Well, as you can tell, I’ve been a little MIA these last few months. Here is a look back at what I’ve been up to. :)
Picking up where I left off, October proved to be a very fruitful month for me. My work at Peabody and my private teaching kept me busy. The fall semester is usually full of audition prep for my high school students who are looking to pursue music in college. I’ll admit, the audition process looks a little different this year. Most institutions have moved their audition processes to a live virtual option or a prerecorded video option. It has been a joy to help my students explore this uncharted landscape. Pictured below is a moment captured during a lesson with my student Kaitlyn, who has stepped up to this challenge and embraced the unknown.
The second half of October passed by in a blur… no joke! LeeLee Hunter and I joined forces again and hosted our Zoom Mini Concert Spooktacular! in celebration of Halloween. This concert was a major success and we totally went all out with our costumes. Take a look at our antics below. We had a spooky good time! As I always say, go big or go home!
Soon after our Halloween concert, LeeLee and I hunkered down and attended the virtual 18th Annual Society for Musicology in Ireland Plenary Conference, where we presented “Lift Every Voice and Sing”: An Exploration of Spirituals and Identity. While we were disappointed that we couldn’t make the trip to Ireland, this virtual opportunity did not disappoint. LeeLee’s paper was well received and our performances hit the mark and sparked some great questions and intriguing conversation.
In November I had the honor of taking part in Dating with a DIFFERENCE, a panel discussion hosted by the Children’s Craniofacial Association and the Many Faces of Moebius Syndrome. I am so grateful to have been part of this panel. It helped me reaffirm where I am and where I want to go when it comes to forging new relationships with others, whether they be romantic or not. Even though we talked about some pretty tough topics, I left the event feeling a little lighter and saying to myself, "Keep taking charge of the energy that you put out into the world, it can be powerful and lead to great things.”
In addition to the virtual events, I’ve also had the opportunity to reflect and share my musings in two publications that mean a lot to me. Below you can find links to the Peabody Magazine and the CCA E-Network Newsletter for some further reading.
“Peabody entered the COVID-19 shutdown well ahead of most other American conservatories. Here’s how the learning continued.”
CCA Adult Feature
It was an honor to share the first few chapters of my story.
Oh, and let's not forget...
With the final weeks of 2020 looming, LeeLee and I teamed up yet again to spread some much needed holiday cheer with two performances of ‘Tis the Season! A Zoom Mini Concert. As you can see, we love dressing up for these occasions. These two events were a good way to cap off a most unusual and trying year.
As 2020 comes to a close, I remain planted in the practice of gratitude. This time of year, most people are making resolutions for the coming year, with some focusing on one or two things. I've never been one to zero in on one resolution. If you know me well, it's not because I lack follow through or commitment, it's more of a "Why limit myself?" kind of thing. With that, I want to focus my energy on the word LIMITLESS. This word can be applied to many areas in my life and I fully intend to commit myself to living up to this word in 2021.
lim·it·less
/ˈlimitləs/
adjective
without end, limit, or boundary.
Be well, stay safe, and remain determined to persevere.
Chelsea