It’s Time For ‘The Talk’

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I remember the day I received “The Talk”. At 15 years old, I was just starting to realize that I wanted to be a professional musician. After feeling the thrill of youth orchestras and the exhilaration of summer music festivals, it was evident to me that this is how I wanted to spend my life. I informed my violin teacher that I wanted to audition for a music conservatory and then spend my life in either the Boston Symphony or maybe Chicago. I told him that “I’d like to be concertmaster” and … Continue Reading

‘Dress Codes Suck’…Or Do They?

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A few years ago, I was preparing a costume to wear for my orchestra’s “Halloween Pops Extravaganza.” The musicians were asked to wear a festive, yet family friendly, costume to perform in. We were encouraged to be creative as there would be a contest where the audience would pick the best costume and the winner would receive a Barns and Noble gift card. If a musician chose not to wear a costume, they had to wear the contractually mandated “dress black.”

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Adults Only!

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Along with the beginning of their regular performance series, many orchestras are launching their educational activities. Among the most common educational efforts are having the orchestra travel to local schools to perform what are commonly referred to as in-school concerts. This is something I have experienced on both ends. When I was in second or third grade, my school took a trip to see the Denver Symphony in Boettcher Concert Hall.

Sadly, the concert was barely memorable for me. I do remember the permission slips being handed out by our general music teacher as well as thinking, “Oh great! We’re going to get an afternoon of magic!” I thought we were going to go see a magic show because I misunderstood the teacher; so when she said “musicians” I heard “magicians.” Darn! So when I sat down in my seat and watched the orchestra filter on stage, I was disappointed.

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A Better Way To Think About Symphonic Garbage

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Maybe it was the title of the article that caught my attention: “Rubbish Concert to Boost Recycling”, or maybe it was the accompanying picture of a musician in a tux playing a mannequin leg as if it were a cello. Either way, the article piqued my curiosity and got my hopes up that it might feature a new way the musical world was now becoming “Eco Chic”; alas, this was not necessarily the case. Instead, this article covered how the London Philharmonic musicians were giving a concert to raise awareness for recycling. … Continue Reading

“Keeping The Cows Happy”

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This isn’t the article I had prepared to publish this month but a recent event has compelled me to post this article now, before the summer season is over. Performing as a violinist in the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra for the past seven years has allowed me to encounter the most interesting listener. He drives 85 miles, one-way, along with his enormous black lab from Pinedale, WY purely to experience our live symphony concerts.

Dressed in denim and plaid shirts this seemingly ageless man, a real-life cowboy, follows a well worn routine: after arriving at the hall he sets out a bowl of water and a thick blanket for his dog, secures the dog’s leash, and then patiently waits for the doors to open so he can take his seat. During intermission, he checks on his dog and talks with the players who are able to get outside. I have never known a listener quite like him. The devotion this man shows with his four-hour round trip drive to hear us perform is particularly touching.

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