I’m lying in my hotel with the AC blasting. It has been quite a whirlwind past few days. I have seen and heard a lot. Too much to cover in one short blog post. For now, I think I will just give you some of my basic impressions, in no particular order.
- I love seeing old friends and meeting new ones. For me, this is the most important part of convention. Commiserating with colleagues. A close second is the performances, but it is the people that I run across and share stories with that really envigorate me.
- I must pace myself. All day, everyday, is too much. If it means getting a little rest and “me” time (like right now) and missing out on an interest session or a performance, so be it.
- The distance between events was just the right amount, with the possible exceptions of the honor choir rehearsals. Not too much walking was required, but there was enough to get the blood flowing after sitting on your butt for hour after hour.
- I quite like the physical setup here. I have only two complaints: a) Aside from the food carts and a few other restaurants, the food is pretty far away. And the Winspeare Opera House sucks. But otherwise, I’m quite happy with this convention, and the organizers should be very proud.
- With a few exceptions (Union High School, Westminster and some others), I have been disappointed with the closing numbers. I understand that the spiritual closer has been done and done, but the wrong closer can flat out ruin an entire good performance. And a good closer can salvadge a mediocre performance.
- Even though it got a little crowded when concerts let out, I liked that the booths were right there in the thick of it. It made a large conference seem more intimate.
- I didn’t come away from this conference with a big fat list of pieces that I wanted to program for my own choir. There were a few, but not as many as I normally would. I am strictly speaking SATB however. I’m not usually on the prowl for SSA.
Favorite Performances (So Far)
- Phillipine Madrigal Singers
- Westminster Choir
- I didn’t see Pacific Lutheran, Iowa State Cantamus or the Indianapolis Youth Chorale, but I heard that were all stunning
Least Favorite Performances
- Hah! you actually thought I post these? I will say this: there were a few flat out stinkers. But only one or two. Buy me a beer and I’ll tell you sometime.
I really liked the “Into the Mind Of” sessions. They were all different, informative, and interesting. I hope these continue at regional and national conventions in the future. The receptions were a lot of fun too. FSU and NCCO were great.
That’s all for now. I will post more in the coming days. My fellow bloggers Richard, Jeff, and Philip have been so busy they havn’t had time to post, but they’ve assured me they will be sharing their thoughts with you soon.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.