2020: My Year In Review

2020: Inconceivable. Unprecedented. Unpredictable.

But not without work, not without growth, not without successes.

(Let’s be clear: my 2020 was not without failures, disappointments, sadnesses, confusion, frustration, and more. This is just a snapshot of a very complex year.)

Here’s an overview of my work year.

Writing

I published a new post on this site every day in 2020, totaling 364 posts.

I wrote over 83,000 words written for my blog this year; That averages to almost 7,000 a month or around 225 per day, or a little less when you factor out a few longer posts. That’s always my goal – an easily and quickly readable post.

I tried and failed to maintain a weekly newsletter collecting my writings for that week, and offering as some extras (weekly recommended media and updates on my work). I jumpstarted it around the March start of the pandemic, and wasn’t able to maintain it amidst the chaos and uncertainty. It remains a goal to figure out a way to streamline this and get back to it in 2021.

Composing/Arranging

I completed an original composition for the Berkshire Middle School Choirs under the direction of Carolyn Priebe. Her students submitted text ideas which I collected and edited into the text of the piece – which ended up being about the emotional turmoil of 2020.

I completed one a cappella SSAA arrangement for my friends and long-time collaborators Noteworthy.

I missed writing for Rockford’s annual Cabaret this year; no live performances means no 35-40 band charts written in a week in November.

I wrote two vocal arrangements for Shades of Blue – one of Fly Me To The Moon which premiered in the spring, and one of Can’t We Be Friends which will premiere early next year.

I also wrote a vocal jazz arrangement of Lost in the Stars for my former student Harrison Witt’s senior jazz voice recital. It was inspired by Gerry Mulligan’s recording, and includes an original vocalese lyric by me. While he didn’t get to perform it live, he did record it this summer in the studio, and released the video on his YouTube channel.

My composition Towards a Brighter Future, commissioned by MSVMA to honor retiring Executive Director Ginny Kerwin, was featured in a large virtual choir by the Rockford Choirs.

Finally, my arrangement of Golden Slumbers, set this fall in remembrance of a former student who died much too young, was arranged, distributed, recorded, and released in the space of two months. It was a major highlight.

I’m blessed to be able to stay busy writing music I’m excited about. If you’re interested in commissioning something in 2021, now’s the time to hit me up!

Conducting

The Rockford Aces completed their 12th and began their 13th incarnations in 2020. It was a bizarre year for ensembles, but we made the most if it with Zoom meetups, virtual choir recordings, and more. We released four songs on the scheduled date of our annual Aces Concert, including one featuring twenty-four alumni, and released a fifth with our new ensemble just a couple weeks ago. This year’s group of 11 Aces features the largest new member population since the group was founded in 2008; they’ve been working hard, and despite all the challenges are growing into a fine ensemble. The future is bright.

And finally, just this week we saw the release of the fifth album from the the Aces – Take Me Home. It features our usual eclectic mix of classical music (old and brand new), jazz, pop, and more. This was the first album where all mixing was done at home (it was recorded and mastered by my friend Michael Crittenden at Mackinaw Harvest Studios).

GRCC Shades of Blue remains a highlight – I am now in my fourth year teaching and conducting at GRCC. While we weren’t able to record in the studio last spring, we did release a virtual track after the campus closed in March. I made the fall semester an all-remote model, and we recorded three songs. I’m currently finishing up the mixing on two of them, and will release them soon! With those, we’ve recorded enough to finish our first album of material for Shades of Blue on my watch.

I also had the honor of preparing a choir for the Grand Rapids Symphony once again in 2020, working with a wonderful SSAATTBB group from the GR Symphony Chorus to sing with the symphony in their live performances to the film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It was a thrill once again to be onstage with the symphony as the movie played – John Varineau is a wonderful conductor and a kind and generous collaborator. The chorus was fantastic to work with, even as we contended with some highly un-choral pieces of music. (And, of course, some beautiful choral features, especially in moments of grief in the movie.)

Professional Growth

In 2016 I started the Michigan Choral Commission Consortium, whose mission is to facilitate new choral works by putting together groups of choirs across Michigan. We delayed our major commissions this year because of the uncertainty of singing, but we were able to hold our first-ever composition competition, open to American women composers in two categories: established and emerging. Our 2020-21 compositions will feature pieces from Rosephanye Powell and Amy Bernon. In addition, I coordinated and produced a virtual choir of our commission from Z. Randall Stroope, I Have Loved Hours at Sea. (And the piece is now published!)

I continue to serve MSVMA as Supervisor of the All-State Jazz Choir. Duane Davis conducted a marvelous ensemble in January at the Michigan Music Conference, which was more remarkable because he gave up rehearsal time so that the ensemble could attend a masterclass and performance from Bobby McFerrin. Each year we have seen more schools participate and more total auditionees – a great trend to see for the viability and visibility of this art form in the state. The 2021 ensemble was suspended because of COVID; however, MSVMA hosted a virtual choir All-State Jazz Choir, led by April Tini. It was my pleasure to help with the planning and to record the jazz trio accompaniment for the ensemble.

The Michigan Music Conference was the source of another highlight – getting to sing with Bobby McFerrin! Mandy and I were part of a circlesong choir that supported him in his concert; it was thrilling, educational, and I had no idea how very few concert experiences I would have after January.

In addition to conducting Shades of Blue, I have taken on some applied lessons at GRCC – I have been teaching both jazz piano and composition. I also taught my first academic class at GRCC – Jazz Theory this fall. Again, completely remote, however all seven students developed fine jazz theoretical skills and turned in excellent final projects.

I did audio and video work for a number of projects beyond my own choirs’ – mostly for Rockford Choirs, but also this very special project for James Pecar and the Chippewa Valley HS Choirs.

Additionally, I achieved a long-term ambition to professionally publish my writing. I had a featured personal essay entitled “To My Son” in the book Feminist Fathering/Fathering Feminists published last spring. There’s more on the way, as I’ve finished the first draft of my first book. On to editing!

I gained new skills in 2020: Zoom and Google Meet, of course! But also video editing with Final Cut Pro. And I seriously upgraded my Pro Tools skills in 2020, with necessity forcing me to shake the dust off of my skills for software I’ve been using for 20 years. Most significantly, I changed the notation software I’ve been using: I used Finale starting with version 3.0 in the early ’90s, and remain confident in my skills; however, I started using Dorico in 2020 and don’t ever want to go back. I love it immoderately.

It was in the wake of my work on the Aces album Take Me Home, as well as all the other projects we spent time on, that we officially named our home studio. Arbol Studios is now officially open for business AND got a serious upgrade with a new Focusrite I/O device and excellent condenser microphone this December.

Every day I am looking for more and better ways to give back to my professional community – with my time, with my attention, and with my words. If you have an idea for a project we could work together on to make the choral community stronger, please contact me!

Personal Growth

I baked nearly 120 loaves of bread in 2020, and hardly a week went by without some of our family staples: homemade pizza, pancakes, waffles, focaccia…. Cooking remains an outlet for me to clear my head of music, and a tangible way to express my love for family and friends. 70 loaves of my sandwich bread means my kids can’t really imagine what store-bought sandwich bread tastes like. I like that.

I took over as the Troop Committee Chair for my sons’ Boy Scout Troop this year; it’s been an education, a challenge, and a thrill to be more involved in the troop, and to remember the Scouting experience of my youth. (Not to mention being out camping with my boys!) A highlight was attending the Order of the Arrow Fall Conclave – I restarted my own OA membership, and got to be there as my son Owen established his own candidacy in the Scouting Honor Society.

I read 26 books in 2020. I find it hard to carve out as much time for reading as I want to, but am also mindful that I read a lot more than many. It fills my spirit.

Our dear dog Bijou was a major influence on my sanity through the roller coaster of 2020. Thanks to her insistence, I walked just shy of 1,000 miles in 2020. She doesn’t care about the weather – she just wants to be out in it. (4 miles a day, please and thank you. She’s 8.) And after 2 years of being trained by her, I honestly feel the same way.

Finally, and as a Happy New Year to you, my family made this recording and video this December. We all feel the weight of the world on our shoulders, but I feel like, if we all work together, the weight won’t overwhelm us.


My life is full in the best possible ways, and on the horizon I see possibilities I couldn’t have dreamed even a few years ago. Every day I try to do the best I can at the job in front of me, and on most days I see positive change.