I’m providing a Singing Camp for kids this summer from June 27-30th. If you’d like to sign up your child or come to the musical please go to my contact page.
This singing camp is designed for Children ages Kindergarten-5th grade. The children will learn a 20 minute musical and will have the opportunity to perform the show on June 30th. The children will sing, act, dance, and have fun with music!
When: June 27-30th 9:30-12:00pm
The Musical Performance is on Thursday, June 30th at 1pm following a luncheon for the children.
Where: The camp will be held at North Park Covenant Church, 5250 North Christiana (Just east of Kimball and north of Foster)
How Much: The summer camp is $200 for the entire four day session, which includes their music, CD, luncheon, and performance.
DePaul Community Music Division is joining forces with the adult community choir and children for a special performance of Carmen on Sunday, June 12th at 3pm. I’m rehearsing the Children’s Chorus for this event and this is an extremely ambigious group of kids. They’ve sung the Carmen Children’s Chorus in French at the Lyric Opera House in the spring and now have to learn and memorize it in English with only four rehearsals. What a fun challenge!
Come Sunday is a beautiful jazz ballad by Duke Ellington. I will be singing an arrangement of this piece with Metamora’s High School’s Concert Band at the Metamora Square on Sunday, May 15th.
It’s been 10 year since I played trumpet in the band at Metamora High School. Hopefully, the weather cooperates for this special outdoor concert!
“Lord, dear Lord above, God Almighty, God of Love. O Please look down and see my people through. I believe that God put sun and moon up in the skies. I don’t mind the gray skies, cause they’re just clouds passing by ‘n by”
Please click here to see Chicago Opera Theater’s Opera For All Program. 200 Chicago Public School Students will be performing School Rules this May and June for their community! These students wrote their own lyrics, composed the melody to match the words, and even made their own props!
Come see the In School Performances, directed by myself and Lisa Golda and Kim Chin.
Hampton Elementary School, Tuesday, May 10th at 11am
Clinton Elementary School, Thursday, May 19th at 11am
Calmeca Academy, Tuesday, May 24th at 10am
Reilly Elementary School, Thursday, June 2nd at 11:30am
The Back Week Festival Chorus, of which I’m a member gave their dual performances on Friday, April 29th and Sunday, May 1st. We performed Bach’s Christ Lag in Todes Banden, the Easter Oratorio, as well as a joyful piece by Bryd, and my favorite “Zadok the Priest”.
See the Critiques review here from the Chicago Classical Review.
The Roosevelt University Singers had their Spring concert yesterday, Friday, April 22nd at the Harold Washington Library Pritzker Auditorium. It was a complete success with the choir blending and emoting more than ever! The soloists were inspiring and our special guests: conga drummer, guitarists,drum set and pianist added so much flavor to our two spirituals: Keep Your Lamps and Im a Soon Cum Bak (Jamaican). The Repertoire also consisted of musical selections: The Color Purple, Seasons Of Love, You Can’t Stop the Beat, I Believe, and a Duke Ellington medley.
University Singers
St. Paddy's Day
On Saturday March 12th, Chicago had it’s annual Dyeing of River. I was asked to sing Irish Songs aboard the Star of Chicago boat for the company, Navigant Consultants. It was a chilly Saturday, but lots o’ fun! I sang the ever famous Danny Boy, My Wild Irish Rose, ‘Tis the Last Rose of Summer, and many more.
After the River turned Green, I made it up to DePaul University for my Prelude Choir Dress rehearsals. The performance was that same evening at 6:30pm. Quite a busy day. The kindergarten-third graders from the DePaul Community Music Division, performed the musical, Child of The World.
DePaul Prelude Choir
Chicago Opera Theater honored COT for Teens on Sunday, March 6th at their annual Gala at Carnivale. Each year, students from diverse backgrounds and neighborhoods come together to study and create opera. For some, this marks the first experience with singing and opera as they attend schools with no music or art offerings. And for others, it is an extension on a young interest in singing. Regardless of background and experience, all of these students come to us with eagerness to explore a new art form and spread their wings. For three hours a day, three days a week, the COT for Teens students immerse themselves in what we love: opera. The program culminates in the spring with their own production. This year COT For Teens will present a condensed version of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance, an excerpt from which you will hear shortly. This program instills artistry and appreciation in not only tomorrow’s opera-goers, but tomorrow’s opera stars, as well. 10 of the 30 COT for Teens students were featured at the Gala under the direction of Christopher Richard and Marta Johnson.
The transition that each student goes through from the beginning of the program- where some are completely unfamiliar with opera and singing- to performing in a production that would make even the toughest critic get on their feet, is astounding. Our students gain confidence in themselves and take great pride in being part of such a special team. The typical after school ritual of TV is replaced with this incredible creative outlet that is inspirational.
One of the high school performers texted this message that night to director, Chris Richard. “Thank you so much for tonight!!!! It was truly an inspiration and a reminder as to shy I want to be a musician! This is a night I will never forget and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity! Tonight truly was the greatest experience I’ve ever had!
Opera For Teens Gala
John Philip Sousa Concert
A Tribute to John Philip Sousa concert at Peoria’s Bradley University at Dingeldine Concert Hall on Sunday February 20th, was a complete success with so many in attendance and everyone simply loving the band’s excellent afternoon of music. Above, I’m standing with the Band Director, Dr. David Vroman who clearly resembles the famous Sousa.
It was a delightful afternoon and an honor for me to participate in!
Thanks to all those who attended! Video soon to come!!
As the Manager of Education for Chicago Opera Theater, I get the pleasure to work with amazing teaching artists and have fun creating alongside the students. The entire month of January focused on COMPOSING melodies to the student’s lyrics. Our composer in residence, Adam Busch states the following,
“What a FUN-tastic time we had at Calmeca, Clinton and Hampton schools!! We laughed…a TON, and learned even more!!! Using our ‘music meter’ ( an octave scale)–the kids were able to select notes, 1 through 8, to create AMAZING melodies. Their thought process was very clear. They identified the story each lyric was telling, then matched the rise and fall of the notes with the emotions and key words of the lyric–even making edits for meter where necessary. Unbelievably, though all of our laughing–we made full songs in just 3 short sessions—and all of them were totally different! The funky “clothes were groovy” disco, to the demanding “Chocolate Milk song”—The cravings of “I can’t wait for dessert”, and the joys of “Pizza Day”.
What a great program–that now these kids will learn each other’s song AND perform them!!
Cheers to all the participants!!!!”
