Best Day Ever

I was up all night doing the Easter Seals Piano Marathon. Surviving today on 4.5 hours of sleep, split between two naps, I've had that achey kind of heartburny sensation all day long.

In a sense, I've felt pretty horrid all day long.

So, why didn't I just sleep the day away after the piano marathon?

Because if I did, today would have been lame.

Instead, I went to the VISI/CMC Art Song Collab this afternoon and everything about it was perfect.

As an event that I helped organize, it was a great success. It wasn't a full house, but it was well attended. There were submissions by 2 established and 2 emerging composers, so there was a nice variety as well as a sense of community. As one of the emerging composers, I was glad to be in the good company of Hal Foxton Beckett and Neil Weisensel.

The performers were fantastic - not just their musical skills, but their dedication, willingness, and excitement! Knowing that they only had the music for a few days before today's reading session, I really appreciated the time they spent learning and rehearsing my music. As today's workshop was focused on interpretation, they really engaged with the music, the poetry, and the new musical approaches that I asked for in my songs. In addition to great singing and playing, the performers were so positive and supportive of the songs presented today.

Singing my newest creation, More Than Containers, was Michael Broder - and extremely polished young baritone. Singing The River is Moving and A Man and a Woman was Gayle Shay, a mezzo-soprano with a delightfully velvety tone. At the piano for A Man and a Woman was the supportive touch of Allison d'Amato and finally, Laura Loewen, one of the most compassionate musicians and people I've encountered, played piano for More Than Containers and The River is Moving.

One of the most exciting parts of today's event was the open discussion that followed the performance of each piece. This was a great opportunity for composers and performers to discuss and ask questions of each other. In organizing this event, some concerns had been raised about the involvement of the audience in an open discussion of the pieces and interpretation in general. I'm not sure if those concerns were ever quelled, but there was no reason to worry today. The audience was stacked with interesting, intelligent minds - ready to experience and explore new music.

I should be upfront: the feedback on my pieces was unwaveringly positive, so of course I will sing the audience's praises, but it goes further than that. Today's gathering seemed stripped of pretensions and personal agendas, instead, people had genuine interest in exploring the ideas and interpretations which were presented.

All of these elements came together to make today a wonderful experience. I wasn't nervous at all; the performers and audience created a sense of warmth and support.

Bottom line - I get to add some stuff to my CV, I met some great new people, heard some great music, but most importantly, I heard my own music performed really well and other people really enjoyed it - I call that a good day!