4. March Madness
March is now over and I can’t believe it! It absolutely flew by for me and I was blessed with so many great opportunities.
March 7th-10th was the third annual Women in Music Festival at Nazareth University and I was thrilled to participate in several events. On Thursday I performed piano on my art song “My Pretty Rose Tree” alongside the talented vocalist and my close friend, Hannah McGuigan. It was lovely to perform on the student recital for the second year in a row and an honor to be programmed alongside the likes of Lauren Bernofsky, Elizabeth Raum, Libby Larsen, and Mel Bonis.
That evening I also attended a showing of the 2023 documentary “Maestra” with my Gender & Music class, followed by a women conductors’ panel. The film followed several conductors as they prepared for and attended the all-female conducting competition La Maestra in Paris. It was incredibly inspiring to see these talented women composers (both on- and off-screen) talk about their musical journeys and how they’ve achieved what they have in their careers.
On Saturday, I was very fortunate to be selected for a Composers Forum with the incredible vocal composer Lori Laitman. She gave me some great constructive feedback on my new choir piece, “Close Are We”, and very kindly told me that I have a natural talent for choral composition. To be honest, I was a bit awestruck! What an unforgettable experience. The following day, I also sang with the Nazareth University Treble Choir at the Festival Concert. We performed a piece by Melissa Dunphy, whom I took a class with during Summer 2023, and a piece I sang in high school, so it was a fun program and felt like a full-circle moment to round out my busy weekend.
Also at the end of March was the inaugural Nazareth University School of Music Spirit Week and Lock-In, which I spearheaded alongside the other Musica Mundana club officers. It was so much work but absolutely worth it! Some highlights included MCing for Composer’s Night, earning the Best Lookalike award for my Dr. Roth costume, and my fellow sophomores sweeping the scoreboard to win the Battle of the Classes!
I have several performances coming up and some exciting news to share with you all that just wouldn’t fit into this already-long entry, so stay tuned for more posts on the way and make sure you’re following my Instagram to stay up to date.
