Haida Gwaii

I am the luckiest person alive (with some exceptions). Scarcely back from New York and I am now on a completely different type of adventure. My father is teaching a forest ecology class this week in Haida Gwaii and I am attending the class too. I am so excited not only to be here in Haida Gwaii, a group of islands praised for their majestic beauty, but to also learn about one of my favorite subjects: temperate rainforest ecosystems.

The islands are beautiful: they are frequently silhouetted against the pale sky and each landform is dramatic in its shape and texture. Some parts appear sharp and pointy from the thick forest, other parts look shaven, or slightly fuzzy like a five o’clock shadow. The shaved islands are clear-cuts.

So far, no rain, what type of rainforest is this?

 

Carnegie Hall!

Imagine singing in a place where a single chord echoes like the tone in a bell. Imagine playing the same piano as the best musicians of this century. Imagine, our little high school choir sang at the best-known and most mythical stage in North America.

So, how do you get to Carnegie hall?
Practice, Practice, or be a genius! – Well, in our case we had been practicing since the fall to understand the meaning behind our repertoire and to sing it with beauty and feeling.

The view from the stage was utterly magnificent. The trim was all done in gold leaf, which contrasted nicely with the cream walls. A circular crystal chandelier dominated the ceiling but I don’t think it actually gave much light. The experience was surreal; I felt like we were singing in another century. Because of the preparation, hype and mystic of the hall, I have never felt so connected to our music. Mr. Lee, our conductor, directed us with many eloquent pauses allowing our chords to ring out across the hall. In those pauses, we could hear ourselves sing. And the power! The acoustics there make you feel as if anything is possible—flight, calculus, or brilliant solos. Singing at Carnegie was a spectacular experience.