SIDEWALK Soirees
Come rain or shine, making music is what Mu Phis do! Throughout the pandemic, these Mu Phis have put forth extra effort to share their music safely with others. These events began organically and filled a need for both players and listeners. Performing outdoors in impromptu and organized fashion, the musicians have been careful to social distance while generously giving their time and talents to benefit neighbors, families, and friends. Have you found a way to share your music-making since the onset of COVID-19? Perhaps these members will inspire you to plan a program of your own.
Vocal VENTURE
Students from the vocal studio of Lenita McCallum take their final bows at the top of the staircase. From left to right: Alison Cool, Emma Cool, Joyce Balajadia, Allegra Dittman, and Lenita McCallum.
FROM LENITA MCCALLUM Phi Iota, Palos Verdes/South Bay Alumni
The audience enjoys a porch program presented by the voice studio of Lenita McCallum from the bottom of the stairs leading up to the front porch, which served as the stage.
26 MuPhiEpsilon.org
I hosted a live vocal recital on July 16, 2020, featuring four of my students on my front porch in Rolling Hills Estates, California, as a special treat for all my neighbors and students’ families. The hour-long program ranged from operatic arias to art songs and selections from musical theater and the movies. The audience was enthusiastic and clapped and expressed their gratitude for being able to hear some live music again. Mu Phi Patron Shirley Ho added her voice to the mixture remotely from her home in West Los Angeles. About 40 people attended the porch concert, and another 20 or so viewed it via Zoom.
