Welcome to Choir Con

Destination: Florida
Total Miles: TBA (it is adding up!!)
Total Cost: TBA (also adding up...)

The American Choral Directors Association Southern Division conference is difficult to explain to people who do not care about choir. One of our Rivertree Singers explained it to the hairdresser that it the conference is like Comic Con for choirs. Thus the name "Choir Con" was born.

Singing in front of such an intelligent audience who have probably heard half the songs we performed is a little daunting to say the least.


But sing we did.

And it was amazing.

As the last applause died and we exited the stage, our nerves and adrenaline gave way to laughter and excited chatter.

Please visit our website, www.rivertreesingers.com/‎, listen to some of our Jubilate Deo-written by one of our members, and Kyrie).

music, and purchase a cd of our works. You can also watch us perform two of our songs from this Spring Season on YouTube (

After gathering our things, giving some more hugs, Heidi and I headed to warmer weather in Tampa.

With a perfunctory stop at Starbucks...of course!

Before finding a hotel just outside of Tampa, we met up with my nursing school friend, Joel Porch, for a delicious late dinner at Crazy Cafe. Sushi was the name of the game, and we enjoyed some delicious sushi (I got a Butterfly roll, but my favorite was Joel's sweet potato sushi). Like all good friends, we spent a couple hours catching up on life.

Heidi and I spent another hour or so talking once we got settled into a hotel room, and then we slept like rocks in preparation for today.

Universal Studios...here we come!

At Long Last

After taking a sabbatical from blogging for sundry reasons (grad school, et al.), I am back!

Temporarily.

For a couple weeks out of the year, after midterms and mid-semester projects have been turned in, it is time to enjoy those rare road trip opportunities that I seldom have time for any more. But then, of course, reality comes back, and classes commence.

And I am ready to get away from this cyclical and crazy cold weather we have had this winter!

However, as you may or may not know, grad school is just about two months away from completion...and then: the adventures begin anew!

New job, new faces, new schedule, new adventures.

So. Let us see if I can remember how this works.

Destination: Florida (and sun. and warmth.)
Total Miles: TBA (at the end of the trip)
Total Cost: TBA (probably one of my more expensive weekend trips)

What has prompted this road trip, you ask?

Rivertree Singers!

Our choir auditioned to sing at the American Choral Directors Association Southern Division. We were one of 77 choirs from across the Southern USA to audition. One of 17 chosen. One of only two from South Carolina.

And the ONLY community choir that made the cut.

We are singing a 25 minute concert in Jacksonville, FL with repertoire including works by Tomas Luis Victoria, Eric Whitacre, Dan Forrest, Moses Hogan, and two of my friends: Peter Anglea and John Hudson. And call time is in approximately two hours!

So, yesterday afternoon after a long day of classes, discussions,
projects, and 2.5 hours of sleep, I met up with my friends and coconspirators (fellow Alto II, Heidi Moore, and Tenor II, Will Robinson). While we were driving in two separate vehicles, we followed each other down to Jacksonville. We stopped at Denny's for dinner and got into Jacksonville around 10:30pm.

The hotel we are staying at is fairly snazzy...the Hyatt Regency, and it is a walk away from where we will be singing. It is also on the waterfront and provides some lovely views of which we took advantage of last night after checking into our rooms.

I'm very excited about singing...and about the remainder of the trip.

Did you honestly think I would come all the way to Florida and NOT go other places, see other people, and try some new things?!

:)

Apparently, I'm an enlightened traveler!