A smart conductor — he brought 2 batons, in case one blows away!
Rehearsal on Monday
My crystal ball still has not arrived from Amazon, but it doesn’t look good. If White Plains closes their schools on Monday, our rehearsal is toast. And if that happens, it’s likely that it will not be safe for anyone to be on the roads Monday night.
It’s not good to call a rehearsal before the storm even starts, so I’m putting off the official call until tomorrow afternoon. I will ask our board to confer with me to make the decision — which at that point might be a fait accompli — but I think it’s best, just in case this massive storm turns out to be a dud.
Please check your email again tomorrow afternoon. I will also post the news in the #cancellations-delays channel on the WSW Members workspace on Slack.
In the meantime, I will work on a Plan B rehearsal plan for Monday, February 2 and Wednesday, February 4. It is possible and likely that these will both end up being working rehearsals, foregoing a formal dress rehearsal run-through on Wednesday.
Some good news
The sutures came out on Wednesday! My surgeon has cleared me to conduct in two stages: with my right hand only for two weeks, and then both hands thereafter. So expect to see me conducting with reckless abandon on February 4. I want to express my thanks again to Jessica Stein-Natale, Jasmine Britt, Alex Gray, and Devon Toland for their dedication and musicianship during the rehearsals when I could not conduct in January.
Excelsior Symphony concert – Saturday, February 7 at 3:00 pm
The Excelsior Symphony (formerly the St. Thomas Orchestra) is performing the day before our own concert at the Hackley School in Tarrytown, in their beautiful new performing arts center, Diller Hall. As part of the concert, they will be honoring the life and legacy of Bill Eckfeld, former conductor and orchestra director at White Plains High School, who passed on January 17. I recommend attending if you are available.
Weathering the storm
Stay tuned. Stay warm. And please stay safe.