Thanks to the miracle of the Internet and Facebook, I was able to catch a glimpse of my former student, Joey Fala, at the Yale commencement ceremonies held last week as he was granted a Master of Music degree in Organ Performance. I had the same feelings as when my husband and I held our… Read More We did this!
On my last day in New Haven, Joey Fala let me into the Woolsey Hall organ practice rooms and I was able to practice before leaving for Honolulu. I did make some progress although my left hand still is not back to normal and I’m thinking I’ll have to consult my doctor about it when I… Read More The richness of the Yale experience
What a great honor it has been for me to come all the way from Hawaii and to hear how far my former student, Joey Fala, has come! When I told the bus driver why I was here in New Haven, he was absolutely amazed at my story. I myself am amazed at Joey and… Read More Fire in the belly
While Joey Fala spent the day practicing for this afternoon’s concert, I went exploring the Yale University campus and environs. Of course, I am completely awed by the wintry scenes in sharp contrast to our eternal summer weather in Honolulu. I next found the Yale University Art Gallery and was most impressed by their collection.… Read More Treasures at Yale
“No, no, NO!” When I woke up this morning, the first day of my “retirement,” I opened my eyes and looked at the clock. It read “3:51” (a.m.) I always thought retired people could throw away their alarm clocks — and I actually haven’t turned on my alarm clock since I came back from vacation… Read More Retired . . . NOT!
“Turning point,” “critical moment,” “decisive moment,” “moment of truth,” “pivotal moment” — these are some of the descriptions of the term defining moment — a point in your life when you made a very important decision or had an experience that changed you forever. Even though the term has only been around since 1980-1985, it could well… Read More Defining moment
Last week, my former student, Joey Fala, texted me about wanting to share “some breaking news,” and was eager to phone me. When we finally did talk, he wanted to confirm some of the details of his engagement here, for the fortieth anniversary of the Beckerath organ at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu. That will be… Read More Super exciting news!
This afternoon I attended an organ masterclass with Martin Jean, formerly of Valparaiso University, and now teaching at Yale University. You can read about all his accomplishments by reading the Wikipedia article by clicking here. In case you haven’t been to one, a masterclass has several students who in this case, volunteer to play a… Read More Organ Masterclass
It’s been “Old Home Week” at Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN, considered by many Lutherans to be their “Mecca,” where we are attending the Biennial Conference of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians. It’s only the first day, and we have reconnected with many of our Lutheran colleagues from all over the country. I was especially… Read More Mecca for Lutherans