Two Amazing Experiences

For the past several months, I've been busy with different projects, including two amazing experiences.

In October 2023, I had my first orchestral debut in Seattle. The Ensign Symphony and Chorus performed my arrangement of "Come, Come, Ye Saints" in Benaroya Hall.

They also gave me a backstage tour. Here I am with my wife and singer friend among all the other singers.

What Benaroya Hall looks like from backstage ...

They also showed me an Easter egg in the carpet ... can you see a flamingo?

Here I am with my family -- getting ready to hear the concert.

Here is the orchestra and choir getting ready to perform my piece.

When it was all over, the conductor asked me to stand up so they could see me. Afterward, people told me how much they liked my rendition, and I signed a few autographs.

This is only part of the story, but I'll come back in a couple of months to give a lot more details, and even provide a recording of the arrangement.

And then a couple of weeks ago in June 2024, I got to sing in Carnegie Hall. "What?" you may ask. "Carnegie Hall? How did you score this?" Here I'll tell the quick version of the story.

In high school, our choir teacher, Thomas Yackley was and still is a very proficient teacher. He knows how to take ordinary people and make them into top-notch singers. He not only taught us the music, but he taught us countless techniques so that we could learn the music on our own - talents that have helped me to excel throughout my life.

A few years after I had graduated, he arranged for his choir(s) to sing in Carnegie Hall -- they were that good. My sister got to go on that trip as a teenager, and she had a blast. I was a little jealous, though. (Heh.) 

Here, I'm not up on all the details, but in short, Thomas made friends, and with those connections, one of them was able to arrange another concert three decades later. Now Thomas has retired and now leads a community choir in Alpharetta, GA. And for a group of amateurs, they are surprisingly good. As such, they were worthy for a gig at Carnegie.

Thomas invited me and other alumni singers to join in. So, it became my turn to go to Carnegie. And -- yes it was a blast.

It did take some work. I had to work up the music on my own -- well, that part wasn't hard. But I went down to Alpharetta in May for a preview concert. This would give us a chance to rehearse and combine, and actually perform in front of a live audience, and learn what we needed to work on.

Here's a recording of our Durante Magnificat. (And yes -- we got a standing ovation that day).

And then came the big NYC city trip. Lots and lots of sightseeing! I saw my first Broadway show on actual Broadway. 

As part of our Carnegie deal, we had to combine with a couple of high schools that had won many awards. It ended up being a large crowd, and we had two really long rehearsals to get it all together. Tiring, but lots of fun.

Here we are during break time ...

A picture of me outside of Carnegie Hall pointing at our poster...

Me on performance day right before going in ...

Practicing up on the 6th Floor -- and yeah, we had to take the steps. 

Hey look everyone! I'm practicing in Carnegie Frickin Hall!!

And here's our fearless leader ...

After our portion, we got to sit in the audience for the rest of the show. Some Dvorak and Richard Strauss.

And a celebratory cruise after the performance...

Oh ... and here's a recording someone captured -- I don't think anyone got the Magnificat, though, which was crazy good. And yes -- we got a standing ovation again ... in Carnegie Hall.

There you have it -- two awesome experiences. I've taken mental snapshots so I can remember them forever. The only sad part is that I have no more such experiences lined up. But then again, I've only just begun. The best is yet to come.