Starting work as the new concertmaster of The Chattanooga Symphony & Opera (CSO) meant hitting the ground running. First order of business was to be a guest on CSO Music Director Kayoko Dan’s radio show, Chat Symphony Hour; which serves as a sincere connection to a community and a fun way to share musical ideas and interests with listeners.
Radio
When I found out that the radio station was a dedicated classical music radio station, I was inwardly doing jumps for joy. Maybe I’m biased, but since I grew up in a city with a fine classical music station that shaped my life as a musician and music lover, I’ve always believed that having a dedicated classical music radio station speaks volumes about a community and the surrounding region. Having friends in other regions that have lost their classical stations, I know it is something to be treasured and protected.
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Restaurants
One of the biggest treats about Chattanooga is the wide variety of dining options and it felt like my duty to hit several restaurants with my new friends and colleagues over the course of the week.
[dropcap]W[/dropcap]e started off with simplicity; a fun and casual environment was paramount. And being a fan of donuts, the obvious choice was Chattanooga’s Julie Darling Donuts. Just to be certain of quality control, I went there numerous times and recommend you do as well; and be sure to get a frequent donut punch card (although I do hope they get an app version in the near future).
The variety of donuts was overwhelming (in the best way possible) and the flavor choices were fun and creative. But what made this place more special than the typical donut shop is the fact that you can see the employees making the donuts!
Before ordering our donuts, we chatted a bit with the employees about the selection and about our concerts. I sat down with several of my CSO colleagues and friends to devour the ungodly amounts of sugar. While enjoying our treats, we chatted about everything from hiking and biking, (an area of specialty for principal bassoon, Eric Anderson, principal bassist, Taylor Brown, and section bassist James Stroup) to flute headjoints and influential teachers (courtesy of principal flute, Kristen Holritz).
Upon leaving, we decided this should be a monthly tradition; so we’re going to begin gathering a group of musicians orchestra to talk about everything fun and exciting in Chattanooga along with all of the related shop talk. Overall, Julie Darling Donuts is a great place to bond, share experiences, and enjoy a simple donut.
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[dropcap]L[/dropcap]ooking for a good casual lunch, a few CSO colleagues joined me at the River Street Deli. It was a rainy day and ended up being just the right choice.
The owner, Bruce, took my order. “Is your egg salad savory or sweet?” I asked. He responded with a confused look back so I clarified. “Does your egg salad have any sweet pickles or vinegar in it? I don’t like those in my egg salads.”
Bruce laughed and said, “Oh please, none of that stuff is in my egg salad, I’m from New York, and we do it the right way here. And let me also recommend the soup.” He had me at “oh please” and the soup and sandwich combo was in the works.
The result a marvelous egg salad sandwich and cup of artichoke tomato soup. My standpartner, acting assistant concertmaster, Adrienne Harmon, piccolo player Norma Anderson, and bassist Tim Pearson were along for this hole-in-the-wall style dining experience and everyone was equally satisfied with the lunch choice. The best way to describe the location is as a comfortable hang; we all agreed that it reminded us of delis we enjoyed in New York City or Chicago. Getting to know my new colleagues over a simple and delicious lunch on a rainy day was sheer perfection.
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[dropcap]B[/dropcap]ut what about a good burger place?! For that, WSMC radio host, Emily Kurlinski, took me to one of the hippest burger joints in Chattanooga: the Urban Stack Burger Lounge. Options are plentiful but just as important, the restaurant takes pride in where the meat comes from. Local, organic, grass fed, etc. were all part of this restaurant’s mission of making something that is more than just a fine burger.
And if you’re a vegetarian, the options are still ridiculously plentiful. The building has indoor and outdoor seating with an atmosphere instantly makes you feel hipper than you really might be. The building itself was the Southern Railway Baggage Building circa 1867, and is currently one of the most environmentally friendly buildings in Chattanooga. A good lunch on so many levels!
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Rhythms
Over the course of time visiting these restaurants and recording the radio programs, the CSO was amidst preparing some spectacularly complex pieces. Our first Masterworks concert was chocked full of invigorating 5/4 rhythms in Mars movement from Holst’s The Planets not to mention the very danceable rhythms in Copland’s Appalachian Spring.
While those works were standard fare for audiences, the amount of counting and focus needed to avoid falling victim to my own desires to feel the beat in 4/4 time and avoid playing in rests was a fun challenge.
If the first Masterworks concert was a 5k of concentration, the second Masterworks was a full blown marathon thanks to John Adams’ Chairman Dances. It’s a wonderful 10 minute piece where even the slightest lapse in concentration by individuals or sections can cascade into a full blown rhythmic catastrophe. I’m proud to say that my superb colleagues rose to the challenge took and the final product produced a riveting performance that the audience enjoyed thoroughly!
The final piece on that program was Copland’s Lincoln Portrait and although many of us on stage have played it multiple times, it is another piece that can suffer from a momentary slip in attention. Listening to Chattanooga Mayor Andy Burke speak eloquently yielded a very meaningful performance for the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
These connections were so much fun; getting to meet the local business owners and spend time with colleagues is a genuine treat. As the next concert set approaches, I’m already excited to add a few new connections and enjoy a few more of Chattanooga’s fantastic businesses! Stay tuned…
I grew up in Chattanooga and actually took flute lessons from Norma for close to ten years! Something really fun to do is to walk/drive around downtown and try and find all of the brick sculptures, or just walk around and see the really impressive collection of public art they have downtown.
Thanks for the recommendation! I love how this city uses art so publicly!