"I think prejudice is the stupidest thing on the planet," said comedian Lewis Black many years ago. "There are so many perfectly valid reasons to hate people on an individual basis."* And I'll be the first to admit that there are some self-absorbed, attention-craving, energy-sapping, validation-seeking, conversation-sabotaging, advantage-taking, smelly-food-eating individuals on the planet**...
Once a year or so, Rev. Aija lets me take the reins (and the pulpit) for what we call "Music Sunday"—a worship experience that's all about music, except when it's not. Coming up with a theme for Music Sunday is always pretty easy—there's always a song I've wanted to find an excuse for the choir to sing, or a topic I've wanted to write a song about, or a story I've wanted to tell. Except for...
You'd think, for all the times I'd shouted "STRONG AND WRONG!!!" at my students with clenched fists in the air and mock rage on my face, that I'd be better at it. But every time I get ready to upload a new recording to my Demo Recordings page, the script starts again: "Is this really ready to share? Shouldn't I listen through again to be sure it's okay? Couldn't I hit that note a little more...
My good friend Jeremy Patterson has a new YouTube interview show called the Capital Area Theatre Show. Guess who he invited to be his second-ever interviewee? Tune in below or on the show's YouTube channel to hear our milkshake-fueled conversation about art and life and idols and dreams and fears and insecurities, and why we do all that we do. (And he eventually was able to steer me back...
I say a lot of things I have no right to say. I've been known to comment on race (from a white perspective), nationalism (from a US-native perspective), physical disability (from an able-bodied perspective), gender identity (from a cis male perspective), religion (from a mainline-Christian-turned-Unitarian-Universalist perspective), and socioeconomics (from an upper-middle-class perspective)....
One of the things I love most about my career is that I get to experience a never-ending stream of new repertory—between my work at UUCV, at Open Stage, at CASA, and elsewhere, I never have time to get bored with the material I'm working on! The downside to this excitement is that I seldom have time to really dig in and master a piece of music in a way that feels "complete." Or rather, I...