include 'VIOLIN' in every resume.

I often avoid revealing my whole resume in simple get-to-know-you conversations.

In fact, I sometimes hide whole sections of my life story in order not to --overwhelm someone.  

Well that sounds like a prideful pig!

But really, my accomplishments aren't really that great.  It's just some of the simplest questions are just ... complicated for me to answer. I don't want to sound like I'm trying to impress-- and sometimes I wish that some of my talents required getting to know me before they were uncovered.  whatever.

In fact, I never give the same grouping of instruments I play when I introduce myself.  And I give different answers for where I'm from too.  So, you might go away thinking that I'm a choir singer from Wisconsin, a harpist from Utah, or a collaborative pianist from Paris.  And... depending on how you react, where you're from, or how long we want to keep talking... I might flush out the whole story.  

Well, when I agreed to come visit a good friend in New England, I had no idea that her family were music lovers.  I had told them the basic conducting and piano emphases at school, but it took three days for me to uncover that I played the violin. 

at which point, my host says 'I think I have some violins you'd like to see.' And the hostess adds (apparently taking my word for my musical abilities) 'not just to see -- violins you should play!' 

I honestly thought that he was kidding around with me when he mentioned Stradivarius, but I should have been more trusting.  Of course I didn't sleep that night, thinking about the violins (okay, that wasn't the only reason...), but it was the next morning when we decided to take them out together.  

The first violin he handed me was the small a 1732 violin made by Giuseppe Guarneri Del Gesú, called 'Ferni.'  I slowly started to get used to it with slow scales, and any excerpt that came to mind, from Bach to Barber.  When I started to improvise on my favorite hymns, my host returned. 

This time the violin was made by Antonio Stradivarius in 1704, nicknamed the Gleni.  I had dreamed about touching a Strad most of my life... I never imagined I would one day play on one of his violins.  The power in the violin surprised me--I couldn't believe the G string sound, and the evenness between strings. The change onto the E string had a very clear darker even sonority that I had never heard before.  So out came Bartok, Wieniawski, Lalo and more Bach--I just couldn't get enough of it.   

Eventually the morning had wasted away and I had to leave, still smiling. What a gift!

... And I went away thinking it was such a lucky chance that I mentioned my love for the violin.  

But aren't blessings most often disguised as chances?

San Francisco

Concert Series at the Presidio, San Francisco Debut


Debussy:
l'Isle joyeuse
Reflets dans l'eau

Poulenc:
Napoli Suite
Barcarolle
Nocturne
Italian Caprice (intermission)

Ravel: Ondine
Chopin: Nocturne Op. 27.2
Prokofiev: Sonata #1

The clapping was enthusiastic at the end of the Prokofiev both nights, and many were standing. On Friday night, an older gentleman in the audience ran up to present me with a handful of beautiful wildflowers! So, I gave an encore:

Marciack
Île St. Louis from Impressions de Paris

This was the last piece that I studied with Monsieur Marciack in Paris. He composed two books of "Impressions de Paris" for his students to play. He cried at one of the last performances I gave while studying with him, and I wondered, 'why would someone cry to music?' Although I studied another one or two of his works with Christina Van Dohm in Antwerp, I put the books away when I moved to Wisconsin. For some reason, I packed them with me when I went off to College (not sure what I was thinking) and found them again when I was living with my Grandmother during the Spring term.

I looked through the pieces, and was reminded of many early musical memories associated with Monsieur Marciack, his handwriting, his music, his mannerisms, his laugh, his love for me... and then I played through the Île St Louis. I started to cry at the end of the first line and cried during the whole piece. It reminded me of everything that was Paris, everything that I learned musically there, every pain I had felt leaving, and every pain I had felt there. I was reminded of how many 'weird' things I did that were simply cross-culture conflicts and how much I loved Paris, Music, Monsieur Marciack, and how blessed I was to have all of those things.

After each performance, the audience greeted and congratulated me in the foyer and to my surprise, I noted accents (especially European) from the majority of the audience members. They thought that Marian Marciack might have been a famous French folk song, Schumann, a Song without Words, MacDowell or Gottschalk... he would be flattered. Others told me they felt it was my prayer. It was.

Liz Olson, my best friend from High School surprised me by attending both concerts and took me out to see her favorite spots in San Francisco, favorite roads, favorite ice cream place, and favorite real San Fransiscan restaurant. She and many other audience members asked when I would be coming back? soon in any case. If this was a 'debut,' that simply means 'beginning' (it's french, of course). So I will return. with friends. and perhaps more musical instruments. ;) see you then.

Singers Tour 2011

I am a performer--I love tour. This year BYU Singers took us across Colorado and up to Cheyenne, Wyoming.

My favorite part of tour is speaking with the audience members. I love walking into the audience night after night and starting conversation with loving grandmothers, working businessmen, or the local teenagers. I love shaking hands with the dressed up six year olds who have just started violin. I love the audience members who know classical music and the choral art. I love those who have never heard music like this before. I discuss the parts of the program that were most moving. Often the little boys liked the more rowdy numbers and the fiddling.

One of my favorite new friends from the trip was Maggie. She lives with her mother at home and invited Karen and I to stay with them overnight. She was such a gracious hostess as well as a singer & actrice herself. Most often the neighboring stakes host the Singers, but in this case, Maggie was kind enough to offer us a place. Her favorite was 'Peace of Christ.' She told us that she was brought to tears during that number. We were able to stay up late and have deep conversations about things that really matter over macaroni and cheese.

It was thrilling to meet those who don't have much interaction with people of our faith in their homes, at school, and in the audiences. It was exciting to meet with high schools all over Colorado and work with them. Some might say that the art of choral singing is dying in today's society, but what we saw was quite the opposite. High School students were excited to work with us, were full of questions, and were impressed with the sound a collegiate level choir could produce. It's been six years since I was in High School, and we were still able to relate with one another and find commonalities.

I would not trade the time we spent on buses, waiting in high school cafeterias or stake centers, or in the sand dunes with the other stellar members of BYU Singers. I learned more about each Singer and was continually inspired. Needless to say, the whole tour was a success.

pics: 1. sightreading the accompaniment to our combined number, Littleton 2. performing in Sacred Heart Church, Alamosa 3. my best performance of Summersets with Dr. Staheli, Colorado State University. 4. 'Jinny' on the violin, Cheyenne 5. last concert in St Elizabeth's, Denver