After living in Atlanta for two years, I am still flabbergasted by how early schools start up again after the summer (the very beginning of August), having grown up beginning the new term at the end of the month, if not at the start of September. But as the ’23-’24 year has now begun for many, I suppose it is a good opportunity to reflect on the summer I’ve had. It’s certainly been a good summer for music and networking, starting out with my brief visit to the national conference of the Association of Anglican Musicians (AAM) in June in Dallas. Although my AAM membership is still pending, I wa ..read more

The cyclical nature of the liturgical year allows for the building of memories tied to very specific moments in one’s life. Christmas is a highlight for many people; even for those who wouldn’t opt to worship regularly in the other 51 weeks of the year, many are drawn back to church for Midnight Mass. Some twice-a-year worshippers also stretch to include Easter Sunday (the term “Creasters” is sometimes used to describe such people).  As a church musician, and someone who goes to church for work every day, let alone every Sunday, I find Holy Week and the Triduum (the period of three days t ..read more

It’s been an eventful and fun summer, and I’ve been very grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in several edifying musical gatherings. First off, in June I headed to the UK (these are becoming bi-annual trips!) to see friends and family in Colchester, Peterborough, and Truro. As always, I felt right back at home and enjoyed the cooler weather, many trips to cathedrals and pubs, and lots of top choral singing.  Not long after returning to America, I prepared to travel a few time zones west, to Seattle for the first time, in preparation for the 2022 National Convention of the ..read more

While working as a church musician in an increasingly secular society, where identifying as Christian can be misconstrued as identifying as a narrow-minded, gay-hating hypocrite, I’ve learned to answer the questions “Do you believe in God?” and “Are you religious?” in several different ways, depending on who is asking. If a friend my age inquires, and I expect they might react with scorn if I identified as a “believer” (what a horrid term that is, by the way), I might say, “Yes, well, I love the ritual and music of the church, but I’m not so sure if I believe in God.” If the question comes up ..read more

So much has happened in the past month and a half! It's been a whirlwind: flying down to Atlanta in mid-March to audition, receiving a job offer later that month (what a wonderful phone call that was), and working quickly to make arrangements to find an apartment, and to figure out how to schlep my things (and my cat) down south. Not to mention, I was also lucky to have secured vaccination appointments in April, which were very welcome before the imminent move. After a stressful week or three of packing, moving, picking out and assembling lots of new furniture, unpacking, and all of ..read more

As I’ve previously noted, one of the good things about my current period of unemployment is that I’ve been able to take advantage of access to a couple practice instruments and really dive into learning a bunch of repertoire solely for myself, rather than under the stress of preparing for a competition or high-pressure recital. More often than not, I’ve noticed that I leave my practice sessions with higher spirits and the sense of having accomplished something — a rarity in other parts of what has become a monotonous daily routine (working part-time delivering groceries, lazing around, and try ..read more

Last year, I innocently wrote on this blog, “I can’t help but wonder where I will be working next Advent.” Now in the throes of the COVID 19 pandemic, perhaps I should have amended that “where” to “if,” as I haven’t yet been able to secure any employment. The whiplash-inducing rollercoaster of ever-changing government guidelines has been exhausting for us all, and the days when we can safely gather together to join in congregational worship once more still seem far off for many communities here in the States. I’ve felt very lucky therefore to have been able to drop in on some broadcasted servi ..read more

I’ve done my best to keep my blog as a lighter, professional window into my experiences over the past year or so, but I’m running out of the energy required to put on that sort of unfailingly optimistic façade. Apologies in advance... Since first going to university eight years ago, I’ve been lucky to have secured a handful of really wonderful jobs and appointments, all of which lasted between 10 months and two years. I’ve known my most recent appointment as Organ Scholar at Peterborough would also fall into this category, and that, following its conclusion, I would need to find something more ..read more

Over the past four years, I have come to associate the month of May and its various heraldings of summertime with the bright days and happy times I spent in Truro. I have wonderful memories of walking along the river to Malpas, enjoying the golden hours after Evensong with members of the back row, basking in the sun on Lemon Quay with a burger (RIP, Truro Craftworks!), and playing games of football with the choristers on the green.  My phone reminded me this morning that on this day in 2016, I visited Truro for the first time. After graduating with my BMus from Eastman, I travelled to the ..read more

I am lucky to have loving friends and family members who have been checking in on me during this period of isolation and uncertainty, and I am very grateful for them. Just as every day is becoming repetitive, so too are the conversations starting to be a bit predictable: “How are you holding up?” “Who else have you spoken to recently?” “Are you eating enough?” etc.  Even though I find my answers to be similarly boring day after day, I appreciate the chance to talk to someone, especially now that I am no longer seeing my friends in the flesh.  I do feel a bit of guilt, though, that I ..read more