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NEWS AND NOTES
News and notes from around the state
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FAR SOUTH REGION
The 3rd Coralifornia International Festival (“Un Canto sin Fronteras”) was held virtually in November, featuring over 10 days of concerts, talks, masterclasses, and workshops. Twenty-six choirs from Mexico, the United States, Cuba, Panama, and Colombia participated, including the San Diego Chorus, Common Ground Voices/La Frontera, Los Bordershop Quartet, and the San Diego Women’s Chorus. Emilie Amrein and André de Quadros co-hosted a conversation about the innovative and equity-centered work in The Choral Commons.
SACRA/PROFANA commissioned Amy Gordon to write a new piece during the Covid-19 pandemic. “In times of Hibernation” is the intended middle point in a song cycle about the COVID experience. Artistic Director Juan Carlos Acosta directed the video, which may be viewed here: youtu.be/KSkJGGwSCxQ
Stan Wicks retired from First United Methodist Church of San Diego after more than 22 years as Music Director. In addition to his music ministry, Stan continued the long tradition of the church-based community Masterwork Chorale and welcomed many musicians to join in frequent collaborative events and Summer Sings.
San Diego Master Chorale moved to a full, virtual concert season this fall, presenting six events ranging from virtual performances to interviews with composers. Music Director John Russell also prepared and curated both brand-new and neverbefore-released recordings of live performances.
In November, the Choral Consortium of San Diego hosted a free virtual singalong featuring nine choral directors representing a variety of choral ensembles from San Diego and Tijuana. Featured conductors included Dzaya Castillo (Centro de Artes Musicales), Kathleen Hansen (San Diego Women’s Chorus), Ruthie Millgard (San Diego Children’s Choir), and Keith Pedersen (Point Loma Nazarene University).
NORTHERN REGION
The Mendocino Music Festival Chorale, under the direction of Jenny Matteucci, has published two virtual choir videos and made available several inspiring online workshops in January. See the videos and learn more at mailchi.mp/mendocinomusic/two-winter-songs!
Vox Musica, under the direction of Daniel Paulson, presented a live performance in which they sang synchronously for their patrons. For this performance, Paulson utilized Rehearsal Live Share, which allowed the ensemble to sing synchronously with each other in the virtual environment. The performance featured new melodies sung alongside sacred Native American tribal songs.
Elizabeth Unpingco, director at Bear Creek High School, Sacramento, has also enjoyed working with a senior choir (average age 65-70) and making music with them through Zoom and BandLab. Unpingco was initially reluctant to introduce these technologies to “older” singers. They, however, soon proved her wrong and showed that with patience, you can teach anyone anything!
Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra, under the direction of Donald Kendrick, have worked tirelessly to weather COVID-19 together. Their goal is to outlast the current pandemic and bring the gift of music and community back to the region. Check out and support their 2020-2021 virtual season at sacramentochoral.org/2020-2021-virtualseason-outline.
Chanteuses Women’s Choir of Sacramento, under the direction of William Zinn, is going to “reboot” a concert of “Poetry in Song” planned for last spring. They will work remotely through the Rehearsal Live Share software and assemble a concert with virtual choir recordings and perhaps some live recordings if the pandemic allows them in the coming months. They are very excited to have had their recent virtual choir offering, “The Work of Christmas” by Dan Forrest, reposted on the CCDA website!
BAY AREA
Two San Francisco Bay Area youth choral institutions, Ragazzi Boys Chorus and Cantabile Youth Singers of Silicon Valley, are singing together using the JackTrip Foundation’s “Virtual Studio” technology. Thus far, both groups have successfully rehearsed and recorded music using this system since September, with up to 90 musicians (ages 6-18) participating in their respective rehearsals.
The St. Mary’s Cathedral Choir with members of Pacific Edge Voices and the Benedict Sixteen presented a live and live-streamed performance of the Duruflé Requiem, conducted by Ash Walker, on November 1.
The Mission Peak Chamber Singers, led by Ofer dal Lal, presented two special and timely virtual performances: “A Time to Choose Love: Election 2020” and “With a Roof Over Our Heads: A Musical Response to Homelessness.”
Schola Cantorum Silicon Valley (Buddy James, director) used virtual technology to connect with choral communities around the world, partnering with choirs in Lithuania, Kenya, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, and Australia to produce side-by-side Virtual Choir performances from their respective holiday traditions.
CENTRAL COAST REGION
Nicole C. Lamartine, newly appointed Sorensen Director of Choral Music at UC Santa Barbara, is redesigning the graduate choral experience to focus on the “how” and “why” of choral leadership and audience engagement. Students in the MM and DMA programs engage in study and application of innovative rehearsal techniques, conducting pedagogy, repertoire exploration, performance practice, and skill-building for 21st century musicians.
CENTRAL REGION
A chamber choir from the Modesto Symphony Orchestra Chorus presented a virtual holiday performance under the direction of its conductor, Daniel Afonso, in lieu of MSO’s annual Holiday Candlelight Concert.
Adam Serpa, choral director at Modesto High School, is working with board members of the Stanislaus County Music Educators Association to propose protocols that would allow in-person rehearsals of vocal and instrumental ensembles. The county’s Department of Health has thus far eliminated all such rehearsals.
Jennifer Garrett, Director of Choral Activities at Bakersfield College, hosted composer Eric Whitacre for a Kern County-wide event in which he shared information and insight about his creative process and his musical journey. The online event was attended by 190 singers.
On November 14th, John Sorber, Director of Choral Activities at College of the Sequoias, hosted a virtual solo clinic for local high school students. The teachers and students appreciated the event and want to do it again!
Director of Choral Studies and Vocal Music at CSU Bakersfield, Angel M. Vázquez-Ramos, is currently working on a virtual performance of Ron Kean’s “If Not for Music.” This piece was composed with a desire to unite Kern County singers (middle school, high school, and college age) in song during this challenging time.
Here is an update from Ryan Clippinger, choral director at Arvin High School and recipient of the 2020 CCDA Early Career Award: “I spent the summer working with Patrick Burzlaff to help write online curriculum for all Kern High School District vocal music classes. My main job was to build an online pentatonicbased sight-reading curriculum from scratch so that all teachers had a place to start. Overall, I am loving online learning. Though it doesn’t beat in-person learning, one of the biggest silver linings I’ve found is the greater opportunity to have more meaningful conversations about music, culture, and about the world as a whole with my students. I’ve learned that my students are very well informed about the world around them, so our conversations have really centered around expanding on the information they already have at their fingertips. My students and I are becoming better humans together through this, and I am truly thankful for that.”
SOUTHERN REGION
Keith Hancock has taken the virtual-choir medium to the heights of excellence. None of us ever thought we would be video and audio engineers, but Keith has inspired us with his song choices and quality of the end product. Check out his Tesoro High School choirs on YouTube!
Stacey Kikkawa at Fullerton Union High School has been teaching an online piano class without pianos, using online resources, creative instruction, and her bubbly and infectious personality to make the experience as positive and engaging as possible for her students. Stacey’s story is a good reminder to us that our students need us to be positive and provide a welcoming and safe space. Thank you, Stacey, for your inspiration.
Adrian Rangel-Sanchez has developed a song-writing curriculum for the choral musicians at Portola High School, who are learning to use the elements of music to create and compose their own songs.
Thanks to our Regional Representatives (Andrew Kreckmann, Northern; Buddy James, Bay Area; Angel Vázquez-Ramos, Central; Carolyn Teraoka-Brady, Central Coast; Tina Peterson, Southern; and Arlie Langager, Far South) for collecting and sharing news from their areas! Send your news to your regional representative if you’d like to be included in a future issue.
LMU Music Welcomes
DR. T.J. HARPER
Director of Choral Activities
Loyola Marymount University Choral Music Program
Located in Los Angeles, the second largest artistic and entertainment market in the country, the LMU Choral Music Program offers undergraduate degrees in music with concentrations in Choral Conducting, Composition, and Vocal Performance. Scholarships are available.
CHORAL ENSEMBLES
Consort Singers Concert Choir Treble Voices Sinatra Opera Workshop
