Wow! Where did May go? It has been almost 2 months since I posted, so I thought I’d better take minute and update on the happenings around here. First, here’s what is coming up . . .
- Starting next week, June 6th, I’ll be attending the Intermuse Academy at BYU for 10 days to get my level 1 Kodaly certification. Full certification is a three-year process. Much thanks to The American Fork Children’s Choir for raising most of the money to cover tuition. I’m really looking forward to this and getting involved more with Kodaly.
- Also, starting Monday June 6th at 7pm – American Fork Amphitheater and every Monday this Summer: I’ll be emceeing once again for the American Fork Concerts in the Park. As part of my emceeing this year I have a special surprise to unveil this Monday. :-)
- The last week in June, I will be directing the American Fork Children’s Choir at a weeklong Choir Camp. We have over a hundred students enrolled! and are going to be performing/marching in the American Fork Steel Days Parade on July 9th. Can you imagine 100+ kids marching and singing together? It is going to AWESOME!
- July 18-22 I will be teaching at ‘Uke an Sing!’ Ukulele Choir Camp, here in American Fork – an extension of the American Fork Children’s Choir. Register on the American Fork Arts Council Website.
- Also, I’ve been commissioned to write a set of 3 choral pieces on the sonnets of William Shakespeare for Laramie High School in Wyoming. I’m stoked, because I love Shakespeare and I lived in Wyoming for 6 months when I was a missionary for the LDS church.
- I’ve got a lot of new music to post to this site and choirworks.com, but everything has been so busy that it may take a while to get up. Please be patient with me. :-)
- I still hope to finish my new opera for families, The Giant’s Heart, this year – your prayers that somehow I’ll be able to fit it in are most gratefully appreciated.
And, since my April update . . .
- Had our last American Fork Children’s Choir concert for this season. The kids were awesome. They have improved so much since the beginning of the year. Our concert was called, “My America,” and the Concert Choir presented “The 4th of July” – the fourth song they’ve written this year in class. The combined choirs also sang my arrangement of “When the Saints Go Marching In,” with a fairly difficult, jazz-based descant line.
- My new set of 10 songs based on poems from ten living Utah poets, entitled 3 Floors to the Grass (a line from one of the poems), was premiered on April 29th at the American Fork Arts Council Press Gala, to celebrate the release of their first Utah Voices literary annual. It was truly a ‘standing room only event.’ The songs were performed by Kimberlee Talbot, Andrea da Silva, Venicia Wilson, Valaura Arnold, Ivalani Bradshaw, Heidi Rodeback (on piano) and myself.
- The weeks previous to the gala were spent recording a new album of 3 Floors to the Grass with the above-mentioned singers. The CD was available at the concert and will eventually be available online.
- The AFACPress and I jointly applied for a Barlow Endowment grant so we can do it again next year. I had to update my Bio & CV for it, so it is the most complete it has been in years (ever really).
- I performed the infamous Soliliquy from Carousel at a Timpanogos Choral Concert.
- The Salty Cricket Composer Collective, chaired by yours truly, met and approved a new Musical Scenes project headed by Rick Mortensen.
- On the family front, my brother Michael headed up a wonderful family Easter picnic/devotional at which I was glad to sing Amazing Grace. Also, a few days ago, on Memorial Day Weekend, we held our first ever family talent show at Rock Canyon Amphitheater – I totally enjoyed it. Next year we’re going to do it in June though so all the nephews and nieces will be out of school.
- Been hiking with my wife half a dozen times or so this season. Getting to know the canyons nears us better. While I’m teaching choir camps, Dixie is going to be teaching Kindergarten summer school. So, busy, busy Summer ahead.
There you have it. More to come when time allows . . . Love you all. :-)
