Neo Classical – Holly Mulcahy on the future of classical music

Why Is The Timpani Player Smelling His Drums and seven other awesome questions from the audience

Mon, May 11, 2015

by:

Holly Mulcahy

After publishing the articles What to Wear to the Symphony and When to Clap at the Symphony, there were a flood of comments questioning why these topics were even relevant. For When to Clap, there were comments saying, “Whatever! Everyone already knows this!” And for What to Wear, “Wear what you want. End of discussion.” But it’s not the end of the discussion and not everyone knows this! Of the many reasons I wrote those two articles, one of them was the enormous volume of search terms that kept coming up when … Continue Reading

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When To Clap At The Symphony: A Guideline

Mon, Apr 6, 2015

by:

Holly Mulcahy

One of the most popular debates about orchestra concerts is when to clap. There are two types of clapping experts; one that assures you that clapping between movements is ok and that there are really no rules and the expert that says only to clap when the piece is completely finished. Ironically, both types of experts have historical and/or traditional elements and facts that can justify their beliefs. But instead of arguing what is best and why, I wanted to share some general guidelines I’ve observed both from the stage and as … Continue Reading

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Risk and a Big Reward

Mon, Mar 30, 2015

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Holly Mulcahy

You can almost always tell when an orchestra programs music out of fear. The urgency and desperation to sell tickets to most familiar works often dictates a season. The understandable but predictable reasons are: fear of losing patrons, fear of offending newcomers, fear of turning away people, and fear of the unknown. But sometimes the opposite effect happens and people get a “been there, done that” attitude and tickets don’t sell as well. When it came time to pick my first concerto with my relatively new concertmaster position in the Chattanooga Symphony … Continue Reading

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What If Program Notes Were Written By Kids?

Thu, Mar 5, 2015

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Holly Mulcahy

Somewhere between our childhood and our adulthood we gain a sense of adventure with the foods we try. No longer are we held hostage by the “no thank you” bite. Now we actively seek new flavors, new ways to cook exotic ingredients, and new variations on old classics. Can you enhance duck confit with sriracha, or how about an avocado butter cream frosting on that blood orange pound cake?* But the tradeoff for adults seems to be our cultural intake. Many of us lose the desire to experience new art, to explore … Continue Reading

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Concerto in Cocktail Form

Wed, Feb 11, 2015

by:

Holly Mulcahy

What does a concerto taste like? Several months ago, during a post-concert cocktail gathering with members of my orchestra, audience, board, and staff, I began talking with one of the bartenders and wondered aloud if he thought he could capture the essence of a violin concerto in a cocktail. My goal was to offer the cocktail as a device to explain, entice, and invite people to listen to a newer violin work with an open mind and heart. A cocktail like this is really a drinkable metaphor for how to approach the … Continue Reading

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