Resigning with Love

April 26, 2026 will be my final day serving as Director of Music for Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church in Pasadena. The decision to leave was truly difficult, as Neighborhood Church has been place of musical and spiritual nourishment to me for almost 8 years. The time seems right for this transition as my focus has shifted toward embracing new opportunities to compose, teach, sing and conduct on a larger scale. 

I am deeply grateful for Neighborhood Church and for all the blessings that came with serving as its music director. To be able to conduct, sing, compose, and play handbells while serving this community has been a true blessing and a joy. The Neighborhood Church music community is special due to its rich legacy that extends many decades before my time here. And I know Neighborhood Church music programs will flourish long after I conclude my service as music director.

Composing

While I’m still reading and studying a lot about composition and orchestration, I’m starting to turn my attention toward summer publishing, hoping to get 4 new works out into the world: Winter Branches for SATB voices a cappella, premiered in December 2025 by Kantorei under Joel M. Rinsema; The Root for SATB voices a cappella, premiered in May 2025 by Sacred and Profane Chamber Chorus under Rebecca Seeman; Beautiful for SSA voices and piano, premiered in May 2025 by Spirito Singers under Carling FitzSimmons; and LA River Scenes for solo piano, premiered in December 2025 by Aron Kallay for Piano Spheres‘ “30 for 30” concert series. 

Singing

Creating demos and doing session work remains a great joy of mine. More, please!

Conducting

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For Fun

Our amazing Harvard-Westlake performance in Costa Rica

Ready for multiple rides on Ghost Rider at Knotts Berry Farm!

Visiting my alma maters:

First I visited Audubon Middle School to re-connect and learn about their current music programs. 

Then I visited USC Thornton and heard the USC Concert Choir with beloved teachers and friends:  L to R, Marisa Rawlins, Bruce Rogers, Cristian Grases, Paul Smith:

Also, hugs and deepest thanks to Dr. Tram Sparks (not pictured) for exquisitely conducting my “Veni Sancte Spiritus”.

And of course…

Shrimp cats?

Ollivander the Majestic

Ready for love

Looking forward to the next phase…

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MY MANTRA

Singers are athletes. Athletes are artists.

Say it again.
And again.
And again.

Actually, I think all performing artists are athletes. Think about the implications – the importance of health and fitness, the hours of practice and rehearsal, the training, the coaching, the performances, the injuries and ailments, the competitions, the tears of failure, the tears of triumph. What other parallells do you see? When I think about the parallells between arts and athletics, I feel more open to the possiblity of connection beyond my music circle. The possibility of deeper, broader connections in the greater community excites me and gives me hope for the future.

Singing

On Sunday, March 28 at 10am, I’m singing “Precious Lord” for a special Truth and Reconciliation service at Neighborhood Church. Being able to sing this special song from the bottom of my heart while in the context of my church work is a blessing I never take for granted.

Composition

While I’m working on 3 new commissions at the moment, orchestration and composition studies are occupying much of my time. Taking lessons, reading Piston and Adler, studying works by various orchestral composers, and working on foundational assignments to help improve my compositional process – it’s humbling but rewarding.

Conducting

We’re on tour in Costa Rica, where I’m conducting the Harvard-Westlake choirs in 3 concerts over 6 days. Pura vida! 

For Fun

Memories from the Western ACDA Regional Conference in San Jose:

With conductors Kevin Tyson, Jeffrey Benson, and Scot Hanna-Weir
With singer/composer/activist Melanie DeMore
Promoting my compositions
Promoting my compositions
I’m on an advertising poster!

At the river’s edge – such beauty and energy just a 5 minute walk from home.

Cat meld

More adventures to come,

Originally published as Zanaida’s March 2026 email newsletter – You can join the list here.

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Happy Black History and Futures Month! 

Part of my celebration this month included buying myself a coloring book written by my friend Shelly Edwards.

Get yours on Amazon

Conducting

Reporting from Redlands

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. 

Will I see you in San Jose in March?

Learn about the conference

Oh yeah… a little save the date…

Singing

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!
Cat won’t let me leave.
New Favorite Spot in Arroyo Seco Park, Pasadena.

Honoring history, listening forward.

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Everyday Task List

(In no particular order)

  1. Do a chore
  2. Pray
  3. Practice/Play
  4. Read/Study
  5. Drink Water
  6. Exercise

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.

Read all about it

For Fun

Family and Friends for the win!

…and… Cats!

What are you doing make 2026 work?

Originally part of the January 2026 e-newsletter. Are you on the list? Subscribe here.

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Christmas antiphon

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.

Registration now open

Program Fees:
$60 Student Fee
$100 General Fee

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!

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