I was practicing the other day and for the first time this year, I had all the windows opened.   I was accompanying St. Maries Musica, a small vocal group that was performing in our Maryland Encore Chorale Concert.  As I sit at the piano, I can see the gorgeous bay.  I was playing Handel.  I looked out and the graceful heron flew in and landed on the rip rap and faced to the piano.   The rabbits scampered into the yard and sat looking up to where the sound was coming from.   Now who doesn’t say music matters!   It matters to everyone.

When I started Encore Creativity for Older Adults,  I remember thinking I would have lots of free time.  What was I thinking????  My – our – life has been a whirlwind of events ever since.  I am the type of person that likes to leave no unfinished business from day to day.   That certainly isn’t happening. But I do answer all my emails daily.  

Leading up to the eleven Encore concerts,   the nine chorales that I personally conduct had spirited rehearsals.   Lots of hard work to get everyone ready.   Because the many chorales never rehearse with one another,  everyone has to know exactly what they are doing!   The music has to be nailed down.

And I work personally with each presenting partner to make sure all the details are worked out.   Had a “little”  (understatement) glitch with the VA Encore May 11 concert, but we got that worked out.   I think that took about 2 years off my life!

A Powerful Partnerships Institute was being offered by the National Guild Of Community Arts Education in New York and we thought it was important that we attend.   So that three day institute was thrown into the whirlwind of events.   Learned a lot about what partnerships should be.   Have a lot of work to do on that.  Also learned that we need lots more staff. They thought we were nuts doing what we do without much help but on the other hand,  they were very impressed!

 Then it was back to Maryland to finalize everything for the concerts.   Programs were sent to the printer, concert chairs and risers were ordered, etc.   And oh yes,  with the fiasco of arriving at the National Harbor Center MD Innovations on Aging Conference and finding we had no piano,   I also make sure the piano will be on stage.    You have to cover all bases. 

 May 5 commenced the Spring Encore Chorale concert season and the concerts have been really exciting.   The music is just the right mix of fun, passion, challenge and artistic excellence.   The singers are performing beautifully.  And of course, I learn lessons.   I should never do two concerts in one day.  Wow.

I think maybe that was OK five years ago, but……………………………………………

Voice of America taped our Smithsonian Encore Chorale concert at the American Indian Museum.   Very exciting for Encore and the singers.    They are doing a TV piece on Encore.   More on that as I receive more info.    And the Chorus America Executive Director was in the audience for our concert.   Talk about pressure!  But that concert was incredible.

I have been receiving invitations to speak and conduct.   I will be going up to the Asbury Community in Gaithersburg to conduct an Encore Chorale Workshop.   Senior Theatre USA has asked me to come to New Orleans to conduct their first ever offering of a choral program.  I love New Orleans!

And then I am off to Minneapolis to speak at the Chorus America Conference about Encore and how to start an Encore Chorale.   Then I come back and immediately go to our Encore Institute at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.  Then I am back for five days and then, ahhhhhhhhh……… Larry and I take Cantabile out for a two week sail on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay.  This trip will take us up the mighty Potomac River to DC.   It takes 30 minutes to drive to DC.  It will take 5 days to sail!   You have to sail to Solomons Island – about 8 hours from our dock.  Then the next day we will sail down and up into the Potomac and probably go into Smith Creek for the evening.   From there it will take two or three more days.   We plan to take the boat into the National Harbor.   Fun!   Then on across the river to Alexandria.   More fun!   On the way back I want to pop into Tangier Island, one of my favorite places on the Bay.   They have the most beautiful beach! 

Better go and prepare for a conference call in a few minutes.   Six concerts down and five to go.   Onward and upward!

When we established Encore five years ago (my how time flies!), we chose the name "Encore Creativity for Older Adults" with a vision that we would offer a variety of creative arts programs. While our focus has been on Chorales, we have, through our summer institute programs, also offered theatre and dance and, this summer, will have a band program at St. Mary's College of Maryland.  Meanwhile, many of our members find other outlets for their creativity.  Case in point is that below "creative writing project" I received from Al Rosin, a Smithsonian Chorale member.  He wrote this for a Creative Writing Class he was taking - it made my day!

'My Favorite Person'

The Smithsonian Associates Magazine arrived in our mailbox in either March or April three years ago. The ad I zeroed in on featured the headline “If you can talk you can sing.” Well I can talk and I always wanted to sing but I really can’t carry a tune in a bucket and I can’t read music.  

The class description goes on to describe the class as 15 weeks of rehearsals, Wednesday each week from 10:30 to noon, in the Ripley Center on the Mall. After the 15 weeks the entire chorale will get to sing in a concert in one or more venues in the Washington area.

The Kennedy Center is mentioned which gives my delusional mind the picture of me, yes me, bucket in hand, standing next to Placido on stage at the Kennedy Center. OK, always dream big my mother told me. 

I call the phone number to register, give them my name, age and credit card number and sign up--there’s no audition, no test to pass. I’m in.

Included in the ad with a brief portion of her incredible Bio is a picture of the lady that will lead the Chorale and play the 4 part music of the program on the piano,. She has a beautiful smile, below a dazzling shock of white hair. 

When I finally meet her in person at our first rehearsal I learn that the white hair gives me no clue to her age. Her manner is very soft but very “I’m in charge”. In my 3 years in the chorale I’ve observed that she never individually criticizes anyone. She might say “one of the baritones isn’t keeping time with the rest, or is singing in a lower tone than the others. “Try to get up there with everyone else.” I’m a baritone and I’m sure she’s talking to me personally, but when I speak with the other baritones they all feel the same way--and we all work hard to “get up there” as Jeanne asks. For everyone I speak to in the chorale they each say unanimously that the music is great, the opportunity to perform is exhilarating but without Jeanne it wouldn’t be anywhere near as much fun.

So what’s her name already. I hear you asking. You won’t forget her name and she just might become your favorite person too. You should figure out her name quickly and remember it. Show don’t tell.

He’s tappin' and splashin' thru puddles. He’s on and off the curb and splashin'. He’s swingin' round the light poles. 

He has an umbrella when he starts dancin' and singin' in the rain, but he gives it to the cop on the beat.

I’m sure you get it. 

I bet you all know and you’re right, her name with a little different spelling--Jeanne Kelly ‘Jeanne’ still pronounced Gene--last name Kelly the same 5 letters you expected.

OK, what makes Jeanne Kelly so very special--Where, when, why, how did she become my favorite person.

Jeanne includes on her resume being a featured operatic singer, an accomplished pianist, the Director of the US Navy Women’s Choir and many more significant leadership roles.

Being always interested in numbers, My guess is that there’ll be 40 to 50 people in my first class so I won’t stand out in too small a group.

There are almost 100 people there for the first rehearsal and they’re there ‘every week thereafter. “I hate to miss a week of rehearsal” is the common theme among the group. 

She selects the music that we perform by herself. Fall semester through Christmas we do winter, Christmas and Hanukah selections. Winter into spring she selects popular music, which is just great fun.

Winter/spring 2009 we did a 16 song medley by Irving Berlin, including God Bless America with the brilliant, poignant, very emotional lead in of 

“Give me you’re tired your poor

Your huddled masses longing to be free” 

and on and on those magical words flow almost seamlessly into God Bless America.

Jeanne comments to us that the second soprano’s are not keeping the proper beat for the music. One woman raises her hand to respond and says words that are jumbled in her tears about her Mother and Father coming to the US. Wiping a tear from her own eye, Jeanne says, you’re right, those words deserve a rest at that point and we’ll add it to our music. Mr Berlin will pardon us. She is a class act.

The year before we did a medley of Lerner and Loewe including My Fair Lady, Camelot and Paint your Wagon. Nobody entered or left without a smile. The men, during a man talk session said “Damn Damn damn We’ve grown accustomed to her face.” She just makes us better.

And for our finale that year she selects “When I’m 64” by the Beatles. One man the thought that we might add a little fun to our performance if each of us wore a Beatles wig. Jeanne just loved the idea and wore a Beatles wig herself. The audience laughed and sang along making it a very rousing finale for our concert. She added a separate closing for each 10 years, 64, 74, 84 and the one gentleman who just turned 94.

There are about 125 in the Smithsonian Chorale this year at the Ripley Center, and Jeanne has ten other Chorales in other parts of the Washington/ Baltimore  area. She has concerts at sea on large cruise ships and concerts in other venues. 

Our Fall/Winter Concerts start on Wednesday in The American Indian Museum at 1:30 and the Friendship Heights Village Center at 7:30 that same day.

Many of us have already paid for the Winter/Spring session that starts in late January so we don’t get shut out. She tells us over and over, “When you don’t know the words or the music--close your music and Just Watch Jeanne.”

I hope that one more series of Classes with Jeanne and I’ll be able to throw away my bucket. I’m sure there’s so much more to tell about Jeanne Kelly, but right now she is absolutely my favorite person. 

I consider myself very lucky to be among such talented people.  One of our singers, Phil Anctil, baritone with Langston Brown Encore Chorale, recently won first place in the Channel 7 WJLA News Cherry Blossom photo contest (Photo on left).  His photo is just gorgeous and I want everyone to see his work.   We are all proud of you Phil.  

This morning I was sitting staring at the bay while waking up and a strange sight caught my eye.  Birdfeeders are for birds, but apparently not ours.   There was a cute, big raccoon munching away, enjoying his breakfast.  He- she  was actually hanging upside down from the feeder.  Thinking he was going to eat all the seed we had just put in the feeder, I went outside after about five minutes and watched his hysterical dismount right into the roses.   Another great reason to live where we do.   Never the same scene.

Last night the usual Sunday evening cruise ship headed down the Bay, but it was about two hours later than normal, so all the lights were on.   Beautiful!

We spent the entire weekend working on Cantabile and that makes two weekends in a row.   It is back-breaking work putting on those coats of varnish.   It takes five hours for each coat and count them………..we put four coats on.   Tonight will be the last coat.  It is quite a process.  Larry sanded all the varnish off.   Then you have to make sure the teak is cleaned.   Then you tape up the entire boat with blue varnish tape so you don’t get varnish on the gel coat.   Then you do the varnish. But you have to do all four coats within a time frame of about 10 days, because the tape will not come off easily if you let it set.  I keep saying that varnishing is not in my job description. …………………………………………………  And then there is the cabin sole where you have to varnish your way out of the boat.  And then I had to go backwards up the companionway steps, varnishing as I went.  So if I look like my back hurts, you know why.

The chorales are really close to performance level.   I will just keep saying  “watch me”  over and over.  It is starting to happen!   We have a few pieces memorized.  Memorization makes all the difference in the world.   It gives the singers more freedom to have fun.  But it can be downright terrifying too.  All I want is for the singers to have a grand time.   I am really looking forward to all eleven concerts.   Every season I say I will not do more than six concerts.   Guess I haven’t figured that one out yet. 

Signs of spring are everywhere on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay.  First, the Osprey are back.   The male flies back from South America first and sits on the nest that he and his mate inhabited last season, waiting patiently for her return.   Their year-old offspring don’t fly back for this season.  They stay down south for their first year. 

This morning when I awakened at 6am I saw a small crabbing boat heading out.  The crabs are still in deeper, warmer water.  But it looks like the crabbing has begun. 

And the boats are starting to stir.   Hallelujah!   Life seems so dull without sailing.  Larry will work on the boat today, sanding, waxing, etc.   Cantabile will splash in the water the week of April 8.   Ahhhhhhhhhhhh……gin and tonic time.

 The huge Aging in America Conference, conducted by the American Society on Aging, invited Encore to present 50 singers at the general session.   I chose an Encore Chorale that had 50 singers and that was Washington Conservatory at Glen Echo.   Then some had to drop out so I filled in numbers with Smithsonian singers who lived in the District.  Well I want to report that those singers wowed the audience.  When they were singing Rockin’ Jerusalem with Nancy Leech on tambourine,  the audience started clapping.  I looked around and everyone in the audience was smiling.  The singers were moving and playing off one another and having a ball, not to mention sounding fabulous.  After we finished the audience jumped to their feet!  We were all simply amazed.  We felt like rock stars.   And then the guys put on their Beatle’s wigs and we launched into When I’m 64.  Now that was fun!  The audience went wild  and I never saw such energy and joy coming from Encore singers.  Again, the audience jumped to their feet.  Amazing what really good and happy singing can do to people.  Aging conferences can get a little dull with speeches on lack of funding, what are we going to do with all the Alzheimers patients, Medicare, Medicaid,  and the list goes on and on.  Encore definitely put a very positive face on aging.  I am so proud of what we do!

I feel like a rock star!  Within minutes of posting the press release about our MetLife Foundation and National Guild for Community Arts Education Award, emails from around the country started pouring in.  Incredible!  It was fabulous to hear from longtime friends like Barbara Wing and Connie Frigo.  I am on cloud nine.  Encore is exploding with energy.  The singers are so proud and supportive.  I never in my wildest dreams imagined what Encore would become.  And the work is only starting.  We are on the brink of major growth.  All this could not be possible without our fabulous singers and partners and of course my partner who is at my side constantly, my husband Larry.  Without him, I would be lost.  

There is so much to do……., but with the help of my board which we continue to build, and my singers and partners, Encore will flourish.   Within five years, I would love to have many Affiliate Encore Chorales around the country.  All older adults deserve excellent arts education and that is our mission.

I just returned from a wonderful “Singing at Sea Yoyage” on the Serenade of the Seas to the Southern Caribbean.   Ahhhhhhhh     Warm temperatures and beautiful blue water.  One of my favorite things was to be up at 6am to watch the ship pull into another exotic port.  There were only a handful of folks up at that time.  I would get a cup of coffee and sit on the aft deck of the ship and enjoy the solitude and beauty.  How they bring those ships in to such small spaces is truly amazing.  I freak out bringing Cantabile into a slip and I am not even driving!  Larry does the driving when it's time to dock the boat.   I just worry about scratching the pretty navy blue hull. 

The Buffleheads are back.   Such cute little ducks.   They dive deep, stay down for about 20 seconds and then pop back up.   I watch them and wish I was out there playing with them.

Gotta get crackin'.   Much to do on the computer before I leave to conduct Myerberg and then Washington Conservatory of Music at Glen Echo.   Thursdays are long days.  But always fun.

And………I have to write more grants!