It’s been a wonderful summer full of music! I finished up my last year teaching choir at SWHS in Seattle in late June. We closed with a beautiful spring concert featuring Eric Whitacre’s “Seal Lullaby.” The students sang with such a seamless vocal blend. I was deeply proud of their artistry and vulnerability. Also in the spring, both Dr. Geoffrey Boers and Dr. Sarah Riskind of the University of Washington Department of Choral Studies were able to come deliver clinics to my class. It was such a pleasure to workshop my conducting with them, and have the chance for my students to be exposed to what studying music after high school might be like. I came away full of new inspiration and techniques to try with my singers.
In July, I had the opportunity to work with Ali Romanow running the youth program at Beyond Trad Music Camp. I had the pleasure of playing with some amazing people and we taught “Bring me little Water Sylvie” by Moira Smiley complete with body percussion and vocal harmonies. The youth there were incredible young musicians who loved making music- so wonderful to see.
In early august I attended PSGW with my two sisters and we had so much fun making music together as The New Davis Sisters (and Jeff Nelson). I wrote several original songs, one of which we workshopped and performed as a group, and I’m looking forward to tinkering with them more.
The rest of summer and early fall I will be doing a mix of touring with my partner Nick’s circus and traveling. I’m looking forward to spending some time in Seattle later this fall, reconnecting with WoodsDay, and playing some shows there. Stay tuned for Vocal Harmony Parties (workshops) happening in the Seattle area in November/December. There are a few in the works. In the New Year I will be settled on Vancouver Island, making music and teaching music for the school district. So looking forward to moving back there and putting all the musical wheels in motion…