Music in the Rockies, or how I can't fight being a choral nerd!

Over the Labor Day holiday I traveled to Colorado on my Harley-Davidson Motorcycle. I went with my best friend from Minnesota. He and I met in youth choir over twenty years ago. We have both developed a love of riding, but we have also both engaged in less "cool" activities. I would consider us both Star Wars geeks, Muppets fans, Beatles lovers (that's pretty cool), and a million other nerd culture supporters. When I was in High School being a nerd was not the "in" thing it is today. There was no Big Bang Theory or massive support of Sci-fi movies, Renaissance Festivals, or Robotics teams. It seems that the tide turned and now it's "Hip To Be Square." Maybe part of riding a motorcycle for me has been about doing something that is completely different from my regular choral "nerdiness." But as I have directed many choirs and I always find the one or two riders in the choir, including in LCA! 

So when I was in the mountains over the weekend I had hoped to really let go of work and daily life. But of course I found myself, humming, even singing, and actually thinking of the score for the music of our first concert. Part of it is I love the music; Benjamin Britten's Old Joe Has Gone Fishing, Willamette Spence's At the Round Earth's Imagined Corners, Alice Parker's Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye, Aaron Copland's I Bought Me A Cat... but also I think this music and the music being performed by Toasted Ponies (Lincoln Folk Ensemble) and Lincoln Christian School speak to the great folk music traditions and storytelling history often found in choral music. I found myself contemplating the deeper meaning of the text as I dropped down from the mountain into clouds in Rocky Mountain National Park. I was again swooned by simple yet beautiful harmonies as I whizzed around deep curves.

I was blessed to have such a great experience. I shared it with a great friend. I enjoyed nature in a way I have never felt before. And I got renewed and excited about the music I love and can't wait to share with you on Oct. 25.

http://lincolnchoralartists.org/currentseason.html

Final Blog of the 2014-15 season or is it the 1st of the 2015-16 Season...?

I can hardly believe it. It's been almost a year since my first blog contribution for the Lincoln Choral Artists Director's Connector.

Last season was my first (very successful) season as Artistic Choral Director. I have used this space to promote the joy and trials of choral music leading, singing, and development. I have tried to show some of my personal joys in music and hopefully brought some new insight to the music we performed. I can't wait to get started with a new season. And really it begins with LCA singing the national anthem for the Saltdogs on Aug. 23, 5:05pm at Haymarket Park. We then begin in earnest with our first rehearsal on Aug. 27 at 7:30 back at Nebraska Wesleyan University.

Writing a blog has pushed me to be more creative and clear about why I do what I do...why supporting choral music is essential to building community and adding to the cultural conversation in Lincoln and the surrounding area. 

I can't wait to stand in front of and with these committed and dedicated people. But of course we are always looking for more voices. Please share with a friend or neighbor, maybe a spouse or a child that we are looking for new singers. www.lincolnchoralartists.org/singwithus.html

Summer Blues...

So it's been a minute since I've had a chance to write. The summer for LCA has been filled with meetings and a performance at the Haymarket Park in Lincoln. We had a great opportunity to sing for the Relay for Life event. We reprised the "Lambscapes" from the spring concert and led the national anthem for the opening ceremonies. It was a great success and such a  great way to support and be seen in the community.

Summer can be a strange time for choir directors. It's a needed break. This is great time for short term and long range planning and budgeting. It is a great time for revisiting the needs of the library of music. It's a time to attend conferences and visit with choral colleagues, a time to visit family from far away, and connect to the outdoors. For me that's on my motorcycle.

But all of these things can get old (well maybe not the motorcycle!) The routine of rehearsal and performance preparation is also just a part of a director's DNA. We thrive on it. I am very excited to get back to our regular routine. Thursdays, 7:30-9:30 with a great groups of hard working, excellent singing people. Until then come join us for a couple other events. You can see them on our facebook page!

https://www.facebook.com/LincolnChoralArtists/events

Check out our live Performance on FRIDAYLIVE: 9:47am on Friday, May 15 with Host Genevieve Randall

LCA on Friday Live, May 15th at 9:47am. I will talk about that evening's concert and there will be a live performance by the Lincoln Choral Artists.
http://netnebraska.org/…/…/friday-live-johnny-carson-theater

Live stream start time: Friday, May 15 at 9:00am (CT)
Friday Live broadcast from the Johnny Carson Theater at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln with live performances from Deborah Greenblatt, Jackie Allen, Lincoln Choral Artists, and Ann Chang. Host Genevieve Randall will interview Jason Horner, the Homestead National Monument's Tallgrass Prairie Fiddle Festival fiddler Deborah Greenblatt, Bill Stephan, Launa Bacon and Peggy Gomez of Tugboat Gallery.

New Youtube Videos, Twitter, and Facebook: Ways to support and help tell about LCA

You may not know this but the Lincoln Choral Artists 

are all over the web!

We have our main webpage: www.lincolnchoralartists.org 

We have our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/LincolnChoralArtists

We have our Twitter Feed: https://twitter.com/LNKNChoir 

And we also have a Youtube page with new videos from the 

2014-15 Season: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxirJc1VoXvnruIS7ywMJzQ

So what does this mean for you? 

You can help us by visiting our webpage for information about upcoming events and joining us to sing! You can also connect to this blog, 

the Director's Connector: 

http://lcadirectorsconnector.blogspot.com/ 

You can LIKE us on Facebook, share your like, our page, and Facebook updates with your friends and family.

You can follow our Twitter feed and share our updates on your feed.

And of course you watch videos of the Lincoln Choral Artists on multiple platforms including TVs, Phones, and Pads and Computers.

Please support choral music in Nebraska 

by connecting with us!

Final Rehearsals, concluding a season, gearing up for a new next normal

It's coming...the end of the 2014-15 Lincoln Choral Artists Season. We had a great community event last week, our first InChoir Event. It was a joy to share my love of the music LCA is making. 

This week we have an all choir meeting. These annual meetings really help us understand what we've accomplished, who we've shared wonderful music with, and look ahead to new endeavors. 

First United Methodist Church will be our "Dress Rehearsal" and final rehearsal, and concert location for "With One Voice...We Begin Anew."
 May 15, 7:30 pm

We will be joining the community this summer for three events. 

Relay4Life 

            Haymarket Park

Saturday, June 27, 2015

4:00PM - 12:00AM (details for specific time TBA)

We will be joining Abendmusick for 

http://www.abendmusik.org/summersings.html

Wednesday, July 29

at 7:30 pm 

We join with the community to sing Haydn's "Creation" at First Plymouth Church.

And what could be more fun than a Saltdogs' Game! We will be singing the National Anthem for the baseball game on Sunday, August 23. 

Movin' and Shakin': movement in choir

I have been so pleased over the last few weeks to have Mandy Swanson, one of our sopranos, conducting "Baba Yetu" which will be featured on the spring concert. Mandy will be conducting. This music is inspired by the Swahili text and has African-like rhythms. Mandy is continuously telling the choir to loosen up, and move their bodies. She always sets the scene and tone for them, focusing on rhythm, clarity of text, and feeling confident but free. She encourages their minds, voices, and bodies!

Choirs can sometimes be the toughest crowd to get excited about their own music! They are focused on so many things like, diction, dynamics, tone, vowel shape, intonation...It can be hard to remember that the audience needs to see the choir look engaged. I have seen all kinds of crazy and cool ideas about how choirs should look when singing, from hand holding to full choreographed action. All of it can have a purpose and meaning. What I think is key is seeing engagement. Are the singers committed to and enjoying the sound and text they are singing? Is it obvious on their faces? In the bodies?

I can't wait for LCA to stand up and sing for the Lincoln community on May 15th. I know we can show off our choral finesse. And I hope that Mandy and I will help them communicate in song and body language the joy of singing!

May 15, 2015
7:30 pm
With One Step... Beginning Anew

and the Summit String Quartet
First United Methodist Church, Lincoln