Stacy Horn

The other day, while getting ready to face the most impossible-to-please critics in New York City (people on the street) I realized, I need a haircut. But haircuts are so expensive and five minutes into thinking about how to get an affordable but great haircut my brain just shutdown. Screw it. It’s an unsolvable problem. I quit. Go write another book. That’s more do-able.

So last night, at the benefit for my choir, the Choral Society of Grace Church, I just went with “hair up.” It works. Here are some of us on the roof of the lovely Tribeca penthouse where the party was held. (It sounds like I live such a fabulous life, doesn’t it? In truth, I watch a lot of tv.)

After taking that shot I walked around to the other side of the table, pointed my camera up and took this. Can you believe this? This is someone’s view. They can take their coffee up to the roof, sit down, and gaze upon this.

Later, the mind-blowing pianist Jeremy Denk performed for us—and just how did we luck out and get the not-quite-human Jeremy Denk to play for our benefit? (Not-quite-human because really, what human can play this well?) Thank you Jeremy Denk for agreeing to do it, and thank you for visiting our planet.

I have a short video of some of his playing, but before I get to that, we had a raffle. I won something! Guess what I won. Come on. GUESS. The answer after the photo.

A haircut!! Seriously. I won a haircut at the salon of the amazingly talented fellow choir member Lisa Fiorentino. Thank you, universe! Thank you Lisa for donating this raffle prize!

And now, for the other-worldly beauty of Jeremy Denk and Robert Schumann (thank you to whoever approached Denk and made this happen).

I made a list!! (I always credit Hart Hanson, the creator and producer of one of my favorite shows, Bones, for the phrase “I made a list!” I first saw it in his tweets.)

But my book Imperfect Harmony made the July 2013 Indie Next List!!

“Listening to choral music has always been moving for me, but I never realized the profound emotions felt by the chorus members. In this delightful, charmingly self-effacing memoir, Horn explains how singing with the Choral Society of New York’s Grace Church has been life-affirming, and even life-saving. Drawing on the reflections of other singers, composers of choral music, and scientific evidence, as well as her own experience, Horn beautifully puts into words the joy of singing in harmony with others. Any lover of choral music will love this book!” —Samantha Flynn, Quail Ridge Books & Music, Raleigh, NC

Thank you Samanta Flynn and the Indie Next List selectors!! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the vote of confidence. Thank you.

One of the tables at the recent street fair on Perry Street. Sad or scary dolls. You decide.

A friend pointed me to Every Noise at Once. Someone created this so anyone can explore a kazillion genres of music [I counted, it’s exactly a kazillion], and from all time it looks like. Someone is Glenn McDonald, I see. I started with Renaissance, and it played something by Purcell, but then if you click on the arrow, it explodes into this packed page of more choices of composers from this period. Oh, and contemporary performers of music from this period.

That’s just what I hit first. If you look at the main page there are so many genres to choose from—if you’re like me there are tons you’ve never even heard of. It’s an insane amount of work for what, the sheer love of it? Ah, I see McDonald works for The Echo Nest, “The Echo Nest is the world’s leading music intelligence company.” Jesus. The world is getting so much better. Some things are getting better more quickly than others obviously. And sadly.

But the fact that things like this are someone’s job though, is definitely in the world-is-getting-better category. Thank you Glenn McDonald, this is GREAT.

I passed by a couple of shoots in the Meatpacking District the other day.

At least, I think this one below was for a shoot. The platform this car was on was so wobbly I practically had an anxiety attack watching them. You could see it sway back and forth. I just got out of there.

Last night I watched the movie Warm Bodies, and I am just stunned I haven’t heard a lot more about this movie. I felt so good by the end of the movie it was like I had just won something really fun, like a bazillion dollars and a puppy. A trip around the world and the perfect haircut.

Why wasn’t everyone talking about this when it was at the movies?? First, it was seriously funny. I don’t want to give examples because I don’t want to take away one laugh, one unexpected moment of pleasure from anyone. Oh god, there are two jokes in particular I’m just dying to share. One of which came from Rob Corddry. Oh Rob Corddry. Can I just … have him? Rob Corddry please be my zombie best friend. Both he and Nicholas Hoult, who was the zombie main character, deserve a special Oscar for portraying such believable emotion while only being able to grunt for much of the film. This has to be seen to be believed.

Just go. Just … just go. Okay? Go. I was going to say more but I don’t want to give anything away. It’s a lovely film. It’s filled with heart, humor, charm. Having a bad day? GO. Having a good day and want that good day to be even better. Go. Oh wait, I guess at this point I should say: rent.

I walked through a street fair a block from me on Perry Street and guess who was everyone’s favorite fair-attraction? This little guy. Want to feel as good as man in the picture? Rent Warm Bodies—the best zombie feel-good movie you’ll see all year.

It’s official! I am a member of the Virtual Choir 4. I submitted my video last night. Quick backstory for the uninitiated: the Virtual Choir 4 was created by composer Eric Whitacre. Singers from all around the world submit videos of themselves singing their part of a piece of Whitacre’s choral music, and those are later edited together into the final piece/video.

It took seven versions before I made a video that was acceptable. Two were never saved due to issues on the VC4 server end, I went flat at one point in three of them (only a tiny bit) my cat meowed in another (thought I put him in the bedroom) and the vase that was holding up my “background” (a blanket) crashed and smashed to pieces in another. I’m not telling which one I went with. Okay, it’s the one with the surprise guest star.

As you can see from the picture of my recording set-up below, I have my priorities straight. It’s not how I sound but how I look. Actually, because I was so self-conscious about how I looked my singing is kinda tense. I sound better when I’m more relaxed.

If you want participate now is the time. The deadline is June 10th. The great thing about VC4 is we don’t have to wait long for the result. The Virtual Choir 4 is going to part of the Coronation Festival at Buckingham Palace in July, so JULY. Next month! The Queen! If you have special equipment like external mics and cameras, fantastic, but you can just use your laptop as I did. Do it!! I’m telling you, it feels great. You’re going to be ecstatic when you’re done.