K-K-K-Katie

One of my voice students once told me, when we were preparing a recital, that I was a musical mid-wife. Coaching the pre-natal musical period and helping deliver the baby. The baby, in this case, being a recital.

I suppose, in a way, this is true. As teachers we begin the process of learning a program with one of our students, ab ova, as it were. We continue to guide the process for a period of time, and, on recital night, the baby/recital is born.

Well last night Katie Weiser and Jerry Noble delivered the goods!

It was Katie's second Senior recital of the school year. She sang a very fine program last November. Jane Bryden and I have been her mid-wives, coaching and encouraging her along the way.

Her program included two songs by Franz Josef Haydn, 'Shepherd on the Rock', by Franz Schubert, (assisted by a very fine clarinetist, Madeline Zehnder),  'Und ob die Wolke', from Der Freischutz, by Carl Maria von Weber, three songs by Rachmaninoff, 'The Silver Song' from Douglas Moore's Ballad of Baby Doe, and the amazing Songs about Spring by Dominick Argento, with poetry by e.e. cummings.

In each case Katie and Jerry went to the soul of the song and delivered a beautiful baby, indeed! The Argento brought down the house! Katie will be singing at the Smith graduation ceremonies in a week or so as well as appearing on the Third Annual Ferris Burtis Music Foundation benefit concert on June 9th.
http://ferrisburtisfoundation.blogspot.com  for more details.

She will attend Syracuse University Graduate Music school in the fall and study with my dear friend and student, Janet Brown.

Bravi Katie and Jerry. Well done!