Normally this concert would be coming to you live from the beautiful Torrey Pines Lodge lawn looking out at the ocean, but as with all performances this past year, this concertcould not happen live. This is my 32nd year of teaching choir and I can say that doing this virtual choir concertis definitely a first for me. But a HUGE shout out to all the students who did multiple (and I mean, multiple) takes for their recordings to be just right. Listening and watching ourselves perform is not easy (try it sometime and you will know what they went through), as we are our own worst critics. Yet I couldn’t be more proud of the hard work each of these students have put in over the past semester to make this virtual concert work, and under some of the craziest conditions we have all ever faced. 

 

Studies show that choral singing improves our mood, with a decrease in stress, depression and anxiety. Music making exercises the brain as well as the body, but singing is particularly beneficial for improving breathing, posture and muscle tension. To me, Singing in a choir is something that brings joy to our souls. Not only do we love singing with our friends, but we love how all of our voices combine to make those magical moments that can send chills up our spines, tears down our cheeks and put smiles on our faces. All of this put together is why I Love working with these Singers so much. I look forward to working live with all of these singers once again very soon and creating all of these magical moments.

 

I ask that when you listen and watch these performances, remember that these students have put their all into them. The sound is live and real and I am so proud of how well they sang. The video is also live and real, but you will notice the video is not always perfectly in sync with each singer. We decided to go with real instead of perfection, as that is what music should be. I love everything about these performances, audio and video, and I hope you enjoy them just as much!