Responses from Chicago Organizations

It has been just two and a half weeks since the horrible death of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of a now-former Minneapolis police officer. I am sure that you, like me, have in these last two and a half weeks received dozens of emails from brands and organizations denouncing what happened in Minneapolis (and to Breonna Taylor in Kentucky and too many others), stating their solidarity with their Black constituents and the Black community at large, and in most cases, describing their intended action steps.

As you all know, even though I currently live and work in Miami, I have deep roots in Chicago and still consider it my home. And Chicago is no stranger to racial injustice, so organizations there have the lived experience from which to process these newest chapters in the continuing tragedy that is racial injustice in America. Thus, I made a point to read in detail those communications from some of the Chicago-area organizations where I was formerly affiliated and/or am currently still a supporter. I have linked to them below, in the hopes that they might be useful to any readers who are part of developing their organization's response, or merely that they might provide some useful lines of thought as you continue to process.

One other thought: there is no such thing as a perfect statement, or a perfect response. If there was, the problems themselves might actually be resolved. The point is to add our voices to the chorus of individuals and organizations promising to listen, to learn, and to leverage whatever resources each has to move the needle in some way in our spheres of influence.

As many commentators have said, this time it feels different. May God make it so.

• Calvary Memorial Church of Oak Park, in addition to several pastors speaking to racial injustice in the last few Sundays' sermons, provided a list of resources (I grew up at this church and was a staff member for several years until I moved to Florida)
• Chicago Symphony Orchestra issued a statement along with a list of current programs that it intends to enhance in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion (I financially support this orchestra, and while living in Chicago volunteered in several capacities including a term on the young professional organization's executive committee)
• Chicago Voyagers issued a statement that includes a list of planned actions (I financially support this youth development organization, and my uncle is the executive director)
• Wheaton College made public its senior administrators' message to students and employees and in days since has made digital programming available (I financially support Wheaton College, am an alumnus of its Conservatory of Music, and was a staff member for several years until I moved to Florida)

Three and a Half Weeks In: Reflections on Miami

I woke up at my parents' house in Oak Park on January 30 and the outside temperature was nineteen below. Not sure whether I scrolled down in the weather app to look at the wind chill value, but at that point is was just academic to me. Sixteen hours later, and by way of New Jersey because my original direct flight was cancelled, I went to bed at my Airbnb in Miami where it was 61 above. An eighty degree swing.

And that, dear readers, was the story I will always have about the day I moved to Miami.

Three and a half weeks later, and I am happy to report all is going well. I have been having a great time at my new job, meshing well with my new colleagues, feeling appropriately challenged by my new assignment, and making the most of my evenings and weekends to explore my new city.

Here is one fun fact that people not from South Florida might not know, because I did not: Miami and Miami Beach are two different cities. The City of Miami is the second largest city in Florida (counting the city proper only) and the commercial and cultural anchor of South Florida. The City of Miami Beach, just across Biscayne Bay, is the coastal resort city that forms most of what the popular imagination conjures on hearing the name "Miami." I am writing this sitting outside a Starbucks in Miami Beach, just around the corner from a view of the Atlantic Ocean, and I can report that Miami Beach and Miami are distinct places. But the iced coffee tastes just as good in both!

So far, in addition to three full weeks of work on the new job, including my first run of concerts, I have wandered around various neighborhoods and suburbs including Brickell (the upscale shopping are abutting the financial district), Coral Gables (adjacent suburb, Spanish revival architecture planned city wherein is the University of Miami), Downtown Miami, Little Havana (the Cuban neighborhood, where my Airbnb is), and Wynwood (industrial area turned indie arts scene), as well as seeing the Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, and Naples just briefly while there for work purposes. I have connected with a few other Wheaton alumni in the area and hope to find more, as my brief search tells me that there are more of us!

I have also had the opportunity on my three weekends here so far to visit three different churches. I have not yet settled on one, but was very grateful to receive a warm welcome at each, especially since coming from being a church staff member, for better or worse I came with a lot of notions about local church culture.

And needless to say, I am sure I have not even scratched the proverbial surface of all that Miami has to offer. I have avoided reading too much written for tourists about this area, choosing instead to get ideas and tips from my colleagues and fellow Wheaton alumni and other new friends and acquaintances, people who actually lived here. So it may be a slower process to get to know the area, but I think it will be better and more authentic that way.

Will check in again in a few weeks! And please feel free to visit my Instagram (no login needed, for you non-Instagram users) where I have a few pictures so far from my wanderings in South Florida.

With Thanks

By the end of the month, I will have fully completed the season of transition from my life and work in the Chicago area to my new life and new work in Miami. If you missed my reflections on what led to this transition, see this essay. I spent a few days in Miami two weeks ago, including two full days in the office with my new colleagues, and am very happy to say I really like my new team already, received a very warm welcome, and am excited for the point when I can devote my full attention to my new assignment.

But in the midst of packing and finishing projects at my soon-to-be former jobs, I would like to offer several words of thanks, to Calvary Memorial Church, to Wheaton College, and to Chicago. I am sure I have forgotten many important aspects of my experiences with each but what follows it what comes to mind as I reflect at this juncture.

First, to Calvary Memorial Church, where I have served on staff for over six years and where I have attended, with brief pauses when I was in term in college, for twenty. I am thankful for the communities I found in my junior high and high school youth groups and then later in my young adult small groups and friend groups. I am thankful for the opportunity to apply my music degree right away as orchestra director and then acting head of worship ministries and then ministry associate of worship and music, and then the opportunity to learn essentially a whole new profession through service as church administrator and then director of finance and administration. I am thankful for the enduring support and encouragement I received from the leadership, especially Pastors Caleb, Gerald, Jonny, and Todd. I am grateful for the members of the orchestra who gave me the gift of being their director for six and a half years, which to date is the professional role I have held the longest.

Second, to Wheaton College, where I completed my undergraduate education, met the woman who is now my wife, and have served on staff for over five years. For the rest of my life I will carry special memories of my undergraduate years, and I am grateful for all the lessons I learned both formally and informally, and including the ones I had to learn the hard way. I am grateful for the lifelong friends I made there among my roommates and others. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as a staff member in the Conservatory, the same department in which I studied. I am grateful I was part of the move to the Conservatory's new home, for the inauguration of President Phil Ryken, for the beginning of the CSO at Wheaton College series, and for endless unique and enjoyable concert productions. And I am grateful for my colleagues, my boss Tony Payne, my dean Michael Wilder, and for the many students I was able to formally and informally mentor and support.

And finally, to Chicago itself. I would not trade the experience of growing up and spending the first decade of adulthood in Chicago for anything. I am honored that I can call myself a native Chicagoan and Chicago will always and forever be my hometown. Chicago has institutions that are among the world's best, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, where I was pleased to offer volunteer hours for several years, and given its annual visits to Florida, I know I can continue to be an active patron. And it has been a very special last few years to be a Cubs fan. I will be bringing my small collection of 2016 World Series Champion-branded swag with me to Miami, no question. Of course, Chicago is not perfect. No city is. But Chicago, you have incredible potential. You do not have to be defined by the heartbreak and frustration that has plagued you and that comprises most of your national and global reputation. There are so many people, seen and unseen, working hard every day to make Chicago a better place, and I am glad to have been part of that place for my first thirty years. I look forward to visiting as often as I can, and in between I will be ordering those frozen Lou Malnati's pizzas to be shipped to Miami!

So thank you.

Journey to Miami

At the end of November, I accepted an offer to the General Operations Manager for Seraphic Fire, "Florida's Grammy-Nominated Vocal Ensemble," in Miami. I will be moving to South Florida at the end of January.

It has been an interesting journey that led to this move and change of jobs. Certainly when asked ten years ago as a college sophomore where I saw myself in ten years, I would not have answered with either of the current jobs I am leaving or the new job I am starting, though that of course is not at all unique to me among my Millennial peers.

Quick background: I have a bachelor's degree from Wheaton College in music education. I spent my first three years post-college as a middle school band director as well as side jobs as a church orchestra director and events manager for the Wheaton College Artist Series, with a little private trombone teaching and music supplies retailing along the way. Five years later, that church orchestra job has evolved through music ministry associate to church administrator to finance director, and the events manager job has evolved to production manager with a side of digital marketing. I have been now been part of four annual budget cycles and countless employee onboardings, vendor changes, and insurance claims in my church job (while still managing to keep up the orchestra directorship) and nearly fifty major public concert events featuring several Grammy winners and a move to a new music building in my Wheaton job. I just turned 30 this past October, and I am quite pleased with and immensely grateful for the breadth of professional experiences and opportunities I have had.

And yet, it was admittedly fatiguing to balance two demanding, events-heavy jobs, even though my bosses and colleagues at both fully recognized my obligation to devote half of each week's working hours to the other. So for several years I have been looking, with varying degrees of earnestness, to find a full-time role that would match by skills, experiences, and interests. It was a bit of a moving target.

At first, once I felt that I was not destined to be an active music educator, I found interest in the arts management profession, awakened no doubt by my work as the fledgling Artist Series production manager. So I followed arts management blogs and their respective job boards and have had probably dozens of at least first-round interviews with orchestras and presenting organizations around the country. Even had a few second interviews from time to time. Most of the roles I sought were in either the production or education departments of those organizations, thinking I was drawing on my experience as a producer and educator.

But then I had an interesting conversation with my then-executive pastor, Gerald, who was my immediate supervisor at church for almost four years until he moved to the senior pastorate this past summer. He affirmed my skills, and more to the point, giftedness, in financial administration and non profit management. And from that observation (which of course I recognized as true, I simply had never focused on that as a possible lead strength of mine), the thought occurred that perhaps I should look at serving in a finance management role with an arts organization.

And so that has been my main search in the last six months or so. Within a week of that conversation with Gerald I came across a very compelling opportunity to be the finance and administration director for a professional symphony orchestra, and was gratified to get all the way to the second round of interviews before receiving a rejection notice. But I kept at it. Late this fall I found myself interviewing simultaneously for two roles of that same type, one with a summer music festival and one with a Grammy-nominated vocal ensemble in Miami. I made it to the second round with both. But one made an offer first.

I have to pause here and speak again of Wheaton College, but in particular of my undergraduate education there. The professional music degree programs there are informed by the liberal arts context. As I have seen with stark clarity as I have accepted this new job, that liberal arts education ensured that I learned how to learn, and how to transfer my skills to different contexts, and have the potential to succeed in a wide variety of applied disciplines. My curriculum at Wheaton consisted of precisely nothing about the complex field of labor law, for example. And yet here I am as the human resources manager for a staff of 20+ at my church. Not a single lesson in four years about how to interpret a technical rider. And yet I have presented acts that came with technical riders running dozens of pages at Wheaton. And so forth. What I learned is how to learn those things that my eventual job(s) would require me to know.

And that, I think, is how I found my way, and flourished, in my two current jobs to the point where I am qualified to assume this new job, and of course to successfully apply myself to the new particulars of the new role. The view from this proverbial vantage point is as clear as it ever has been, and I see clearly all the pieces along the way I needed to be at this point to have this next step be available to me.

Of course, as I am a follower of Christ, I credit the placement of those pieces, and the fact that I took all the necessary steps along the way, to his grace and provision. The first few days after receiving the job offer were actually somewhat anxious, as the self-conscious part of me wondered whether I really had the skills I needed to succeed at my new job. But as I began onboarding and reviewing documents and files and conversing with my new boss, Rhett, I found everything was clicking. God has been calming my anxious heart, showing me that I have exactly what I need in the way of intellectual aptitude and the right hard-fought experiential knowledge, to succeed in this new assignment.

Creating the Greatest Impact

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the 73rd National Conference of the League of American Orchestras, hosted by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I attended as a delegate of both the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Overture Council and the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music. It was my first time attending the League's National Conference, and it was an excellent experience.

Between Wednesday and Friday, I attended the opening session, closing session, four breakout sessions, and one special tour of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion at Milennium Park with the original acoustical engineer.

The theme for this year's conference was Creating the Greatest Impact, and the keynote addresses in full and the breakout sessions as well explored how the orchestra field, and by extrapolation much of the nonprofit arts sector in general, can be a positive presence in today's world.

The stage and lectern just before the opening session

The opening session featured a keynote address by Vijay Gupta, violinist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and founder of Street Symphony, also in Los Angeles. Gupta is a TED Senior Fellow, Senior Citizen Artist Fellow with the Kennedy Center, and self-described advocate for artistic voices in social issues. A few quotations from his address:

Why did we become musicians? "To connect with the world around us. To ask questions. And to tell stories."
"As artists and art leaders we must reclaim the conversation about why we became artists in the first place."
"This is our time to ask the usually inefficient and always uncomfortable questions."
"Our nation looks to us to make meaning for ourselves and the world around us. When we engage in this joyful work we assume our natural seat at the table as leaders of a vibrant national discourse."
"We only have one best practice. To show up. We have to show up."
"How radically do we welcome the communities on the margins into the center of the artistic process?"
"Sometimes all we can do is sit down and be humble."
"Our greatest impact is in how we listen. Our job is to listen louder than we sing, play, or speak."

Between the opening and closing I attended the following engaging breakout sessions:

Messages that Matter, a case study of what the Eugene (Oregon) Symphony did to listen to what their community wanted in their arts institutions and fold that into their offerings. A quotation: "Let's reframe the business model from 'presenting art' to 'making memories.'"

Building Your Next Gen Donor Pipeline, a look at how Millennials want to engage in philanthropy. Some quotations:

"They care more about results than they care about institutions."
"I think we're creating barriers that don't necessarily exist."
"We have to talk about the connections we make and the value we add."
"Your loyalty to them is more important than their loyalty to you."
"Listen more, talk less."
"Impact happens once, value is constant."

Beyond the Org Chart: Everyone Leads, defining leadership as "behavior that brings people together to move things forward" and discussing empathy in organizational settings.

The Post-Tax Reform Philanthropic Landscape, which rather than being the damage control session I think most of the 75 people in the room thought it would be, actually was an insightful look at some of the potential opportunities for philanthropic activity. The key, not surprisingly, was to "double down on donor relationships" and "tell your impact story."

And the closing session featured cellist (though of course he does so much more) Yo-Yo Ma, recipient of the League's Gold Baton for "distinguished service to America's orchestras." Some quotations from his address, "Why Culture Matters":

"Listen to what's around you.""Make sure every decision considers the other perspective.""Culture engages both our analytic and empathetic faculties, allowing us to make better decisions."

It was a most enriching and stimulating week and I am grateful to both Wheaton College and the CSO for supporting my attendance. And a lot of what I learned was relevant not only for my work with those to institutions but also for my work with Calvary Memorial Church. It was also really enjoyable to have the opportunity on breaks to meet and interact with delegates (as attendees at this conference are called) from orchestras and supporting organizations across the country, from Florida and Louisiana and Massachusetts and Minnesota and Oregon and more. I have only just started processing what I absorbed over the three days and am looking forward to sharing it with colleagues over the coming weeks.

Administrative Professionals Day

Today is Administrative Professionals Day in the United States, a day to honor and recognize the work of secretaries, administrative assistants, receptionists, and other administrative support personnel.

I am blessed to have SIX administrative professionals as colleagues across my two jobs.

At Calvary Memorial Church, we have Cindy our office coordinator, Janet our administrative assistant, and Soo Ai our executive assistant.

At the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music, we have Susan and Janice our office coordinators and Michelle our administrative assistant.

All six have been in their roles since before I assumed my current role with each organization, and I find their experience and institutional knowledge extremely valuable.

Make sure you thank the administrative professionals in your own workplace today!

Thankfulness

On this Thanksgiving Day, some of the things for which I am most thankful (and surely this is an incomplete list):

• Naomi, my wife (pictured below)
• Ed and Becky, my ever-supportive parents
• Paul, my brother, Velia and Dorothy, my grandmothers, and my entire family
• Gerald, my boss at Calvary (and Todd, his boss and our senior pastor), and Tony, my boss at Wheaton (and Michael, his boss and our dean)
• Ana, Cassidy, Cheryl, Cindy, Collin, Danielle, Ellie, and Madison, whom I have the privilege of having as direct reports at Calvary and Wheaton
• My colleagues at Calvary and Wheaton, too many to name for fear of missing someone
• The privilege of serving on the staffs of these two organizations, and for all the invaluable kingdom-building work in which I can take part
• The provision of new facilities for the Conservatory of Music
• Friends from my college days with whom I can still talk by phone every so often, and the encouragement those calls are
• First-time visits to four states in the last year (Hawaii in January, South Carolina and Oregon in May, Vermont in July)
• The privilege of serving on the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Overture Council Executive Committee with Erika, April, Danielle, Elliott, Haley, John, Jonathon, Kristin, Belinda, Claudine, and Jessica and our ongoing growth and success
• The generosity of many people, some of whom are at most second-degree connections, taking time to provide professional development advice
• Timely and helpful words of wisdom and counsel from Derrick and Gayle and Kirk
• The many thoughtful, reasonable voices, even with whom I disagree, speaking with charity and humility and using their platforms to inspire hope and determination in the midst of so much divisive, negative rhetoric
• The relentless, limitless, abundant, and undeserved grace of God

I'm thankful for Naomi, my bride of 15 months and counting, this Thanksgiving

The New Center for Music and the Arts

It has been just over a week since the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music moved into its new home, the Armerding Center for Music and the Arts. Smiles (albeit tired smiles in some cases) have dominated everyone's faces. Despite the grueling final weeks of packing and preparing and hoping for as seamless a transition as possible, everyone is happy to be settling into the new facilities.

About $30 million and a year of construction has found the Conservatory with twice the amount of instructional space as before, and four times as many restrooms! My boss's office is at least twice the size it was before. We went from two floors to four. Instead of views of parking lots and dumpsters, our windows now give us a view of the quad and the fountain (including some practice room windows). We have dedicated hospitality space. Everything is light and airy and freshly painted and polished.

Last Thursday, the first day of classes in the new building, we had a music major convocation right after lunch in the new Armerding Recital Hall, with faculty and staff present as well as all the students. Our dean, Michael Wilder, gave us some instructions on how to make the most of the new space, and then we sang some hymns. In between, the stage managers adjusted the acoustical curtains, from fully extended (i.e., fully absorbent) to fully retracted (i.e., fully reflective). The difference was astounding as the room resonated with 150 voices singing "When In Our Music God is Glorified." I wish it had been recorded, or maybe actually I don't, because no recording could accurately capture that moment. Students, faculty, and staff alike had tears in their eyes (in mine, too) as we sang "There Is A Redeemer" to close our convocation and listened to voices resound in that space.

Our dedication event is Friday, November 3, at 3pm on the Quad, and is open to the public. But what is even more exciting is that this project is only half finished! Fundraising is well underway for Phase II, the construction of a new 650-seat concert hall with adjacent choral rehearsal hall, joined to Phase I (the new facility I've just described) by a two-story glass atrium. Phase II as also has a price tag of about $30 million, and thanks to an extremely generous anonymous gift earlier this month, we are now almost halfway to that second $30 million. Equally significantly, many of the current music students are contributing of their means to the project. I witness more students every day bringing their contribution envelopes to the administrative suite where I have my office. The dean said at convocation that at this moment "we are at halftime, and we think we're winning!"

I couldn't agree more. It was a little less than 9 years ago, during my sophomore year as a music major, when the $9 million addition to Edman Chapel opened. That project included a new instrumental rehearsal hall, which I was able to enjoy immediately as a member of the Wheaton College Symphonic Band. The first few days in Armerding brought back some of the feelings I had sophomore year - only greatly magnified by the greater scope of the Armerding project and by witnessing the enjoyment of the next generation of music students. These are the young men and women who are training for service in churches, concert halls, and schools around the world, and it is most satisfying to see them settle into their new and improved place of study and training. Come visit and see it for yourself!

My Listening

I have done a handful of recaps of my reading on this blog over the years, and I have done a handful of concert reviews as well, but I have never done any report on my podcast listening. Probably because it has only been the last year or so I have actively listened to podcasts. But in any case, here we are...

There are probably ten different podcasts of which I have listened to at least a few episodes over the last year, but here I would like to highlight the three that I listen to regularly and attempt to hear every episode.

The West Wing Weekly

This podcast began in March 2016, just under ten years since the end of the Emmy-winning series The West Wing concluded its original run on NBC. The West Wing is without question my favorite TV show, having discovered it midway through its original run when I was a teenager.

The hosts of this podcast are actor Joshua Malina, who was part of the show's main cast for the last four seasons, and musician/composer Hrishikesh Hirway. Each week's episode focuses on one episode from the show, in sequence, and in addition to discussing the plot, production, and trivia of the episode, the hosts and their guest discuss related public policy and sociocultural issues. More often than not, an issue explored in the original episode of The West Wing is either still an issue today or else still relevant in some other way. Guests have included The West Wing cast and crew members as well as current and former real-life political, military, and NGO figures.

Listen to the 1 minute, 23 second intro episode, "0.00 Cold Open" for the hosts' explanation of their project.

Theology for Life

This podcast began just last December. The co-hosts are Ed Stetzer and Lynn Cohick, both Wheaton College faculty members. Each week's episode examines one of a myriad of theological issues, from the major timeless questions and creedal statements, exegetical commentary, comparative theology, and everyday Christian life. Highly relatable and gives a fresh introductory look at the different issues.

To date all their guests have been other Wheaton College faculty, but they've promised to have guests from other institutions and organizations as well.

Church Politics

This podcast began just this past May. The co-hosts are Michael Wear, who worked in the Obama White House as well as for the 2012 re-election campaign and is now a consultant and author, and Atlanta-based lawyer and political operative Justin Giboney. The first few episodes were groundwork, including two insightful podcasts examining the history and current focus and status of the Democratic and Republican parties, and thereafter they recap the week's political news and examine the issues based on their Christian convictions. Worthwhile listening for Democrats, Republicans, Christians, and those of other or no faith tradition all.

The podcast, presented by online arts and culture curator platform Forth District, does not (yet?) have its own website, but the first episode can be found at the Forth District website.

What podcasts do you listen to regularly?

Music for the Third Sunday of Advent

I am taking a sabbatical from my full Musical Advent Calendar. I hope to prepare the full calendar in again for Advent 2017, but for Advent 2016, I will have a selection for each Sunday of this season. New posts in the series will be available on Saturday evenings.

Sunday, December 11 | The Third Sunday of Advent

"The First Noel"

Words a traditional English carol, exact origin unknown

Music by John Stainer, 1871, adapted by R. Christopher Teichler, 2006

Performed by the Wheaton College (IL) Concert Choir, Men's Glee Club, Women's Chorale, and Symphonic Band at the 2006 Wheaton College Christmas Festival

(Song text is displayed in the video)

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and forever, Amen.

The Collect for the Third Sunday of Advent

First Seven Jobs

Because who doesn't love being part of a trending topic? Here we go...

My first job was paper carrier for the Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest. My route covered the four blocks of East Avenue between Roosevelt Road and the Eisenhower Expressway. I walked my route every Wednesday for many years and received lots of nice tips every Christmas.

My second employer was the Park District of Oak Park, and I had three different positions over five summers. My first summer, 2006, I was a bike attendant for the pools, an entry-level position that was new that summer. The next year I was a pool maintenance technician, and the following three summers I was a facility operations coordinator, the shift supervisor for all the maintenance staff.

In between those summers, when I was a student at Wheaton College, I had two different jobs. I was a stage manager for the Conservatory of Music (to which I credit my eventual arrival in the arts management profession) for seven of my eight semesters of undergrad and an office assistant to Dr. Tim Yontz, the director of bands and music education and my major adviser, for four semester.

My first "career" job (and I am not counting freelance trombone performance gigs and a handful of private lessons) was Assistant Band Director at Hadley Junior High School in Glen Ellyn, a year with all the challenges of being a first-year teacher but one I overall enjoyed and am grateful for.

And those were my first seven jobs. If you've read my biography, and have now done the math, you will know that I am already at double-digits for number of jobs held. In addition to the three I have now (with two employers), I also worked for a few months in 2014 for Quinlan & Fabish Music Company. If the hashtag had been #firstelevenjobs, I would have just made it.

So there you have it, a narrative form of my resume!

Life Update, Fall 2015

Dear Readers,

It has been something like 100+ days since my last post here at The Rubio Room. This morning I started work on my annual Musical Advent Calendar (watch this space on December 1), but I really did not want that to be the first post immediately following the one from June, so here I am. And I actually do have a lot to share from the last three months, if you will allow me a personal post about some of the highlights.

Work at Wheaton College

The spring/summer saw the departure of two members of the Conservatory staff. Heading into the fall and the new school year, my dean, Dr. Michael Wilder, asked me to assume some of the responsibilities left behind. In addition to continuing my role as Assistant Manager of the Wheaton College Artist Series, with responsibility for concert production, the student staff, and many audience development and marketing tasks, I now spend some of my time involved with Conservatory operations and special projects. One of my recent projects involved coloring.

Seating Chart for the annual Conservatory Children's Concerts

Naomi visited!

Just before the new school year began, Naomi, my girlfriend, visited Chicago for a few days. I took her to her first Cubs game, and we also heard a Grant Park Music Festival concert with Kurt Elling, visited Oak Park's Thursday Night Out and Farmers Market, and spent some much-needed time together.

Naomi and I at Wrigley Field. Cubs had an exciting win that day!

Artist Series

Just last weekend was Opening Night for our 66th season. Camerata Chicago, with special guest Sylvia McNair, presented an all-Gershwin concert. It was a spectacular and satisfying evening.

Soprano Sylvia McNair waves good night at the end of the Opening Night concert

Music Ministry

Calvary Memorial Church recently called a new Pastor of Worship and Music, Josh Caterer. (I would link to his biography on the church website, but he is so new it is not yet there.)

Two weekends ago was the first time the Chamber Orchestra worked with him. It was a great collaborative effort, as we joined with Josh to lead the congregation in two songs, the classic "O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing" and the modern song "Behold Our God."

The Sanctuary Choir resumed rehearsals two weeks ago. I missed that over the summer, and am glad of the chance to sing in a choral setting again.

New Apartment

In the midst of a very busy September, I somehow found time, with the help of my dad, to move to my new apartment. Don, my roommate, and I really like it. Separate dining room, fireplace (albeit non-functional), bits of stained glass, enclosed back porch, and a lot of improvements made just before we moved in.

View of the dining room (foreground) and living room (background)

And there was so much more beyond those highlights in the last few months. I heard the National Brass Ensemble in concert at Symphony Center, followed the Chicago Cubs as they secured their first postseason berth since 2008, had the privilege of witnessing the wedding of one of my best friends, and began leading my small group.

Life is good, as they say. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Achieved is the Glorious Work

Last night, the Wheaton College Artist Series presented Haydn's THE CREATION with John Nelson, conductor.

It was easily the most complex production of my young career. According to my boss, Tony Payne, Creation at Wheaton was also the most complex production of his over three decades at Wheaton. After well over half a year of coordinating, discussing, organizing, and re-organizing the details of all that was involved in all the activity leading up to and surrounding last night's concert, I think it is safe to assume that all of my colleagues and I, not to mention all the Wheaton students who were involved, are now breathing a collective sigh of relief. I was actually in a bit of a daze at church this morning, and not just because of the lack of sleep. After months of continuously thinking about this project, with all the details and their multilayered connections, spinning in my head, I woke up this morning with the very liberating feeling of no longer needing to mentally hold it all.

This is not a confession that I almost had a break down or anything like that. Sure, there were moments when I was, as I put it to a friend yesterday, "professionally annoyed." And of course I know I did not do everything perfectly; I certainly hope to learn much from this experience to apply to my future work. But, truthfully, I am also breathing a sigh of satisfaction, and I think that is true for the others as well.

There are so many things I could say about the Creation at Wheaton project. Hearing from music students about the thrill of rehearsals with John Nelson. Seeing a group of high school students engaged in their special workshop. Witnessing the fine work of my student staff, aptly executing every task I assigned to them (I must pause here at say thank you to Matthew James, Anna Krcek, Cathrine Peistrup, and Sameah Villaca). I was also, at the risk of sounding conceited, very gratified to see people use the hashtag #WheatonCreation that I created for the whole project back in February. Needless to say, I have yet to fully process everything (and being still short on sleep as I write this, I will likely not finish doing so today.)

So I will simply offer a few reflections on last night. First, we had a tremendous audience, both in scope as well as in style. Moments like that, when Edman Chapel is alive with energy and excitement, are always special, and last night took it to a new level. Everyone was enjoying the evening.

Second, we had a tremendous group of musicians. Wheaton College is indeed blessed to have such quality student music ensembles. They performed with such passion last night, no doubt driven by the fact that the piece they were performing is a part of their faith. I was in the backstage corridor with the ensemble directors when the students all came back at the conclusion of the performance, and it was so special to see 260 very happy musicians walk past us.

And third, I had the unique experience of having one of my best friends from my days at Wheaton College, my senior year roommate Nathaniel Olson, as one of the featured guest professional soloists!

All told, an experience I will not forget anytime soon. I am so grateful to have been part of it.

And now a couple pictures from last night...

My senior year roommate and one of my best friends from Wheaton, Nathaniel Olson, sang the role of Adam in THE CREATION.

Maestro John Nelson, flanked by the soloists and backed by the Wheaton College choirs and orchestra, greets the audience to begin the concert.

At the Close of Summer

Well here we are - Labor Day Weekend. Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back on the menu at Starbucks. Fall is upon us, and the summer is drawing to an end. 

I have decided that this was a good summer, both personally and professionally. First, professionally: 

We had a transition in the worship and music ministry at Calvary Memorial Church. Under the leadership of our interim worship pastor, Dan Svendsen, we have continued the passionate, enthusiastic, congregation-driven, God-oriented corporate worship that has become our hallmark at Calvary. Sanctuary Choir rehearsals begin this coming Wednesday, and the Chamber Orchestra will begin an active fall schedule soon after. 

At the Wheaton College Artist Series, we had a series of successful community outreach and promotional events throughout the summer months, from visits to retirement communities, presence at events in downtown Wheaton, to the Fourth of July Parade. We also worked hard on pre-production for our nine - nine! - concert events in the coming year. I hope all my readers in the area will take advantage of our diverse offerings. 

The summer was also a very refreshing time for my personally. I attended four different performances at the Grant Park Music Festival (though I wish it had been more!). I spent a lot of time with my small group and the broader young adult community at church - porch parties, music in the city, a Cubs game, and helping one friend move a piano. I attended the weddings of two good friends from college - one here in Chicago and the other in Kansas City, giving me the opportunity to visit the city for the first time (please read my detailed recap of that trip). Just a few weekends ago, another good friend from college who I had not seen in over two years was in town for a convention and took a night off to enjoy Chicago with me. 

All in all, a satisfying summer. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!  

And now I turn to all I have this fall - many, many things I am eagerly anticipating. As I said, we are about to begin our fall schedule at church, and the school year has begun at Wheaton College as well - this first week was an exhausting one, but a lot of good happened, including a great address on hope in times of doubt and discouragement by President Ryken at convocation on Wednesday. I hope to keep you updated here on all that develops in the months ahead!

Why the Artist Series?

The Wheaton College Artist Series is now in its seventh decade of presenting professional performing artists on the campus of Wheaton College. Orchestras, dance companies, choral ensembles, chamber groups of all configurations, and soloists have come from all corners of the globe (four different continents) as well as right here in Chicago to present musical and dance works from across the centuries and cultures.

The Artist Series, it may be safely said, is a fixture of the College and of the local community. With any longstanding program, however, it is prudent to occasionally consider its current value to its community.

Here in the midst of its seventh decade, I believe the Wheaton College Artist Series provides tremendous value in support of the overall mission of Wheaton College. Consider the following ways it does so:

First, the Artist Series supports the Conservatory curriculum. The guest artists provide a live example to the music majors of professional musicians doing what they do best. Greater Chicago does not lack opportunities to see live professional musicians, but the convenience of attending such a performance on campus, at a fraction of the cost it would be to see them elsewhere, is an asset that should not be overlooked. Additionally, the breadth of the Series’ offerings means the music majors are exposed to a greater variety of artists – including those they might not spend their own time and money to pursue off campus.

Also, many of the guest artists, in addition to their evening concert, present a master class (sometimes as part of an extended residency), and it would be difficult to overstate the value of those events to music majors. Again, due to the breadth of the Series’ offerings, it is probable that at least once per academic year, there will be a master class of immediate interest and applicability to each music major – and the other master classes expose students to another facet of professional artistry, wholly fitting in our liberal arts environment.

Second, the Artist Series allows several students each year an experiential learning opportunity, one of the hallmarks of a Wheaton education in this era. In addition to the permanent staff, the Artist Series employs a handful of students in key management roles. These positions allow the students to develop their critical thinking, collaboration, communication, planning, and situational analysis skills, as well as have frequent interaction with professional arts administrators (the visiting company’s management). The experience these students gain is invaluable as they pursue their post-Wheaton activities such as graduate school and the workforce.

Third, the Artist Series is a ministry opportunity. At the front of house, the Artist Series allows the College to engage many members of our local community. The servant spirit of the student ushers who provide a warm welcome to the patrons is a powerful witness to the community. On the other side, the stage and production teams, performing their jobs with excellence, integrity, and graciousness toward the performers, are a powerful witness to the artists themselves, most of whom are not (yet) believers. The artists’ interactions with Christians at Wheaton may be brief, but the Holy Spirit may still use that time to draw people unto Christ. And finally, our commitment to presenting the highest achievements of the performing arts is a powerful witness to the world at large that the gospel is not anti-art, but rather, the arts can be a powerful kingdom tool in the work of proclaiming the gospel to all nations, starting at Wheaton.

The Wheaton College Artist Series is tremendously valuable for the Wheaton College community and beyond. I am privileged to have been a part of it for over six years now, in various roles, and I eagerly anticipate what is ahead for this exciting program.