Postcard from Christabel Nunoo and Laney Armstrong
In SFGC’s Postcard series, our guest artists, collaborators, and faculty take us behind the scenes and share an intimate look into their thoughts about music, life, and art-making.
This postcard features Soprano Christabel Nunoo and SFGC Director of Choral Studies Laney Armstrong.
Christabel Nunoo is a first-generation Nigerian/Ghanaian American soprano and Oakland creative. She is currently exploring the intersections of healing and sound through the classical canon and creative storytelling in hopes to facilitate healing within her own community.
Dr. Laney Armstrong is a singer and conductor who has made choral music and education her life’s work. As a conductor and educator, Dr. Armstrong strives to cultivate a love of music in each singer through quality programming, building skills and musicianship, and devotion to the music and texts.
They discuss their approaches to music and art below.
Christabel Nunoo, Soprano
This year is SFGC’s first time returning to Davies in person since 2019. What part has music played in getting you through these past few years?
Music has played a crucial role in my life and especially in maintaining my mental health the last few years. I didn’t realize how much I had missed live music, so much so that one of my favorite pastimes became making themed playlists for me and my friends (one of which I named “Quarantine Dreams”). It’s amazing to experience live music again after not knowing when concerts would return and it’s a treat to be able to do so at Davies Symphony Hall.
This program celebrates music of strength, resistance, and hope and, in particular, the Spiritual. How has music played this role in your life?
Music from an early age was an outlet I used to channel and express deep emotions. There is so much emotional nuance within the genre of the negro spiritual and to be able to tap into the hummanity of it is one way I get to work through the emotions I experience, whether it’s feeling alone, or finding hope and joy in community. Music tells our stories in real time.
You co-host a podcast called Teachable Moments. What do you find meaningful about teaching others? Learning from others?
I think that we can often miss out on the small moments of learning in our day-to-day. I’ve found that most of the learning that has been really meaningful to me has happened outside of a classroom setting in really unexpected places and with the most seemingly random people. It reminds me that my experience is never singular. I like to think that whether or not you are intentionally trying to teach someone something, learning is inevitable because every experience has the power to shift your perspective. You just have to be open to it.
What advice can you give to our singers, that you wish you had gotten when you were their age?
Keep singing! Even when it gets hard and maybe not so fun anymore. If there’s something that brought you to the art form in the first place, that thing has the ability to take you really far if you trust it.
What has been the happiest accident of your career so far?
The happiest accidents are when I get the opportunity to perform alongside people that were integral to my learning as a child. As a member of The Young Musicians Choral Orchestra, formerly known as The Young Musicians Program, I sang in the junior chorus with Othello Jefferson as my conductor. Now, nearly 20 years later, I get the opportunity to sing on stage with him again which feels like such a full circle moment. You never know who you’ll end up in the same room with and when they happen to be your mentors, those are the happiest accidents.
What is your favorite thing about singing professionally? Least favorite?
My favorite thing about singing professionally is that I get paid to do what I love most in the world. Essentially, I get to play dress up, tell a story, and bring a piece of music to life. My least favorite thing is that you have to learn how to dodge sickness like the plague (no pun intended!).
What is your daily practice routine?
Daily practice always begins with warming up in the shower because who doesn't sound good in the shower!?
What inspires you about working with SFGC?
SF Girls Chorus is the most professional children’s chorus I have come across. These girls are passionate and talented beyond belief. They work hard and still manage to have fun and you can tell from the way they relate to one another. They are colleagues and friends and you can feel that when they sing together. They genuinely care about each other and that love and respect is palpable. I’m excited to be singing with them again, it’s always so much fun.
What are you excited to work on in the future? Give us a sneak peek!
I’m terrified of horror films but I’m excited to be in Opera Parallèle’s upcoming production of The Shining composed by Paul Moravec come June 2023. It’s sure to be a thriller so if you’re a fan of the Stephen King original definitely check it out!
Laney Armstrong, Director of Choral Studies
This year is SFGC’s first time returning to Davies in person since 2019. What part has music played in getting you through these past few years?
Honestly, it was painful to be without in-person music for so long. The joy of communing together through music has always been a part of my life, and making baby steps toward a return to normalcy has buoyed my soul.
Your dissertation focused on the folk music of Estonian composer Cyrillus Kreek. What do you find compelling about folk music?
I love that folk music belongs both to no one and everyone. We learn it in the most natural way possible–from our communities by using our voices and our ears–and we pass it on the same way. The songs have deep meaning because of their connection to our communities. Kreek was a composer whose music was infused with folk music, and he built his collection of folk songs through his students. They returned each school year with a new song they learned from a family member, and he recorded them and then used them in his compositions–sometimes subtly, but often outright.
You have spearheaded the educational effort of the chorus school this season regarding our program of Spirituals. How does this program speak to you?
I have loved these songs since I was a child, listening to Spirituals and gospel music on Sunday mornings. My father grew up in the AME Church in segregated Kansas City, and he brought these songs into our household. The rhythms, beats, and melodies feel like home to me. In my academic life, I have studied to understand more about how these songs came to be, what they mean, and how they are to be performed as concert music. Bringing this knowledge to children and this music to an audience is a way to continue a growth process for all of us, but also a way to continue the legacy of this great American genre. The program is powerful, joyful, and profound. I hope the audience enjoys hearing it as much as I have enjoyed having a part in preparing it.
What advice can you give to our singers, that you wish you had received when you were their age?
There are a wide variety of ways to continue to be a musician after life at SFGC, both professionally and non-professionally! Observe what other musicians do and ask questions about how they got there. There are so many ways to make music in the world! Find a way to keep it in your life in what ever way works for you.
What has been the happiest accident of your career so far?
Reaching out to Sharon Paul (former SFGC Artistic Director) for advice and ending up in her master’s program. Best email I ever sent!
Are there any composers whose music you feel especially connected to?
I am not a person with a lot of favorites, and I could name composers who I love. However, I have found that more than any particular piece of music, I love the creation of music even more. The process of creating something from nothing is thrilling. Every piece or composer I have a deep connection to is related to the process I had in rehearsing or creating art with that music.
You have been a part of SFGC in many capacities over the years. What does SFGC mean to you?
For me, SFGC is a place of perpetual learning and growth. SFCG was the place where I learned to love music, where I learned to sing, where I learned to be a musician. It was the place where I grew as a teacher and a conductor. Now it is a place where I think on a larger scale about a full program. Other than being a parent, this is the place I have experienced the most amount of growth. I hope that this organization continues to be a place of growth for all of our singers.
According to your experiences, how has SFGC changed as an organization since you were a chorister? Where do you see SFGC in the future?
This is a really hard question! I could name any number of things that are different about SFGC now, but I think the thing I love the most about this change is that it has happened! I see a wonderful willingness to change, adapt, and try new things, all while maintaining the things that make this organization what it is. That willingness to change and adapt will help SFGC continue to move into the future as a leader in performance and education.