"California Girls" Tour: Day 6

There is a common thread on this tour, and it is that we wake up early. For good reason too. Most days, we are driving long distances, and the sooner we get going, the more likely we are to beat traffic and travel quickly. Today, however, we had to face Los Angeles traffic--the worst of them all. From Santa Barbara to Los Angeles, we drove by mountains and blue sky, while stuck in three hours worth of traffic.

Our gorgeous view from the bus

 Luckily, Dr. Graham factored in breathing room in our schedule, so when we finally arrived in Santa Monica, the choir bees had some down time to get lunch together and hang out on one of the most famous and idyllic beaches in the world. At about three in the afternoon, we got on the bus to visit Dr. Graham's old stomping grounds, USC, where she completed her thesis on music that originated in the Holocaust and received her Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts Degrees.

The Santa Monica Pier

After another stint in traffic, we eventually made it to Dr. Graham's alma mater, where we met esteemed members of the USC Thornton School of Music's faculty. In particular, we worked closely with Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe for hours to hone our consonants and our ability to sustain long lines throughout the songs with which we have been traveling. Needless to say, he was fantastic to work with, as he meticulously helped us improve. We are all are so thankful to Dr. Graham for giving us this opportunity!

The Choir at USC's chapel