Off and running

Two days down! Things are going pretty well around here; I'm getting used to the intense singing schedule. Thankfully I get a day off tomorrow, which will be my first hiking opportunity since I've gotten here. I'm enjoying working with Craig Jessop. He's a pretty intense, patient worker. Very much influenced by Robert Shaw, with lots of count singing and rhythm work. It's nice to see, because so many conductors don't make their choir take responsibility for rhythm. The apprentices (I hate the term, it sounds like Donald Trump), got to have lunch with Mr. Jessop and his wife this afternoon. They were both very friendly and interested in each of our backgrounds. I really enjoyed hearing his stories; it seems the more conductors I meet, the more I realize that there is no one pathway to achieving success. He was a singer originally and even won the Met auditions in Salt Lake. After doing a residency in San Francisco, he decided that being an opera singer wasn't for him and that he wanted to be a conductor. Sound familiar? It's also interesting hearing about how my colleagues have arrived at where they are. It's nice that we get some social time in addition to the work schedule. So, off to bed and then some hiking tomorrow!