You've been at UChicago since 2005. What does a typical week look like for you, if there is a typical week?
A typical week includes rehearsals or performances on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I schedule meetings on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. In between those times I work on maintaining the library, concert programs, and planning programming for future concerts. With a service every Sunday at Rockefeller Chapel, there is essentially a printed program of some kind every week.
The Autumn Quarter is especially intense, with auditions and first rehearsals happening within days of each other, followed by Handel’s Messiah and the Christmas Eve service just a few weeks later. Both of these events are our most widely-attended events. I have gotten used to the pace, but it is always a challenge.
What else do you do during a given week besides your role at UChicago?
I am a father, husband, composer, and avid gardener.
Do you have any upcoming performances or projects that you are particularly excited about?
I am looking forward to the collaboration on Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem with departmental choirs and the University Symphony Orchestra. It is a very timely piece and one of my favorites. It is a rare example of the choir and orchestra having equally compelling music throughout.
What are you reading right now?
I am in between books at the moment. I just finished Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain.
What do you do to create a healthy work life balance?
I like to garden. I grow mostly vegetables and enjoy canning homemade jams and freezing salsa. We also tend a few flower and landscape gardens.
I also enjoy spending time with my son, wife, and dog. As a family, we enjoy watching movies together and playing board games. I am a very active board gamer. I like a lot of Euro-style and Ameri-style games, as well as some co-op card games. The nuances of game design are interesting and at times inspiring to me.