Author: Jan Clayton

2023 SVCreates Grant Photos

Jan Clayton Uncategorized

Enclosed are a few photos from our 2022 Summer Conducting Lab. The lab consisted of six 2-hour sessions in July 2022. Fifteen conductors-in-training and approximately 70 singers participated in the program last summer. Extremely experienced conducting instructors work directly with the conductors-in-training. This program is produced by Resounding Achord Productions in partnership with San José State University and their Three Summer Master’s Program in Music Education.


 

Jubilation

Jan Clayton Archived Concerts
Jubilation

Celebrating Our Future

Jubilation / joobə’lāSH(ə)n/ noun a feeling of great happiness and triumph

For the closing concert of our Season of Celebration, we look toward our future and the next 10 years of Resounding Achord Productions. Join Resounding Achord and Pariter in San Jose or Los Altos for a program that features works by Susan LaBarr, Orlando Gibbons, and Carlos Cordero with a brand new commissioned work by Kendrick Huynh in honor of our 10th season. A happy triumph, indeed!

May 13, 2023, 7:30 pm
St Francis Episcopal Church
1205 Pine Ave, San Jose, CA 95125, USA
May 14, 2023, 4:00 pm
Los Altos United Methodist Church
655 Magdalena Ave, Los Altos, CA 94024, USA

Summer Conducting Lab Choir

Jan Clayton Concerts, Outreach
Summer Conducting Lab Choir

Need a place to sing when your choir is off for the summer?
We have the perfect gig for you.

The Summer Conducting Lab gives conductors-in-training an opportunity to work with a choir in a rehearsal setting, gaining valuable podium time and real-time feedback. During the 2-hour sessions, 3-5 conductors work with the all-volunteer choir, made up of singers from all over the Silicon Valley. Dr. Jeffrey Benson and Kristina Nakagawa provide feedback to the conductors both during the session and afterward in private communication.

What else is great about the Summer Conducting Lab?

No audition.
No practicing.
No cost.
No pressure.
No commitment.

Just show up, sing, and have fun.

Resounding Achord provides music for all participants. About 20 pieces are selected each year that represent different styles, musical eras, and difficulties. About 25-30% of the music changes each year so that there is sufficient variety for returning singers and conductors.  It is a perfect opportunity to practice your sight-reading skills.

Session Dates for 2023

Monday and Wednesday nights, 7:30 – 9:30
July 10, 12, 17, 19, 31, & August 2

 

All sessions are located at:

St. Francis Episcopal Church
1205 Pine Ave, San José, CA
What do the lab choir singers like best?

“I loved getting to learn more about the insides of conducting!”“Making great music.””I loved being a part of a group of extremely skilled musicians; both the singers and directors!””The feedback given by Dr. Benson and Kristina Nakagawa and their effect on the conductor/choir were eye- (and ear-) opening for me as a singer.”
Click to Register as a Singer or Student Conductor

History of the Conducting Lab

We started the conducting lab in 2014 in conjunction with San Jose State University (SJSU) as part of their Three Summer Master’s Program in Music Education. The summer masters students are music educators, and many are conductors of community or school ensembles. The SJSU program offers advanced conducting instruction as part of its program; however, because the residency is held during the summer, there are no ensembles at SJSU for the students to conduct. Our lab provides a live conducting opportunity for the students.
Each year the program follows a basic framework:

  • There are typically six evening sessions — typically two evening sessions per week for a 3-week period.
  • Conductors sign up for one or more 20–40 minute conducting time slots and arrive prepared to conduct 1–3 pieces.
  • The conductors can either be members of SJSU’s Three Summer Master’s Program, regular-term students at SJSU, or community members who are seeking an opportunity to sharpen their conducting skills.
  • There is no participation fee for conductors or singers, and all music is lent to the conductors and singers free of charge for the program.
  • We invite and welcome singers of any age and any level to be part of the choir. They don’t have to make a commitment to show up for all or even most of the sessions, and singers do not need to practice.
  • Dr. Jeffrey Benson and Kristina Nakagawa give instruction and written feedback to the conductors.
“The Summer Lab Choir partnership between SJSU and Resounding Achord provides a tremendous opportunity for our SJSU Summer Masters students to gain much-needed experience in front of a choir. Thank you to RA for the amazing leadership in our field.” — Dr. Jeffrey Benson, SJSU
Summer# Student
Conductors		# Singers
Signed Up		Average #
Participants
Each Night
2015165226
2016158535
2017139244
20181410451
20191510249
2020———
2021144028
2022156535

Choral Cultural Exchange

Jan Clayton Outreach
Choral Cultural Exchange

Resounding Achord Productions’ mission is to create a thriving and welcoming artistic community through musical accessibility, community involvement, and educational outreach. Outreach, we feel, is critical to building our community, and we are constantly looking for new outreach avenues. One of our singing members came to us with an idea to create a program that brings together choral organizations from many different ethnic communities to share in a day of song, and we are excited to bring her idea to life.

Resounding Achord Productions will perform with 3-4 choirs from diverse ethnic backgrounds for this event. Each choir will share 10 minutes of music, and all choirs will combine for at least one piece as the concert finale. The choirs will have social time available during the day to share their musical and cultural interests.

Friends and family members of the choirs are welcome to attend the performance — their admission is free. Donations are gratefully accepted to help offset the cost of the event. Preregistration of general audience members is requested.

When: March 18, 2023
3:00 pm performance

Location: St. Francis Episcopal Church, 1205 Pine Avenue, San Jose, CA

 

Carols & Cocoa

Jan Clayton Archived Concerts
Carols & Cocoa

Join us for all the warm and cozy feelings as we get into the holiday spirit while also celebrating what makes us special: our beloved community! This fan-favorite event will include holiday choral favorites voted on by our audiences from Resounding Achord, along with sets of music from Pariter and special guests Chromatic Convergence.

While you’re there, grab a cookie and a cup of hot cocoa, take a family picture in our holiday photo booth, and be delighted with songs of the season.

Date: Sunday, December 18th, 3:00 pm
Location: St. Francis Episcopal Church, 1205 Pine Avenue, San José, CA

Couldn’t make it to San Jose? Watch the concert at https://youtu.be/VuLZ3CX6YQg.

10th Anniversary Concert

Jan Clayton Archived Concerts
10th Anniversary Concert

Resounding Achord Productions is turning 10! This special event featured both Resounding Achord and Pariter. It raised funds for our honor choir scholarship programs. It featured music selected by our singers and community members from past concert programs. A wine and dessert reception immediately followed the performance.

Date: October 22, 2022, 7:00 pm
Location: St. Francis Episcopal Church, 1205 Pine Avenue, San Jose, CA

 

Chromatic Convergence Showcase

Jan Clayton Archived Concerts
Chromatic Convergence Showcase

Come see Chromatic Convergence and Resounding Achord Productions’s own Pariter in this choral music showcase from many different backgrounds: Pop and R&B to Barbershop and Folk music.

Selections include Fly Me To The Moon by Frank Sinatra, Underneath the Stars by Mariah Carey, and It’s All Coming Back to Me Now by Celine Dion. We hope you can take some time on Fathers Day to join us for this showcase of Bay Area vocal talent.

Date:        Sunday, June 19, 2022, 1:30 to 3:00 pm

Location: All Saints Episcopal Church, 555 Waverly Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301

Cost:        Free ($10 suggested donation)

Pre-registration is not required; tickets will be available the day of the concert at the venue.

COVID Mitigation Procedures:

Face masks will be required for audience members at all times. Vaccination and boosters against Covid-19 are strongly encouraged, but not required for entry.  All singers will be masked.

For the Earth

Jan Clayton Archived Concerts
For the Earth


For the Earth celebrates the gifts that our natural world provides to us, and encourages our entire community to think critically about what we can do to preserve the environment and combat climate change through music.

Resounding Achord and Pariter will join together for a program that includes classic works by Johannes Brahms, Randall Thompson, Lili Boulanger, and Orlando di Lasso paired with contemporary pieces by Andrea Ramsey, Joshua Shank, Reena Esmail, Marques L.A. Garrett, and Larry Farrow.

We are excited to partner with the Action for the Climate Emergency to spotlight the amazing work that they do to educate about the dangers of climate change and help people to stand up and say #NowOrNever to our nation’s elected officials and corporations.

When: June 5, 2022, 3:00 pm
Location: St. Francis Episcopal Church, 1205 Pine Avenue, San Jose, CA

12th Annual For Love Benefit Concert

Jan Clayton Archived Concerts
12th Annual For Love Benefit Concert

Resounding Achord is once again honored to perform in the For Love benefit concert for Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence (NDS).  NDS is the premier domestic violence agency in Santa Clara County. It is the only stand-alone domestic violence agency and the largest provider of these services. Since 1971, NDS has helped thousands of survivors and families move out of crisis and violence and into safety, stability, and self-sufficiency.

Resounding Achord will be joined by:

  • Orchard City Community Chorus
  • San Jose Military Veteran’s Chorus
  • Rainbow Women’s Chorus
  • Serendipity

Date: March 18, 2022, 7:30 pm
Location: Livestreamed only

More information soon. All concert proceeds are donated to Next Door Solutions.​​​​​​

Holidays in the Hall

Jan Clayton Archived Concerts
Holidays in the Hall

Holidays in the Hall is a lighthearted program filled with holiday favorites and a carol sing-along. Resounding Achord is the primary choir singing at this event, but a special guest ensemble, Chromatic Convergence, which offers a unique blend of contemporary a cappella and vocal jazz music, also participated

View this concert as our guest on YouTube.