Happy Birthday to MEEEEEEE!
Top 10 Favorite Things This Month
10. My Sodastream soda maker (I don’t enjoy water that’s not carbonated).
9. The USB thumb drive I can play in my car, onto which I downloaded such treasures as “Yo Gabba Gabba,” “Carmina Burana,” my friend Dave Tull’s album “I Just Wanna Get Paid,” old concerts I conducted with LACHSA and SGVCC, stuff by Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, Aretha Franklin, Kurt Elling, and much, much more.
8. Vincent’s meatloaf
7. The book “Staying Composed” by my friend and fellow composer Dale Trumbore
6. The organ at Neighborhood Church
5. The mango and sweet rice dessert at the Harvard-Westlake cafeteria
4. Dorico notation software
3. Trader Joe’s soup dumplings
2. The djembe party I had with my family on Mother’s Day
1. The “Burnt Offering” at Mezcalero on Broadway in DTLA
Singing
Earlier this month, I sang “Come Together” by Lennon and McCartney as an anthem for the Sunday morning service at Neighborhood UU Church. The whole service, led by our amazing senior high youth, was really cool! If you’re curious, check it out here: https://youtu.be/s7rNJDoQnLY. “Come Together” starts around 24:40.
Teaching
The Harvard-Westlake Jazz Singers had a blast and sounded great at their year-end recording session at EastWest Studios in Hollywood this month. The experience that students gain from these sessions is incredibly valuable to their music education. Recordings made from these sessions are used for archival purposes and help the group prepare for future performances, festivals, and competitions.
Composition
It’s here! My first organ piece “Flourish on Adeste Fideles” is available in an awesome new volume of organ works by contemporary women composers, edited by the incomparable organist Ann Lapwood and published by Stainer and Bell. Love and thanks to my friend and fellow composer Dr. Melissa Dunphy, who recommended me for this project. Melissa’s piece “Rorate Caeli” is also featured in this volume.
Organists: buy a copy of this cool new collection and check out our stuff!
For Fun
I had so much fun attending the Westminster Concert Bell Choir tour performance called “All You Need is Love” at Pasadena Presbyterian Church last Friday night. They were amazing! I got to sit with several of my fellow ringers from Neighborhood Church. And they even let me test out the bells after the show!
Ollie’s Corner
Heeeeeeeere’s Ollie!
