Trying to Come to Grips with Covid-19
Looking back at 2022, I'd have to say there was a lot of stress. But it was overridden by the wonderful singers with whom I got to work.
Music:
The year began with "The Music Man," for which Laurie Henderson Jones, Noah Landry, and I shared the rehearsal accompanist duties. I've loved that show since I was seven or eight years old and Daddy bought me the soundtrack. We three, Laurie, Noah, and myself, understood from the beginning that Noah would play in the pit for the performance, singing in the quartet from the piano bench. As we got closer to performance, it became clear that he would need to be downstage, singing closely with the other three singers for the harmonies to work. So I sat in the green room and then moved backstage for every performance, sliding onto the bench each time Noah moved to his place onstage to sing in those wonderful harmonies that Meredith Willson wrote.
During the spring semester, I played for ten students, whose work included a senior recital in January, a Master's recital in late February, and a [theatre department] Senior Showcase in April.
In June, I served as the collaborative pianist for the Dana Vocal Performance Clinic, which is a week of learning and sampling life at Dana School of Music for about ten area high school students. Our Dana students serve as the instructors for this week, giving them a taste of life as a music teacher.
The fall semester found me with eight students, two senior recitals, and two hearings for a senior and a junior recital that will occur early in 2023. Oh, and the musical theatre voice teachers decided several weeks before end-of-semester juries that the students (who had been singing to tracks all semester rather than using a live accompanist) needed to sing with an accompanist for juries. As my superpower is saving students who can't find an accompanist, I stepped up and told the students I would play for their juries. So, in addition to the four classical juries and two recital hearings I had to play, I also scheduled 35 practice sessions or lesson attendance for 17 or the musical theatre voice students—while also practicing with my classical students for their juries or hearings. I was never so happy to see the last day of the semester arrive!
Laurie and I split the rehearsal accompanist duties again in September, October, and early November for "Godspell." I vaguely remember hearing the music in the 70s, but really only could remember two songs. It was great fun learning that repertoire. Then, because of a shortage of students with the appropriate skills, I was asked (begged) to play in the pit for the performances. So I got the opportunity to really master some heavy rock & roll piano! I surprised even myself.
As soon as "Godspell" closed, I went right into rehearsals for a Christmas show with the wonderful people who comprise "Area Community Theatre of Sharpsville [PA]." They ask me to work with them on shows like this and let me work my own personal magic on the accompaniment. Percussionist Stephen Ley and I have a blast working together. The day this show closed, the producer asked if I'd play with them again in December of 2023, and I quickly answered "yes!"
I've also been subbing around a lot of churches this year, saving up the money to go towards Jas's and my travel in 2023.
Household Happenings:
In early April, my granddaughter, who was 20 at the time, simultaneously lost her job and her apartment arrangement. When she called to ask if she could move in with us, I quickly said, "yes." It's been an absolute joy for me to have her around. After applying to jobs all summer long, in mid-September she finally found a server position at one of our local Perkin's Restaurants. And she turned 21 in mid-August.
Fiber Arts:
Baby blanket for dear Cleveland Orchestra Chorus friend Julie Cajigas's new daughter, Zoey. Link.
Many sample bags in preparation for commissioned bags for my cousin, Ken Case's wife, Diane, and her two sister the fabric is vintage yardage they purchased in Africa or India many years ago. Link to the test bags.
Two bags finished and delivered to Diane. Link.
For my partner's July birthday, I made him a man bag to carry on our summer travels, especially the cruise. Link.
I treated myself to an Intermediate Bag Making class with the brilliant Ellie Lum of Klum Bags in Portland. Here's what I made.
Exercising [Our Brains]:
When the NYTimes bought Wordle, we jumped on the bandwagon. Tyler and Jas and I play the puzzle every morning and share our results to a three-way group text. It helps us keep in touch across the miles.
Travel:
Finally, Covid felt manageable enough for us to travel.
Oops, while proofreading this post, I realized I forgot a quick trip home to Orlando during YSU's Spring Break. Here's the story.
As soon as the spring semester was finished, we flew from Cleveland into Dallas/Ft. Worth airport and rented a car for the five-hour drive to the Texas panhandle. My daughter-in-law, Leslie, had recently sold her in-town house in Amarillo, and she and Tyler and her daughter, Caroline, moved out to the family's ranch house, about half an hour southeast of Amarillo. This is the house where she and Tyler were married at Thanksgiving time in 2015. We wanted to see how they had made the house their own. The property sits on the edge of the Palo Duro Canyon, which is the second-largest canyon in the U.S., after the Grand Canyon, and we were excited to have the opportunity to hike into the canyon. Much of the canyon land is privately owned, so we were able to hike at will in the area that belongs to the Stephens/Williams family.
After four days with the family, we headed back to D/FW and spent two nights with my elder son, Scott (who goes by T.J., but will always be Scott to the family). He lives in Lewisville and works from home as a specialist in computer network routing. Our time with him is usually spent attending his hockey games. He plays in several "beer league" teams. He's been playing hockey for about nine years and recently scored his 50th career goal.
About six weeks later, we drove to Interlochen, MI, the home of Interlochen Arts Camp and Interlochen Arts Academy, where Leslie and Tyler met and from which they graduated in 1996 and 1994, respectively. She teaches dance every summer at Interlochen Arts Camp, and hopes to teach there year-round as soon as a permanent contemporary dance position opens up. They saw a lakefront house this summer, with which they fell in love. They were able to purchase the house, closing on September 1, before heading back to Amarillo for the fall semester, where she has been teaching for years at West Texas A&M University. Their initial plan was to rent the house out and let it pay for itself until they could relocate from Texas to Michigan.
The actual purpose of this trip for Jas and myself was to attend a performance by Bonnie Raitt at Interlochen Arts Festival, a summer-long series of concerts in all genres. But as long as we were driving 7½ hours to see Bonnie, we made the trip last long enough to visit our Youngstown nextdoor neighbors at their summer house on Torch Lake, and to spend time with Tyler and Leslie.
During the fall semester, Leslie learned that her summer teaching partner was pregnant and would be taking maternity leave, so she gave her notice at West Texas, and she and Tyler (who works remotely as a programmer manager) and Caroline packed up everything and moved to Interlochen during Thanksgiving week. I now receive beautiful pictures of the view of Bronson Lake from their bedroom windows most mornings.
In mid-summer, our travel pals suggested we go on a cruise from Boston to Montreal. I had never visited Montreal, and jumped at the chance. We like the Holland America way of cruising, and we always have fun together, so on August 26, we flew from Cleveland to Boston, boarded the Holland America Zaandam on Saturday, August 27, and disembarked in Montreal seven days later.
If you're interested in the long story and the pictures, this link will take you there.
In early October, I took two nights off from "Godspell" and drove to Detroit to spend the night in a hotel near the airport. My late husband's son, Chris Ross, flew from San Diego and met me at the hotel. The next morning we got an early start and drove from Detroit to Interlochen, where we met his daughter, Elise, at noon and spent Interlochen Family Weekend with her. Elise is a senior piano performance major in her second year at Interlochen Arts Academy. We can't wait to learn what she decides to do with her education next year—what university or conservatory will capture her interest? She's an amazing young woman with a bright future ahead.
I thought I had a reservation for one of the cabins on the Interlochen campus, but when we walked into Stone Hotel to get our cabin keys, the desk clerk said she didn't have a reservation for me. I spent about ten minutes trying to quell my panic (one NEVER goes to parents weekend or graduation without a hotel reservation!), then texted Tyler and asked if we could stay in his unfurnished house. He quickly said it would be fine. Chris spent the afternoon attending Elise's classes with her while I drove to Menard's to buy a couple of inflatable mattresses, sheets, blankets, and a few other necessities to get us through the weekend. I didn't mind spending the money, as I knew Tyler and Leslie would use all these items as soon as they arrived. Chris and I had a blast all weekend, and we were able to take Elise and a friend out to dinner and bowling.
All I can think whenever I'm around Elise is how sad it is that her grandfather never got to meet her, and how proud he would have been of her musical talents and accomplishments.
My half-sister moved to Mount Pleasant, SC, about six months into the pandemic, to join her granddaughter and precious young great-granddaughters there. Immediately after my Christmas show at Area Community Theatre of Sharpsville closed, I hopped into the car and began driving toward Mount Pleasant to spend a few days with Debbie. I got as far as Morgantown, WV, that night. The next morning, Monday, I was out of the hotel by 8:30 and arrived at Debbie's house at 6:30. We spent 20 minutes basking in seeing each other after an absence of two years. Then I drove to her granddaughter Casey's house four miles away, where I would spend two nights. Debbie and I spent Tuesday together, catching up. Then we drove back to Casey's for a family dnner. I had planned to leave Wednesday afternoon, but the more I looked at the weather, the more concerned I got with the weather system that was coming up from the south. So at 10:30 in the morning, I hugged Debbie good-bye and took off. I was able to get to Marietta, OH, by about 6:00, and left in the morning as soon as the sun rose. After a stop in Akron to visit Wild Birds Unlimited to stock up on seed, I made it home by noon, just before the rain started. Talk about a whirlwind trip!
For 2023, we have two cruises planned. The first, to the Eastern Caribbean, will begin this week. Yea—sunshine and warm weather!
Extreme Sadness:
The detail about our Texas trip that I neglected to mention was the plan, on our way from Amarillo back to Lewisville, to stop in Denton, the home of University of North Texas, to visit my dear friend and former student, Sierra McCorvey. I had been Sierra's accompanist several times throughout her time at Youngstown State University, where she received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in vocal performance. She not only had an incredible voice, but she was the nicest and most loving person one could ever meet. Every young person she ever taught, every church member who listened to her sing, every professor or university colleague with whom she ever worked—everyone loved Sierra and considered her one of their best friends. That's how she made you feel.
We texted frequently once she moved to Denton and started her doctoral program. We had plans to meet for coffee on the afternoon of May 20. But on May 10, while kayaking on a large nearby lake, a ferocious storm blew up and she lost control of her kayak. When she didn't show up for work the next morning, her boss became very concerned. Her father immediately flew to Texas, and shortly thereafter her body was recovered.
Her death was a great loss to everyone who knew her. To meet her and hear her sing, you knew she had a fabulous career ahead, in whatever direction she wanted it to go. She blessed us all with her presence in our lives.
And the Last Word
Oh, yeah, and I got Covid. The whole story is in the cruise from Boston to Montreal travelogue. I got sick on August 8, nineteen days before we were to sail. I tested negative again on August 17. I didn't know whether I would be able to board the ship until the day I boarded the ship!!! I didn't pack until the day before we were leaving to drive to Cleveland and fly to Boston. Quelle nightmare (to quote one of my favorite movies).
Happy New Year to you and yours. May you be healthy, happy, and wise in 2023. And may I never see another semester like the one I just lived through.
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