May 2009
So close and yet so far...
11/05/09 11:47 Filed in: Poker
Last night I played for 6 hours in an online poker tournament. I came in 57th place out of 954. Unfortunately, only the top 48 got the $12,000 World Series of Poker prize package. Still, I got $650 for my trouble, but if I survived through 9 more people it would have been much nicer.
Oh well. There is always next time.
Oh well. There is always next time.
My feelings about the New York Choral Society Chamber Chorus
11/05/09 11:46 Filed in: Personal
I was in the chamber chorus way back during it's last incarnation in the early 90's. After it stopped, every year I would ask at the annual meeting "when are we going to have a chamber chorus again?" It was almost a joke that I would repeat every year. And, finally this year, thanks to our assistant conductor, Michael Ciavaglia, we got a chamber chorus again.
However, to be honest... after 15 years, I suddenly realized that I no longer had the driving desire to be in a chamber chorus. I had been asking every year out of habit. But I am at a different place in my life and, at this point, I really didn't need to give up another night of my week. But, since I was such a pest about it all those years, I figured I had to at least give it a go.
Rehearsals were fun, and during our first concert I was filled with overwhelming joy. It was such a pleasure to make such beautiful music. I love singing with the big chorus, but that first concert with the chamber chorus I felt so much more involved in the making of the music. It was spectacular.
Then, during this last concert, I swear to god, there was a moment during the Frostiana while the women were singing, when again, I was suddenly overwhelmed with pride and joy at being part of a group that could create such beauty. I hate to over use the word "Overwhelmed," but that is the word that most accurately describes the feeling. Literally, my eyes started to tear up.
Anyway, this is just a long way of saying, thank you. It is an honor to sing with everyone in the chamber chorus, and in the big chorus as well, and I am very grateful for the reminder of how much I actually love what we do.
However, to be honest... after 15 years, I suddenly realized that I no longer had the driving desire to be in a chamber chorus. I had been asking every year out of habit. But I am at a different place in my life and, at this point, I really didn't need to give up another night of my week. But, since I was such a pest about it all those years, I figured I had to at least give it a go.
Rehearsals were fun, and during our first concert I was filled with overwhelming joy. It was such a pleasure to make such beautiful music. I love singing with the big chorus, but that first concert with the chamber chorus I felt so much more involved in the making of the music. It was spectacular.
Then, during this last concert, I swear to god, there was a moment during the Frostiana while the women were singing, when again, I was suddenly overwhelmed with pride and joy at being part of a group that could create such beauty. I hate to over use the word "Overwhelmed," but that is the word that most accurately describes the feeling. Literally, my eyes started to tear up.
Anyway, this is just a long way of saying, thank you. It is an honor to sing with everyone in the chamber chorus, and in the big chorus as well, and I am very grateful for the reminder of how much I actually love what we do.