This has been a challenging couple of years. On a sabbatical last spring, I discovered that I have carpal tunnel in both writsts. This has not been overly detrimental to my playing, but it did mean scaling back my next recording from my ambitious plan to record Bach's Violin Partita in D minor on the archlute. I'm hoping to finish my recording this spring, as most of it is "in the can". I will probably substitute some Renaissance Lute hits instead of Bach, to lessen the stress of recording. I am pretty sure this repetitive stress arose from typing rather than my lute playing, and I am learning to take care of myself, relying on some of the late Pat O'Brien's teachings.
In 2023, Trefoil performed its last concert at Univ. of PA. I'm thankful for over twenty years of musical friendship with Drew Minter and Marcia Young, with whom I was lucky enough to spend many hours immersed in the ars subtilior repertoire. I'm looking forward to sharing my knoweldge of and passion for medieval music this summer at the Amherst Early Music Festival.
This year I have some great concerts coming up with Piffaro (on tour in February and in Philadelphia in March), a couple of exciting local projects with Sarah Cunningham and Karen Decker, and a concert with Severall Friends at the Berkeley Early Music Festival. I'm especially looking forward to another go at "Sit Fast" on tenor viol with Mary and Shira Kammen in that concert.
As a teacher, I'm immersed in the teaching of counterpoint once again, and have been composing my own Renaissance and Baroque fantasies, preludes and fugues in 16th and 18th century style. It's more of a pastime than something I intend to publish, but it is life-affirming and incredibly rewarding to be able to share my enthusiasm and long experience with these techniques with my students at WCU.
Finally, I am pleased to be an elected board member of The Lute Society of America, and to serve as President. I have wanted to become involved and am attending my first (I know...) Lutefest this summer. It's about time!