In the Spotlight—The Influence of Derrick Skye

Last month, forty Sacramento Country Day students, family members, and faculty participated in a Q&A session and choral workshop with composer, conductor, and musician, Derrick Skye, at the invitation of our Choir Director, Kamilyn Davis. 

Derrick Skye's music integrates practices from different cultural traditions around the world into his works. Skye passionately believes in music as a doorway into understanding other cultures and different ways of living, and through learning the music of other cultures, the opportunity for dialogue rather than conflict between strangers is opened, and our society can become one with less conflict due to cultural misunderstanding. What a beautiful match to our Country Day vision and values, and his presence during that workshop had an incredible impact on our students. We are so thankful for the opportunity to have him visit us in between trips to London, where the BBC Orchestra is playing his music, and New York City, where he recently conducted at Madison Square Garden.

After this inspirational day, our Middle and High School combined choir performed one of Skye's works, Glimpse Elation, in the Sonoma Invitational Choral Festival held at Sonoma State University. Country Day choirs also performed Homeward Bound by Marta Keen, conducted by Country Day senior Liam Kaschner, accompanied by Kamilyn Davis and featuring soloist Julian Ott, a Country Day 7th grade student.