SCC Spotlight on Bethany Man, Harpist

When it comes to making beautiful holiday music, one of the SCC’s secret weapons is harpist Bethany Man. In this month’s SCC Spotlight, we asked the talented Kirkland native to share her favorite music, memorable onstage moments, and the most challenging thing about playing the harp. You’ll also hear about the exotic place she and her husband met—and about her very first (and very long) performance of “Here Comes the Bride.”

When did you start playing with the Seattle Choral Company? I have been playing with SCC for about seven years. I think my first concert was a spring concert at Saint Mark's Cathedral that featured Roxanna Panufnik’s Westminster Mass for choir and two harps. 

What have been your favorite SCC performances so far? The Christmas concerts have definitely become a favorite tradition of mine. Freddie Coleman puts together such beautiful concerts. Every year my family asks me to tell them which of my many concerts they should come to during the holiday season, and I always tell them that the SCC’s A Cathedral Christmas concert should not be missed. One of the most memorable was in 2009. The choir sang an a cappella version of Biebl’s “Ave Maria.” In every performance, you could have heard a pin drop in the cathedral; it was mesmerizing. Another favorite was the SCC’s collaboration with the Bells of the Sound handbell ensemble.  

What is your favorite piece in this year’s A Cathedral Christmas concert? The Frank Ferko work, A Festival of Carols. I loved playing it with SCC in 2005, and I'm so excited that Freddie decided to do it again. It’s beautiful for its harp/choral combination. From the harp perspective, it's challenging as well. The communication between choir and harp must be exactly precise. It's beyond playing/singing notes on a page; we really have to feel the music or it doesn't work. Specifically, Ferko's “Go, Tell It on The Mountain.” Keeps us on our toes!

Where did you study music? I studied privately for many years with Lynne Wainwright Palmer, and I attended university at Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana. During college, I discovered I had a passion for classic literature and writing, so I actually majored in English literature with a music minor.

What is the first harp solo you remember playing? I think I was about nine years old when I did my first “professional gig.” I was so nervous. No one had told me to cut the music when the bride reached the altar, so her “Here Comes the Bride” was about five minutes long. I remember thinking that I must have been doing a great job, because people kept looking over at me while I was playing. I still look back and laugh at that.

You must have played for a lot of weddings. Any idea how many? Quite a few :) To guess, a couple hundred.  

What is the ideal age to start taking harp lessons? I teach harp and piano lessons. For young children, it very much depends on the child. It is up to the parent and teacher to determine if a child is ready. I require at least two years of piano lessons before accepting harp students. The piano is the only instrument that you can literally see everything laid out in front of you. It is a great stepping stone for moving to other instruments. When adults come to me for harp or piano lessons, it's a completely different approach. It's something they are really making effort to pursue; it's not like their parents are “making them take lessons.” But for kids and adults, I try to meet them where they are and help them get as much as possible out of their desire to integrate music into their lives. 

How hard is it to learn to play the harp? So often people ask me if the harp is the hardest instrument. I respond that every instrument has its individual challenges. For the harp, you have both treble and bass clef, which is similar to the piano and the organ. The seven pedals on the bottom that change the key are an added challenge. Also, the classical harp has a very intricate hand position that feels very unnatural to the novice. All of those combined do make the harp quite the undertaking. It is not the instrument you can just “try out”; you must be committed to investing a considerable amount of time before you may see tangible results. And. of course, you don't find harps lying around as much as you would a piano, for example. You're on your own for your instrument, so that furthers the commitment. 

What is the most challenging thing about being a harpist? The best thing? The most challenging thing—and the best thing—is being THE harpist. When you're in a symphony, there is a violin section, or a wind section. There is no harp section. On the rare occasion, there may be two harps on stage, but most of the time you're on your own. When the conductor is talking about the harp, you're it, you are the section. There is no way to blend in; you are completely exposed. It's a lot of pressure, but then again, you are THE harpist; you get all the credit for a job well done!

What kind of harp do you have, and how do you get it from place to place? I have two; I call them my first children. I have a Lyon & Healy 17 Gold and a Lyon & Healy 23 Gold. When my husband met me, he asked why I didn't want to play the flute. To transport it, I just put it in the back of my SUV and off I go. It is, of course, a process to haul it around, but I'm certainly used to it by now. 

Other than harp and piano, do you play any other instruments? In my next life I will play the cello, the French horn, and the clarinet. 

What are your favorite choral works? Holst’s Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda, Rutter’s “Dancing Day,” “Carol of the Bells,” and my alma mater, “The Bells of Saint Mary's,” which gives me goose bumps every time I hear it.

What is your favorite harp music? I love the big, showy performance pieces. Fauré’s Impromptu and Handel’s Harp Concerto in B-flat Major (in its entirety, with the Grandjany cadenza) jump to mind first. I also like anything Christmas, and I love playing the classic pieces that make people stop and take notice. Every time I play Rachmaninov's 18th Variation, or “Danny Boy,” or “Ave Maria,” heads always turn and I hear, “Oh, I love that song!”

What other music do you like? I love the fusion of orchestra and pop. I just wrapped recording The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Special Orchestra CD. That music was so fun to play because it speaks to people who might not seek out classical music, but attracts symphony lovers as well.

What you do when you’re not playing/teaching the harp? I'm a wife and a mom. My three-year-old daughter keeps me very busy. Between being a stay-at-home mom, teaching 20+ students, and performing on a regular basis, I'm quite busy. So, whenever there is any free time, I make spending time with my family a priority.

What is something we might be surprised to learn about you? I used to work on the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) cruise liner. I was the harpist, sailing the globe for three years. I met my husband on board; he was a bartender. :) We just celebrated our five-year anniversary! It's very special for us that we share the same memories of our adventures around the world.

Other than playing on the QE2, what is your most unusual onstage experience? I performed with Josh Groban at Key Arena, Portland, and Vancouver. For his stage, the harp had to be hoisted up on a pulley through a very narrow opening. It was set so the orchestra was sort of “funneling” around the band on stage. It was pretty precarious, but a very fun gig.

Any memorable moments from the SCC’s A Cathedral Christmas concert last year? I really had to work on keeping myself focused on my part. I kept finding myself watching the sitar player, Josh Feinberg. That haunting sound was unlike I had ever heard. I can say this now—I almost missed a couple of entrances because I was watching him play. Hopefully, Freddie didn't notice!

What do you like most about the Seattle Choral Company? I know that when I walk in to rehearsal I will be welcomed. It always feels nice to come back. And I can count on the fact that the concerts will be not only beautiful, but solid. The caliber of quality is second to none. As I've worked with SCC over the years, the standards of performance have only gone up. The group supports each other, onstage and off. The obvious respect that the choir has for their director, and he for them, is a key point. Everybody wants to give their best for each other, and that is what makes SCC so consistently excellent. It's hard to say in words, but even when I'm not playing, I love watching the group work together—going through the process of shaping pieces, adding color, bringing their individual perspectives to create the end product.

Do you have any solo performances coming up? I will be all over Seattle and the Eastside during the holidays, performing at various company venues, as well as symphony and church concerts. One of these days, I would love to put together a solo concert of my favorite harp performance pieces. Stay tuned!  

Meet Our New Board President, Carrie McManis

 

Carrie McManis joined the Seattle Choral Company in 2009 and quickly became an involved and dedicated member of the choir. She was soon elected to the SCC Board of Directors, where she served as board treasurer before being promoted to board president this month.

Carrie has been involved in the performing arts since a very young age. She has studied voice and guitar, performing with a variety of groups, from classical to folk rock. One of her most memorable performances was singing Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 in Mexico City with Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería, the New York Choral Society, and two other choirs from Mexico. She says, “I made new lifelong friends in Mexico City and can’t wait to visit again.”

Currently Vice President of Tax for Eddie Bauer, Carrie previously worked for Russell Investments. She has a BS in sociology from the University of Louisville, a law degree from the University of San Francisco, and a Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of Washington.

Over the years, Carrie has helped a variety of nonprofit organizations with their financial, tax, and legal needs. She enjoys helping nonprofits create, track, and achieve their financial and charitable goals. She strongly believes in the importance of developing and sustaining the arts and environment in our local community.

Carrie grew up Olympia, Washington, and now lives with her husband of fifteen years, Tod, and their two sons, ages 11 and 14, in their new home in Kenmore. The boys attend the Clearwater School in Bothell, where the students are involved in running the school. In their free time, the family enjoys horseback trail riding at the family ranch, camping, and traveling around the Northwest. The family also enjoys traveling to sunny weather, visiting favorite places in Mexico.

Carrie and Tod are gardeners extraordinaire. They are creating an urban homestead at their new home, which will include ornamental gardens, a fruit orchard, vegetable garden, a few chickens, and bees to help the gardens flourish. They also enjoy canning, and preparing organic, farm-to-table gourmet meals.

Somehow Carrie also finds the time to knit, design knitted goods, make patterns, and spin her own yarn with wool from the sheep and goats on the family ranch. She once even taught second graders to knit. “It was a great life lesson for me,” she says. “If you can teach eight-year-olds to knit, you can definitely teach adults how to read a financial statement!”

Look for Carrie in our first soprano section, and please welcome her in her new role as Seattle Choral Company board president.

New Singers Join the SCC

This season we are pleased to have added a number of accomplished new singers to our ranks. We asked them to share a bit about themselves so that other singers and friends of the SCC can learn more about them. Look for additional member profiles in the future.

 

LELAND JOHNSON, BARITONE

Prior to singing with the SCC, Leland sang with the Chancel Choir at Saint Andrew's Church in Bellevue. During college, he sang with the choruses of VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, and before that, with the choir of Holy Cross Church in Libertyville, Illinois.

When not singing, Leland works as a software developer for IMDb (the Internet Movie Database).

He is most looking forward to singing Bob Chilcott’s Advent Antiphons. “It's one of the most interesting and technically challenging pieces I've done in the past few years,” he said. “It's also one of those pieces that sounds completely different once you're in the concert space.”

JIM HOWETH, TENOR II

Prior to moving to Washington this past summer, Jim sang with several groups in Southern California—the Long Beach Chorale & Chamber Orchestra, Men Alive, Bel Canto (a subgroup of Men Alive), and the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles. He also performed as a guest singer for a number of different church, college, and community choral groups.

When not singing, Jim is enjoying and caring for his infant twin sons, born in June of this year.

He enjoys working hard at rehearsals and learning how to be a better singer each and every week. “I'm most looking forward to feeling like I am able to contribute something positive to SCC's overall sound when we perform for a paying audience,” he said. “Plus, the repertoire for this season is all very interesting, so I'm excited to have the opportunity to sing it with such a talented ensemble.”

CHERYL WHITENER, ALTO II

Prior to joining the SCC, Cheryl sang with The Washingtonians, Cambialaria, Broadway Salutes Lincoln Center at Avery Fisher Hall, and the Nathan Eckstein Senior Choir.

When not singing, she spends her time as a mother, daughter, sister, golfer, actress, singer, and dancer (in her youth).

She is most looking forward to making beautiful music with SCC!

 

 

GREG BLOCH, TENOR II 

Prior to singing with the SCC, did graduate work in historical musicology at UC Berkeley, and sang with the University Chorus and occasionally also with the Chamber Chorus.

When not singing, Greg reports that he is looking for a job. He has done freelance graphic design and copywriting work, and enjoys cooking and baking.

He is particularly looking forward to singing Bruckner’s Mass No. 2 in E minor in the spring. He is also looking forward to singing again after taking a break after graduate school.

JUSTIN FERRIS, TENOR I

Justin graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in 2010 with a BA in philosophy. At PLU, he sang in the Choir of the West, PLUtonic, and the University Men's Chorus. In addition to the SCC, he also sings with the Tacoma Symphony Chorus, Illumni Men's Chorale, and Choral Arts, as well as in various operas and musicals when time presents itself.

In the very little time he has when not singing, Justin likes to dance. He also plays the harp, when one is available.

He is most looking forward to the unique opportunities offered to the SCC, which he hopes will include more work for movies, video games, and ballet productions.

MICHAEL KELLY, TENOR I

Michael is joining the SCC after an eight-year hiatus from singing. “I can't tell you how excited I am to be involved in choral music again,” he said.

When not singing, Michael is a commissioned officer of the United States Public Health Service, currently detailed to the Bureau of Prisons as a clinical pharmacist at the Federal Detention Center in SeaTac. He loves spending time enjoying the outdoors, backpacking, and fishing.

He is most looking forward to having a great creative outlet and being part of a wonderfully talented group of singers who share his love for music and singing.

 

CLARK MCGUFFIE, BASS II

Clark most recently sang with the Esoterics, and has also sung with The Washingtonians and the Seattle Opera Chorus. In addition to choral music, he has performed around the region in musical theatre productions at the Village Theatre and ACT.

When he’s not singing, Clark is food service director for the Google campus in Kirkland. He has worked extensively in the restaurant field for 22 years.

Clark is looking forward to joining the SCC because it is an established musical organization and has a good rehearsal schedule.

SCC Spotlight on Annie Brooks, SCC’s New Accompanist

This month we shine the spotlight on our rehearsal accompanist, Annie Brooks. While she’s new to us this year, she’s certainly not new to playing the piano. Read on to learn more about her experience, her favorite piece in the SCC’s upcoming holiday concert, and her next solo piano performance.


How long have you lived in Seattle?  I was born in Seattle and grew up just north of Seattle, between Lynnwood and Mukilteo. I went to school in Bellingham, where I met my husband, David, who is also a pianist. He is currently getting his master’s degree at UW, and we moved here only a year ago.

How old were you when you started playing the piano? I started learning piano when I was in kindergarten.

What was your first piano solo?  I can't quite remember the first solo I ever played, but I do remember the time I played an arrangement of "A Whole New World" from Disney's Aladdin. I think I was in third grade at the time, and I thought I was the real deal because it had a lot of accidentals and key changes. Also, "A Whole New World" is kind of an awesome song.

Where did you study piano? I earned my bachelor’s degree in music from Western Washington University, where I studied with Jeffrey Gilliam. In fact, I still drive up to Bellingham to take lessons with him occasionally, since I'm about to audition for master’s programs.

What was your first job?  My very first job was at a gift store in Bellingham. There were so many days where hardly anybody would come into the shop, and we had to polish the silver jewelry for hours on end. Then I got my first church job, and shortly thereafter, a choir accompanist position.

Did you always know that you wanted to be a professional musician? Not at all! When I first started learning piano, it was nothing but a pastime. I had teachers who would try to push me to practice every day (yes, that's how uncommitted I was) and for many hours, and I always rebelled, because I thought it ruined the fun. I just wanted to play the music, not practice it! I would spend my practice time reading through reams and reams of music. It's really how I became acquainted with a lot of pieces.

What is your favorite piano piece?  Hmm . . . I'd have to say the piece that I always enjoy practicing and performing would be Busoni's transcription of the Bach violin piece "Chaconne" from his Suite in D minor. It's stately and regal but with prayerful and bombastic moments as well—worth a listen for everybody! It's impossible not to like, I think. Personally, I like the piano transcription better than the original . . . is that sacrilege?

What kind of piano do you have?  As students still living in an apartment, David and I are not quite ready to own a real acoustic piano, but we do have our hands on a nice, sturdy Roland. Digital pianos have come a long way, and this one makes for a great practice instrument—that never goes out of tune!

How did you first hear about the Seattle Choral Company?  I've definitely seen the SCC in performances with the Seattle Symphony in the past, but I can't remember when that first was.

What’s the best thing about being an accompanist? I'd really say it's the large volumes of music and the variety of people that you get to play for, and also the fact that your role changes from situation to situation. It keeps things interesting. I play for many students in instrumental studios around Seattle, but I also get to play for professional musicians. When playing for young students, you become more of a coach; you help them along with the music and make sure they are doing what their teacher would want them to. With peers/professionals, it's a collaborative experience, where you are both/all working towards representing the music in the best way possible.

What’s your favorite piece of the music the SCC is performing in A Cathedral Christmas this December?  I think that the [Jackson Berkey] arrangement of “Il est né le divin enfant” is really neat, with the Bolero rhythms underneath and the unexpected harmonies.

What are your favorite choral works overall? My all-time favorite is probably Beethoven's Choral Fantasy—not to be confused with the Ninth Symphony, which I also love. The chorus doesn't get much of a role until the end, but it's great. Vaughan Williams's Dona Nobis Pacem is one that I really enjoyed playing with the WWU Concert Choir. Also, Mozart's Mass in C minor, and Palestrina's Pope Marcellus Mass (so beautiful!).

What else do you like to listen to? When I'm not listening to classical music, I enjoy listening to Nat King Cole, but my tastes aren't really much more diverse than that!

If you could meet any musician, who would it be and why?  I don't know if I'd like to meet him, but I would have loved to see Liszt play. I hear he was very charismatic and put on quite a show. I would have liked to see what the fuss was all about.

Do you play any other instruments? I played cello for a number of years in my school orchestras. I was mostly self-taught, and I wasn't very good, but I could play in tune and watch a conductor, so they kept me around!

Are you also a singer? I love to sing. I’m an alto, but I don't think my voice is very pretty!

What are you doing when you’re not accompanying the Seattle Choral Company? I play with Northwest Girlchoir, Lake City Christian Church, and many private studios around Seattle. In my spare time, I like doing arts and crafts, reading, and taking very long walks that end at food-type destinations.

Do you have any solo performances coming up? On Sunday, November 13, at 4:00 p.m., I will be playing a concert of some of my audition repertoire at Lake City Christian Church.

Anything else you’d like to add? I am very excited to be working with everyone here. It seems like a very fun group!

SCC Spotlight on Tim Chapin, SCC Auction Chair and Baritone

This month we shine the spotlight on Tim Chapin, SCC baritone and our auction chair for the last six years. We are extremely fortunate to have Tim planning auctions on our behalf. He’s a professional benefit auctioneer and auction consultant for nonprofit organizations across the country. Our auctions would not be nearly as successful without him!

 

 

How long he has been working in the auction world: I have been working with charity organizations since 1991. That was the year I helped organize my high school choir auction. It became a profession in 1996 when I first was paid as a contractor. I loved it so much I decided to start a business around it.

Where he was born: I was born in the building that became Amazon.com’s world headquarters, on top of First Hill. (It was a Group Health hospital back in 1974.) I grew up on Education Hill in Redmond—before Microsoft moved in.

His first job: My first real job was a counterperson at a local electronics repair firm in Redmond. First music-related job was the manager of a local sheet music store called Virtuoso.

Childhood experiences that might have indicated he was destined to become involved in nonprofit fund-raising: Well, I was involved in fund-raisers both at my church and at my school when I was growing up, and I certainly sold my share of magazines, candy bars, and raffle tickets. But once I attended and helped organize that first auction for my high school choir, I was hooked!  None of those other fund-raisers even came close to the amount of money the auction made. Sure it was more time-intensive, but the result yield on the other end was totally worth the extra work involved.

Other activities and interests: I very much enjoy cooking and baking in my spare time . . . but only with a recipe in hand. 

Something we might be surprised to learn about him: I am by nature an introvert.  I am uncomfortable in large crowd situations, yet I surround myself with large crowds at all of these events.

His favorite SCC auction so far: My favorite SCC auction so far was Carnival in Rio. I think the theme carried itself very well, the show was fantastic, and we definitely stepped the event up a level.

The most exciting auction moments he can recall: The first year the head table sold in the live auction for more than fair market value was an especially exciting year. Also, the first year we broke $5,000 in our dessert dash! 

His favorite part about being auction chair: My favorite part of the auction is seeing the members succeed at this massive fund-raising event and seeing all the smiles on their faces when they realize that they can do it! 

The most challenging part about being auction chair: The most difficult part of this is sometimes life distractions get in the way and I can’t put as much time as needed into the work, so I have to lean on my fantastic group of committee chairs a little more than I’d prefer.

What makes Seattle Choral Company’s auctions special: We are one of the few auctions in the Seattle area (and there are many auctions here) that have a dinner show. Most have 25–40 minutes of talking before the live auction begins, but we have such a talented group of performers and musicians at our disposal, and I’m thrilled that we are able to take advantage of that. Our dinner show was made even more exciting when we started involving the larger choir in a couple of the numbers each year.

Why our auction is so important: The SCC depends upon the auction every year to bridge the funding gap between what comes in from concert ticket revenues and what it costs to continue our operations on an annual basis. 35% of our operating budget must be raised on that one night, so it is imperative that the guests and the members know how important it is to our mission that the event succeed.

How he has seen SCC auctions change over the years: We started out in church meeting halls, and slowly moved to bigger and better venues. The last move from the Seattle Design Center to the Hyatt Regency was the best move of all. Our volunteers can now focus on setting up the items and rehearsing instead of worrying about moving and skirting tables. We are in a central location close to shopping and restaurants, and there are hotel rooms above us, so when the event is over our guests can go right upstairs if they choose.

Surprises he has planned for this year’s auction on May 7: Well, as far as items are concerned, the online catalog is up and available to be viewed, so no surprises there per se, but some returning friends of the Seattle Choral Company are flying in to help us celebrate this 25^th anniversary year for the auction—one from as far away as Panama!

Seattle Choral Company Seeks New Members

We need you! We are happy to announce auditions for singers throughout the spring and summer for our upcoming 30^th Anniversary Season. Auditions are held by appointment, for experienced choral singers, now through September 2, 2011. Voices of all categories are welcome to audition. This spring, tenors and basses are particularly encouraged to audition.

We are scheduling rehearsals in May for a new CD release, “A Cathedral Christmas,” which will be performed live in December of 2011. The upcoming subscription season will include four major concert productions:

“A Cathedral Christmas,” featuring Bob Chilcott’s “Advent Antiphons,” Frank Ferko’s “A Festival of Carols,” and Andrea Gabrieli’s “Magnificat a 12.” Concert dates are December 3, 9, and 10, 2011.

“New Year’s Eve with the Seattle Choral Company,” featuring Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana.” The concert is slated for New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2011.

“Classics Concert,” including J.S. Bach’s motet, “Lobet den Herrn,” Felix Mendelssohn’s “Drei Kirchenmusiken Op. 23,” and Anton Bruckner’s “Mass No. 2 in E minor.” The concert will be on March 31, 2012.

“Vespers,” featuring the “Vespers” by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Concert dates are June 2, 8, and 9, 2012.

All members are expected to have extensive choral experience, and to submit an audition application. At the audition, applicants will be expected to read music well and to demonstrate advanced choral singing skills. Prepared solos are not necessary.

To contact the Seattle Choral Company for an audition appointment, please call SCC Artistic Director, Freddie Coleman, at (206) 365-8765, ext 3, or go to www.seattlechoralcompany.org to download the audition application.

SCC Spotlight on Stephen Creswell

One of the things that makes the Seattle Choral Company unique is our mission to serve the community as a "symphonic choir." That means, of course, that much of our repertoire requires performing with an orchestra. We are extremely fortunate to work with some of the most talented instrumentalists in the Seattle area, including Stephen Creswell, concertmaster of the SCC Orchestra. In this month’s SCC Spotlight, you’ll learn all about Stephen, what he has to say about our April 9 concert, and much more!

What is your role with SCC? I usually play concertmaster, or lead violinist, in every Seattle Choral Company program that includes an orchestra. Beforehand, I help find the players who fill our string sections, as well as prepare the parts with appropriate bowing and other markings so the orchestra can rehearse more efficiently.

How long have you played with SCC? I am just entering into my lucky seventh year playing with SCC. Nearly up to a dozen different programs, or twenty concerts or so.

What makes the SCC Orchestra special? It's the combination of the flexibility and the good-natured musicianship of freelance musicians here in the area that makes the SCC Orchestra special. Although the orchestra's size and personnel shift over time, there is an amazing continuity in the dozens of players who have worked even longer than myself on the Seattle scene, and who return periodically or regularly to join SCC for concerts. Plus, it's a group that meets irregularly but each time knows how to focus on the same task: to accompany and support the voices of SCC with beauty and panache.

What is the most challenging thing about being concertmaster? I used to think it was all about playing extremely precisely and making that playing clear to the rest of the orchestra, but now I realize the greater challenge is to provide a model of how the music is being made, in real time, while absolutely listening with every pore and maximum patience. This is absolutely necessary, to encourage each player and musician to be on the same wavelength, rather than trying to insist on it.

Where did you grow up? Born in Chicago, keeping to the Midwest until my early twenties, I eventually spent a few years in Toronto, Canada, and nearly a decade on the East Coast, before settling here in the Pacific Northwest.

What is the first solo you remember playing, and how old were you when you played it? It was the Marcello sonata, originally for cello or oboe and piano. There was definitely stage fright involved, but it was a lot of fun sharing the music with people.

Where did you study music? I studied with a wonderful teacher, Lyman Bodman, in East Lansing, Michigan. He introduced me to members of the Juilliard String Quartet, told me stories about meeting famous composers, such as Castelnuovo-Tedesco, plus he owned one of 19th-century conductor Hans von Bülow's cigar boxes. Later I studied with Abe Skernick, at Indiana University; he grew up in Brooklyn but also hobnobbed with Hindemith. And I afterward studied at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, where the Guarneri Quartet taught. All this prepared me to look at music first through the eyes of chamber music, and from a composer's view. It's a less-common preference, but complements other musicians' perspectives in a useful way.

What kind of violin do you have? My instrument is an eleven-year-old David T. Van Zandt, made right here in Seattle (in Ballard, actually).

How many instruments do you play, and what are they? I also play period-style (baroque/classical) instruments, a violin and a viola; additionally I own a viola built in the early 80s by Jon van Kouwenhoven.

Do you like to sing? If so, what voice part are you? I sing, but mostly to myself and my students. I use a falsetto to demonstrate tone colors, but it's not very reliable. My full voice is actually down in the bass-baritone range.

What are your favorite performances with SCC so far? I fondly remember the Mozart-reorchestrated version of Handel's Messiah that was the first show I helped provide a full orchestra for. But each year brings unique pieces and experiences. The Vaughn Williams Serenade to Music was memorable; it sounded fantastic in the acoustics of Benaroya Hall. There are the pieces with organ, like Fauré's Requiem, which was also at Benaroya and featured the fabulous Clint Kraus at the keyboard plus a superb double viola section in the orchestra. Earlier this season, it was a treat to perform a sonically multicultural work, at both Bastyr and St. Mark's, composed by Eric Whitacre and featuring sitar soloist Josh Feinberg.

Our April 9 concert features Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Handel’s Coronation Anthem No. 3, and Monteverdi’s Magnificat Primo. Which is your favorite? What should the audience listen for? This particular program features music that is particularly well-crafted, and in three very different styles. Handel's music has the most straightforward and grandly casual communication, Haydn's the most subtlety, and Monteverdi's Magnificat a primal, Beethovenian directness.

I would certainly recommend listening to the Lord Nelson Mass as a succession of linked musical paintings, each with its communicative set of pigments, subjects (both pastoral landscapes and human tableaux), and distinctive gilt frames. The work comes from late in Haydn's career, though it represents him still at the height of his powers. So if it doesn't bowl you over with its subtleties, it’s likely to simply bowl you over anyway. He was a master of hiding the perfect within the good. Keep listening.

Coincidentally, my very first performance with SCC also featured music by Monteverdi—from the same collection of motets and other sacred settings!

What other music do you like? I am especially fond of the structures and expressions—and the musicians!—of jazz. There's something great about early Bollywood music soundtracks, the way they blend classical Hindustani elements and popular styles and no-holds-barred emotive singing. And, I try to keep up with contemporary music, both the commercial varieties and the new music made for classical instruments/voices.

What you do when you’re not playing with SCC (jobs, activities, interests)? I love reading.

What was your first job of any kind? I was a busboy at a restaurant built into an old US Post Office, called the PanTree. I got minimum wage and a putative 15% of the tips the waitstaff collected.

What is something we might be surprised to learn about you? Well, just when I got out of college, I nearly tried out for an US Armed Forces band, but if you knew how much I loved singing the "Star-Spangled Banner" when I was five years old, maybe that's not so surprising. (By the way, I have never flubbed up the words.)

If you could meet any composer, who would it be and why? It probably would be quite nice to meet Joe Haydn. He didn't have the outsize personality of Mozart, or the beautiful mind of Bach, but that's what intrigues me about meeting in person. One could pick up things about him from little gestures or habits or asides that in reality have been lost to history. Plus, I could really use a good lesson in string-quartet writing.

What is the craziest thing you’ve ever had to do onstage? In Tacoma, I once played electric viola in a new music piece in which the pianist "killed" the percussionist; to restore matters for proper bows at the end, my instructions in the score were to play a special melody, spin my bow in the air as with a magical incantation, and "resurrect" the percussionist back to life. It was weird but fun.

What do you like most about the Seattle Choral Company? From my perspective, the group seems to function like clockwork every time, coming together, being ready for concerts, primed to sing—but for every concert SCC is ready to be in the moment and deliver musically whatever is there, bringing life to the notes and words hidden in their folders. Toi, toi, toi!