Looking Back
Tuesday, 07 April 2009 16:14
Looking back: As I prepare to launch this website I'd like to look back over the past year in our studio. There were many successes to note and celebrate, and we certainly kept busy!
In February 2010 I performed with the Santa Cruz Chamber Players, songs by Amy Beach and Maurice Ravel (Chansons Madecasses).
Greg is just finishing a run of The Fantasticks, playing El Gallo.
In CM 2009 we had 10 students enrolled. Some didn't finish due to illness, but 6 did!! Now we're busy preparing for CM 2010. Madeline, Kelly and Brandon are all at level 7 this year.
Three students entered MTAC's Talent Bank Awards Festival last spring, and they all placed: Kelly Payne, first; Brandon Becker, second; and Cindy Case, third. I was so proud of their work!!
Three students entered the NATS Singing Festival at San Francisco State: Amy Mendon, Kelly and Brandon. Amy also took part in the Singer's Gym, and summer 2008 studied at AIMS in Graz and OperaWorks in L.A.
Natalie Kolber sang in the musical Starmites at Pacific Collegiate H.S.; Elizabeth Burk sang in Working at Aptos H.S.; Michele Ebrahimian sang in the ensemble in Les Miz at Archbishop Mitty H.S., and also covered Cosette and sang one performance in that role; and Kelly, Cindy and Brandon had leads in Cabaret at Soquel H.S. They also all received end of year awards from their choral program.
We had three recitals this past season....the usual two studio recitals in February and August, and a Junior and Senior Recital in June (which included tap dancing by Madeline Hamb!!!)
Kelly was at Cal Arts this summer in the Inner Spark program. I went to I.U. in Bloomington, Indiana for a week long workshop on Teaching Men to Sing.
I had to say au revoir to Cindy and Michele who went off to college this fall....Cindy to UOP and Michele to Chapman U. They both received scholarships! I certainly miss them in the studio.
I sang with NACUSAsf in November, my usual Fall Concert with them. Sang the works of three composers, all with either 2 or 3 rehearsals. It's always a huge challenge, scary, but in the end rewarding.
Like I said, we've been busy, and I'm looking forward to the many spring activities.
