts.
Whether I’m 10 days into the season, 10 days out from Christmas Day, or it’s the 10th day of Christmas (January 3) and I’m ready take down the Christmas tree 2 days early, I constantly long for that remarkable moment when time stops and we recognize that all the preparation, hard work, and risks we’ve taken have led us back to each other, back to being together. Concerts, shows, church services, family gatherings, parties with friends and co-workers… all our gatherings are miracles. We each are a miracle. Our gathering together is a miracle. We are each other’s gifts. I think about how this compares with the nativity story, the first Christmas: a story of traveling and toiling and risking and trying. It’s messy and painful. Think of all the waiting, the searching, the desperation and disappointment; the fear. And then… the miracle of birth in a most humble place.
Each of us was a risk that someone once took. This Christmas, may we remember…
We each are a miracle. Our gathering together is a miracle. And we are each other’s gifts.
Up Your Game Reading Session
Ready to “up your game” as a choral singer? Prepare to make connections, build musicianship skills, and be inspired. During this 3-hour session, you’ll make music with and learn from session singers, contractors, conductors, and teachers offering real-world insight and experience in the field of choral music.
Scholarships available Scores and refreshments provided Designed for Advanced Singers Ages 15+
For Fun
Pics with pianist Aron Kallay, plus my Dad, my friend Mark Hilt (formerly from Harvard-Westlake), and my friend Donna Perkins from Neighborhood Church… all at the premiere performance of my piece LA River Scenes on December 16.
Thank you to everyone who was there. It was an incredible performance!
We got a beautiful new piano for Christmas. This instrument was cherished for decades in the home of a dear friend, and it will be cherished in my own home for decades to come. (The kitties like it, too!)
Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, and a very Happy New Year!
We’re all surviving to the best of our ability. But our abilities and resources differ depending on our circumstance, our history, or our environment. Sometimes a person’s burden is not so obvious, especially in festive settings. So in the midst of both abundance and scarcity, may we strive to pay attention and speak and act graciously with each other this Thanksgiving.
NUUC Christmas Concert – December 19
Enjoy selections from Magnificat by J.S. Bach, plus traditional sing-along favorites you won’t want to miss. Guaranteed to make you smile!
Compositions
Five performances in Colorado, Dec 6-21
Internationally acclaimed guitar virtuoso, composer, and Colorado native Aaron Larget-Caplan joins Kantorei in holiday performances featuring seasonal selections written for Guitar and Choir, including the world premiere of his own Cider Meditations. We will also feature works by composer and guitarist Jeffrey Van, whose compositions gained widespread recognition through his collaborations with the renowned Dale Warland Singers. Adding to the excitement of new musical discoveries, the concert will present the world premiere of a new work by composer Zanaida Robles, commissioned by Kantorei’s own Scott Horowitz and his wife, Leah Weinberg.
Join us as we combine traditional holiday spirit with contemporary compositions, offering audiences both seasonal favorites and the excitement of hearing new works performed for the first time.
LA River Scenes blends melodies I made up in my childhood and young adult years with impressions from my recent experiences with the LA River Kayak Safari tour company. The LA River Kayak Safari journey begins with a bike ride along the LA river’s edge followed by an fascinating history lesson about the Elysian River Valley and finally an exciting kayak trip down the luscious river with baby rapids and deep pools of up to 10 feet. My piece reflects the love and pride I feel for my hometown and my excitement over discovering I can go kayaking near Dodger Stadium in summer.
HALLOWEEN MEMORIES I decided to go ahead and carve my pumpkin even though it was several days after Halloween had passed. WORTH IT!!
CHOCOLATE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY
I helped organize this year’s HW Professional Development Interdisciplinary Session “Chocolate Day!” From holding the huge alien fruit pods to tasting the difference between the bitter, slimy-yet-crunchy fresh fruit and the powdery, complex-flavored bean once the fruit was fermented and roasted; to exploring the intersections of history, art, science, and economics and finally tasting and packaging our work: making chocolate with the help of brilliant friends is fun!
I also did some research and found these two songs about chocolate that I’d never heard before:
Chocolate Sundae on a Saturday Night by Doris Day
Chocolate by Soul Patrol
Ollie and Archie, warming our hearts as they warm each other
My good friend and colleague at Harvard-Westlake Jen Bladen wrote an amazing blog entry about my high school treble choir’s visit to Neighborhood UU Church Pasadena for our Francis Elken Watkins Harper bicentennial celebration last month. Check it out here
Celebrating the ZSR Singers
The success of the ZSR Singers Summer Choral Intensive inspired the official formation of a new non-profit organization. With help from our wonderfully supportive new board of directors and council of advisors, the ZSR Singers strives to create intergenerational artistic experiences, inspiring and cultivating cultural, intellectual, and spiritual engagement through choral music. This mission guides us to seek new and meaningful ways to deepen our engagement with the community. And as we continue to grow, we invite you to stay tuned—there’s some exciting news on the horizon!
Just announced!
I am pleased to have accepted a position as an composition instructor with the International Choral Composers Institute for summer 2026. Learn more about this amazing program by clicking this button:
I’m conducting Neighborhood UU Chorus in a performance of my arrangement of Sage Bond’s Truth in early November! Additionally, on that day, I’m conducting There Will Be Stars by Frank Ticheli and Hold On by Jester Hairston
