Saturday, September 24, 2011

What I have been up to

Hello! I’m back…for a moment. So, what have I been up to? Making music. The school year began a little over a month ago, and so I’m back at work. I work part-time at the local community college as an adjunct faculty member, serving as the accompanist and rehearsal assistant for the choral program. A surprise this semester is that I was asked (two days before classes began!) to teach a class in sight-singing and ear training. That’s been going well. This past summer, I picked up a weekly gig accompanying a chorus at a nearby retirement community. The dear ladies and gentlemen who sing in the chorus appreciated my assistance so much, they changed their rehearsal night so that I could continue once the school year started and my rehearsal obligations at the community college resumed. Finally, I serve my church as a worship pianist, worship leader, organist and choir accompanist. Probably, the most stimulating thing I do musically is play the organ at church. My primary instrument is piano, but organ has always been my love—a hobby of sorts. We don’t use the organ every week at our church, and I don’t get as much practice as I need or would like, but it’s always fun when I get a chance to play it. Here’s a video clip of me playing the well-known Toccata from Organ Symphony #5 by Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937) as the postlude after worship service last Sunday morning.