Cooperation makes it happen

My dear friends:

It occurs to me today that I am extremely lucky.

School started back up this past Monday, which means a return to the helter-skelter busyness of my commuter-student lifestyle. And, a lot of big events are looming on the horizon, so there's a lot to think about. However, my path in the past week has been littered with little collaborative miracles. For example:

A colleague of mine completed a choral piece he wrote for my grad student choir to sing and for me to conduct and brought the first copy to our little basement office, and now I get to begin the process of helping to bring it to life. I think this is about the coolest thing ever.

A whole group of my choral pals and I gathered one evening to pool our collective skills for a listening/logistics/pedagogical strategizing party for an upcoming performance of the Bernstein Mass. Imagine: 9 conductors and 1 professional singer all in a room for the purpose of listening to a major choral work and deciding how best to handle its various challenges, and everyone not only contributed positively to the conversation, everyone had a good time.

And moments ago, a friend of mine who lived down the hall from me in a certain Hungarian monastery emailed me a document with an exhaustive poetic translation and analysis she'd put together for me, someone she hasn't seen or really spoken to in years. Why? Because I asked, and that's just the kind of person she is.

So, it seems that the fabric of this blockbuster of a semester is already shot through with threads of phenomenal generosity -- generosity of time, effort, and spirit, and I'm already amazed. It gives me hope, and it fills me with gratitude, and I'm hoping to spin this week's assignment to give all of you a chance to give and receive in this same spirit.

Rising Level 2's

Make a call or shoot an email to one of your classmates to see if s/he will be your buddy for this assignment. If you can't find a buddy, I'll happily fill in!

Prepare the following Ottmans:

8.20, 8.21, 8.26, 8.27

Make a phone date or two with your buddy and sing the melodies for one another. Encourage and help each other out, and offer helpful feedback. Share any tricks you used with your buddy. Then, take a few minutes and catch up on life!

Rising Level 3's

Make a call or shoot an email to one of your classmates to she if s/he will be your buddy for this assignment. If you can't find a buddy, I'll happily fill in!

Prepare the following Ottmans:

13.37, 13.38 (to modulate or not to modulate on the 3rd line....that is the question....), 13,39, 13.40

Make a phone date or two with your buddy and sing the melodies for one another. Decide whether to modulate or not and discuss the advantages to your choice. Encourage and help each other out, and offer helpful feedback. Share any tricks you used with your buddy. Then, take a few minutes and catch up on life!

Rising Level 4's

Make a call or shoot an email to one of your classmates to she if s/he will be your buddy for this assignment. If you can't find a buddy, I'll happily fill in!

Prepare the following Ottmans:

16.43, 16.44 (work on it in 4/4, but try to make it into 2/2, as notated) 16.48 (conduct, and don't go too fast!), and 16.51 (look at the whole thing before choosing your tempo)

Make a phone date or two with your buddy and sing the melodies for one another. If you think you'd like to modulate, discuss that decision with your buddy and see if s/he agrees. Encourage and help each other out, and offer helpful feedback. Share any tricks you used with your buddy. Then, take a few minutes and catch up on life!

Enjoy!