Updates for November
Fall is here and the holidays are on the way. It’s been busy and I have lots to share.
- Fall Quarter at The Masters School
- WSW Concert November 10 at Tarrytown Music Hall
- Dream realized: Conducting at the Caramoor Festival!
My new desk at Masters
The Masters School
One quarter of The Master School term has already gone by, and my mid-semester grades are due on Monday. The time has gone by so quickly! I have to say I’m enjoying this teaching position. It represents a big change from the type of duties I had at NVOT, but I’m happy about that. I’m enjoying working with the Orchestra and Chamber Music class. The biggest challenge for me has been getting the Private Lesson program off the ground. Scheduling 250 students and 20 teachers turned out to be more difficult than I expected. The conflicts and problems I encountered filled my Inbox with over 200 emails at one point, and it was pretty intense for the first two weeks of October. I’ve learned a lot from my mistakes and already have plans in place to fix many problems the next time around.
With Jeff Carnevale
Working with my former students, Jeff & Jen Carnevale, has been wonderful. Jen is the Music Department Chair, and Jeff is mentor first-year mentor. (Jen gave birth to their second child, Jonathan Cash, on September 27, so I’m looking forward to her return after her maternity leave.)
The faculty here are extraordinarily committed. I can see that residential faculty live a more involved experience than public school teachers. It is literally a 24/7 job, and that makes a huge difference. The concept of faculty advisors also brings more involvement between faculty and students. Instead of guidance counselors, all faculty are assigned to 5 students who we advise in all matters, academic and otherwise. We meet with our advisees 4 out of 5 days per week at the morning meeting, we meet with them to conference about their classes and grades, and there are many expectations for giving these students guidance through the year.
After the Met Opera performance of The Nose
There are also a large number of cultural opportunities for students through out the year. The boarding student life requires organized activities, and this program throughout the year includes Broadway theater, concerts, operas at the Met, museum tours, trapeze lessons, ski trips, and more. Last Saturday, I chaperoned a trip with four students to the Met to see Shostakovich’s The Nose. Kurt Phinney, the Met Chorus Manager, met us before the production and gave us a backstage tour.
On November 12, the Dover Quartet will be giving a performance and clinic with my orchestra at Masters. This is a great opportunity for the group, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity. The quartet will be in residence at the Caramoor Festival at that time (see below for the connection to Caramoor).
Westchester Symphonic Winds concert – Sunday, November 10 at 3 pm
My original idea for retirement was, of course, to spend a lot more time with WSW. That idea went out the window quickly when I took the full-time job at Masters. But I am happy to say that I am having a great season so far with the band. Our first concert is next Sunday at 3:00 pm at Tarrytown Music Hall. The program, sub-titled “Frolic and Whimsy,” is filled with music that is just plain fun. It includes the Overture to “Funny Girl,” Pineapple Poll, and Ghost Train. Our guest conductor is Rich Guillen from Arlington High School, and our guest soloist is Anthony Mazzocchi, trombone, from Montclair State University. If you’re in the area, I hope you’ll try to attend. Click here for tickets.
Our season will continue with our first Side by Side concert at Mahopac High School on Thursday, November 21. We are playing the first half alone, and then joining forces with four different Mahopac student ensembles after intermission. The concert is part of the Putnam Arts Council 50th Anniversary celebration.
The Tarrytown Music Hall concerts will continue on February 9 (“Ideas, Images, and Textures”), featuring MSgt. Bill Owens (West Point Band), trumpet soloist, performing the Artunian Trumpet Concerto, and Amy Wilcox (Director of Bands at NVOT), our guest conductor. The season finale on May 17 (“Hymns Sacred and Profane”) features Dr. Shelley Axelson (Montclair State), guest conductor, and will include the epic Carmina Burana, featuring Leslie Mac Pherson’s Northern Valley-Demarest Concert Choir, Ars Musica from Bergen County, and soloists Daniella Ashbahian (former student from NVOT) and Erich Tusch (MEBCI colleague). Please mark your calendars!
Caramoor debut
The Venetian Theater at Caramoor
I feel I have been so fortunate in so many ways — my training at Nothwestern, experience at Northern Valley, opportunities with Westchester Symphonic Winds — including all the wonderful people I have met along the way. All of you have a created a “Chain of Inspiration” which has invigorated me personally and professionally. Since living in Westchester, I have visited the Caramoor Festival, the world-class summer music festival in Katonah, NY, many times, and dreamed, “Maybe some day I’ll conduct on that stage.” Well that day is officially, July 4, 2014.
Through the efforts of WSW clarinetist, Dan Harrison, we were able to make a connection with the Managing Director of Caramoor, Paul Rosenblum. Paul was interested in finding a new ensemble to headline the annual Fourth of July concert. (Apparently, the Orchestra of St. Lukes no longer performs on this date.) The combination of the world-class venue and local community-based ensemble seemed to be the combination he was looking for on July 4. (Apparently our audition recordings and recent performance history helped, too.) Watch the Caramoor website (www.caramoor.org) for publicity and ticket information. This concert, which is followed by fireworks, sells out every year, so I will be sure to post information here as I receive it.
Enjoy the fall. Please stay in touch.
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