And the semester continues

Dear Readers,

I apologize for my reticence, life here at the University of Georgia has been busy.

I don't know where to begin.

My first engagement this semester was to celebrate the life of Adora W. Mills.
Adora pasted away last month and I feel at a loss to adequately describe Adora's impact in my life. I am at a loss to describe her immense impact on this community.

Adora's reputation and alacrity preceded her. I first heard of Adora when I began singing tenor. From my very first public performance as a tenor, Adora was there cheering me on. After my tenorial debut as Camille de Rosillion in Lehar's The Merry Widow at UGA, Frederick Burchinal approached me and made Adora's interest clear: she found Burchinal after the show and said "I think we've found out tenor!"

Adora's husband was a tenor and she, as a tribute to his memory, created a vocal scholarship at UGA for tenors.

It was Adora's scholarship and her encouragement that helped me get through tough times here at UGA and discover my love for singing.

In May of this year, several singers - including myself - piled into Burchinal's car and headed to the Reynold's Plantation where Adora was living. We sang a private concert for her. It was that very concert that we performed 3 weeks ago at the celebration of her life in Greenboro GA.

I sang the first act duet from Rigoletto with the brilliant and emerging Evelyn Shreves, One Alone from the Desert Song and a Gounod hymn "What Grief Can Try Me? Oh, Lord" at Adora's request.

It is was sadness that I morn the passing of such a influential and wonderful person - who touched more lives in more way than anyone will ever know.

There was another passing in the UGA community. Dr. Robert Brown passed this week.
Dr. Brown was a retired professor who loved classical music. Dr. Brown used to sit in our UGASO rehearsals (this is before and during my tenure as a Double Bass student at UGA). He donated, raised funds and supported the music that we made at UGA.

In April of 2012 Dr. Brown contacted me and offered me several Jussi Boerling CDs as well as some Beethoven and Schumann. It was an extremely kind gesture and I have since kept those CD is permanent rotation in my car. I listen to them at least once a week and several times through during long car rides.

Please send your thoughts an prayers to the families of these two wonderful patrons. What I do - what musicians and artist do - is impossible without the support from people like Adora and Bob.

Though I reluctantly continue, below are some more happenings from these last few months since Hoffmann and since Verbier:

Last week Metropolitan Opera tenor Allan Glassman visited UGA and gave a great master class, in which I was privileged to sing. I sang the flower song from Carmen - my first public go at it.
He had some very constructive and complimentary things to say.

On Saturday I sang for an even with the OLLI [The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute] Opera Group and then took a lesson with Allan - which was a lot of fun.

On Friday the 20th I will be singing Tony in a concert medley of West Side Story with the UGA Wind Ensemble - I have played several concerts with Dr. Lynch's UGA Wind Ensemble as a double bassist. This will be my premier as a singer.

On the 22nd I will be singing several gallant/classical era pieces with Anatoly Sheludyakov in a tribute to Catherine the Great in a collaboration with the Georgia Museum of Art.

Lastly, I passed my doctoral preliminary exams and have only one final exam - my comprehensive exams to complete and I will be admitted to candidacy!!! The end of my time at UGA is coming to a close.

Cheers to great music and future success!
Thanks for reading -
Joe