A Hero Comes to Town

Dr. James Jordan, Senior Conductor at Westminster Choir College, of Ryder University in Princeton, will be directing our All-State Choir this year. Dr. Jordan is one of those who inspired the changes I made in myself a few years back while in graduate school. I quoted him in my Master's paper. He is the author of The Musician's Soul, The Musicians' Spirit, and The Musician's Walk, a trio of books that he claims are not really meant to be a trilogy, but have guided and comforted me and my colleagues for several years now.

    

My oldest daughter is representing our school as a soprano in that choir, along with three other students who are the first to go to All-State from our school in over 15 years. I am more excited about watching Dr. Jordan work with the students than they are to sing in the choir. I am also a bit jealous, because I never got to sing with him. 

   

When I was in High School, one of my directors auditioned for the position Dr. Jordan now holds, but was turned down because he did not have his Master's degree. He was an amazing director. I am not saying that Dr. Jordan should not be where he is by any means, but that he is there because he is amazinger! (Yes, I know that's not a word, I'm just having fun)

   

For my siblings out there who are musically minded, I wholly recommend Dr. Jordan's books, which can be purchased online, published by GIA. If you are not fully immersed in the world of choral music, some parts of the books will not be understood, but they are truly wonderful works.

    

I know I sound like an info-mercial host right now, so I will not continue, but I am still more excited than words can completely express!