Choral Singing
I love choral singing, especially in smaller groups. Until I left Madison in 2019, I was active with two marvelous groups there, the Madison Chamber Choir and the Isthmus Vocal Ensemble, both of which host selections from our concerts on their websites.
The Isthmus Vocal Ensemble also has two commercial recordings (in which I was a singer) for sale. The first is a recording of the choir performing Andrew Rindfleisch’s Choral Works released in 2006, and the second is a recording of Christmas music made during two 2010 performances at Luther Memorial Church in Madison, Wisconsin, and at Zion Lutheran Church in Wausau, Wisconsin.
Since relocating to California, I have been fortunate to sing with two wonderful choirs in the Bay Area: the San Francisco Bach Choir and Cantiamo Sonoma.
Land Stewardship & Gardening
In my work as a land steward, I have relied heavily on information gleaned from excellent workshops at The Woodland School within the Aldo Leopold Foundation and from conferences of The Prairie Enthusiasts.
I am often accompanied in my work outdoors by my dog Lucy.
I have recently become a regular volunteer at the Harvest for the Hungry Garden in Santa Rosa, California, an organic vegetable garden that donates all produce to local food pantries.
Art
My family is full of artists. The two I’m closest to—and whose work I encourage you to check out—are my sister Betty K. Hayzlett, a fiber artist, and my daughter Caroline Carlsmith.
My interest in inter-arts collaborations is reflected in my having organized the collaboration among visual artist Emily Arthur, mycologist Anne Pringle, poet Forrest Gander, myself, and UW Madison graduate students in the visual arts, botany, and literature that began in 2017 and came to be called “Twice Alive.” “Twice Alive” produced an art exhibit and, with Emily Arthur in the lead, is working on an artist’s book. Gander’s 2021 poetry collection is Twice Alive.
