The Happy Musician

Happy New Years Eve! Here’s a recap of my musical year. Comment below your thoughts!

Favorite Choir, Ensemble, Band, and Piano Songs of 2025 (Performed)

Choir and Ensemble

• Lux Aeterna From Missa – Stroope
• You Are Mine – Haas
• No Time – Brumfield
• Royal Hudson – Baker
• High Flight – Farnell
• Let Me Listen – Forrest (Favorite)
• And Can It Be? – Forrest
• Until I Reach My Home – Boyd
• Shout For Joy! – WDW Candlelight
• Rejoice With Exceeding Great Joy – WDW Candlelight
• Kuimba Nafsi Yangu – Narverud
• Kéramos – Mulholland

Band

• Foundry – Mackey (Favorite)
• A Walk in the Morning Sun – La Plante
• Take the “A” Train – Strayhorn

Piano

• The Great Smoky Mountains – Glover
• O Tannenbaum – Arr. Vince Guaraldi Trio
• Aquarium from “Carnival of the Animals” for Four Hands (Duet with my friend Lucy Lind) – Saint-Saëns (Favorite)

My Favorite Composers of This Year

• Kyle Pederson – Composed: Can We Sing the Darkness to Light?
• Eric Whitacre – Composed: Seal Lullaby
• Dan Forrest – Composed: Let Me Listen
• Z. Randall Stroope – Composed: Lux Aeterna From Missa

Directors I’ve Been Under This Year

• Dr. Jason Max Ferdinand – A wonderful clinician who cleaned our choir right up at All State 2025!
• Dr. Jeffery Redding – Full of inspirational messages; sing to inspire, not to impress!
• Mr. Breeze Kennedy – My amazing choir teacher, efficient and fun all year round!
• Don’t forget my awesome Candlelight director! I don’t know how to spell his name so I’m just going to put Chris C. Or was it K? I might never know… still, my appreciation goes out to him.

Achievements

• All State 2025 (Individual)
• All County 2025 (Individual)
• 2nd Place at National Competition (Ensemble)
• Disney’s Candlelight Processional (Choir)
• Sightreading Chorus at All State (for 2026) (Individual)
• 1st Place Ensemble and Choir at State Competition

Goals

• Practice some form of music at least five days a week (Trumpet, French Horn, Voice, Piano, etc.)
• Publish a choir song

I hope you had a great year! Comment below your favorite songs, directors, composers, or your musical achievements or goals (doesn’t have to be strictly formal concert!). See you next year!!! 🎉

❤️John 3:16 ❤️

Cover Photo by Jill Wellington