Hannah’s prodigious musical talent was obvious from the day she enrolled in United Choir School (UCS) at age 11. She had perfect pitch, an excellent sense of rhythm, and an innate musicality that set her apart from the crowd. She quickly rose through the ranks of UCS, earning a spot in the most advanced division of the Elm City Girls’ Choir (ECGC) after just two years. As a member of that rigorous ensemble, she got to perform complex works by composers like Krzysztof Penderecki and Augusta Read Thomas; but, in truth, she had little difficulty learning even the most sophisticated repertoire, given her brilliant mind and “ears of steel.”

What did turn out to be a formidable challenge for Hannah was stepping onto the podium to conduct her peers long before she was old enough to get a driver’s license. Suddenly the set of skills that she had so handily mastered as a singer were insufficient for the tasks at hand, and she found herself at the beginning of Continue reading →