Deceptive Cadence

On the last day of spring break and after a fast trip to Dallas for the American Choral Director's Association conference, I finally have a chance to really reflect on my students' work with Josquin and their growth over the tour. The amount of pride and ownership I saw grow within them was remarkable. And each performance was remarkably different! Our final performance was at Furman University where we were hosted by the wonderful Hugh Floyd. Hugh and I are both Michigan grads (Go Blue!) and had the same church job when we were students in the program. We definitely share the Michigan family bond. I was so happy my students got a chance to be around his wonderful personality and got to see the beautiful Furman campus.

Go Blue!

The students there were very receptive to our material and the space in which we performed was the most acoustically beautiful by far. To change things up a little bit, we did two improvisations, both in minor keys. One in our normal style and another with shorter note lengths. It was so fun to experiment and I am AMAZED at how the improvisation has improved and become more complex as the ensemble gained connectivity and identity. I can't wait to do more work in that area.

Sextet

Kate and Deon'te performing Mille regretz

I look forward to reading my students' reflections on what they learned and experienced in this process. Already the language they have used in expressing their experience is exciting to me and although our work together is technically complete, I see many ways this whole idea can expand.

We will have one more performance in Greensboro which is tentatively planned for April 26 at 4:00 p.m. in the Weatherspoon Art Museum on the UNCG campus. I will post again when this becomes official. If you are in the area, please come and hear us! I won't give my full lecture, but will talk about the project, what we learned, and give my students a chance to speak and answer questions.

We got some lovely feedback from the audience at the UUCA. One women wrote on our facebook invite:

This was a musical experience that not only educated, but lifted the spirit and allowed it to soar. It was both pure and complex - and astonishingly lovely. Thank you Don for inviting us and thank you Dr. Ott and your 10 gorgeous vocalists for singing us into your perfect realm.

Knowing that we made such an impact, even on just one person, is a wonderful thing.

One more day!

It is hard to believe that we have now given our presentation four times. We are really looking forward to performing at Furman tomorrow on our way back to Greensboro and to performing again in our hometown a little later in the semester. I can't even begin to process much this project has meant to me, how much I have grown, and how much my students have grown. I believe so passionately in the transformational experience of chamber music and have witnessed it first hand with this wonderful group of singers. Today was a whirlwind with an early performance at Kennesaw State University hosted by Alison Mann and Georgia State University organized with Deanna Joseph and hosted by Ariel Merivil. My students are becoming quicker and quicker at adapting to new spaces and more comfortable navigating unpredictable performance situations. We have one more long ride in Bev, one more road performance, and one more group lunch to navigate. And then it is on to the rest of spring break, which for me means Dallas and ACDA. Whew!

Today was really too fast to take many pictures, but this hilarious one is too funny NOT to share. It's what happens when there is concentrated togetherness...

Atlanta!!

Well, we are here! Thrilled to be on Spring Break and thrilled to be performing such great music in an awesome place. It was a gorgeous day for travel. We left Greensboro at 9(ish) this morning, stopped at the Anderson Mall for lunch, and made it to the UUCA for our late afternoon performance. We had a very appreciative crowd and it felt so good to have stopped moving and to be singing. We were a little nervous warming up since everything kept going sharp from fatigue and travel and daylight savings...but things settled very nicely during the performance.

Our van's name is Bev and she is a BEAST! We love her. I know I'll miss her come Wednesday morning. We got some great pictures. Since the image of 10 college students and their professor singing great music and traveling in a van named Bev complete with monster/fairy finger puppets shouldn't be left to anyone's imaginations, I'll leave you with a few images...