Random Monday

* This week the KSO will once again be participating in Orchestras Feeding America. We will be collecting canned goods at our concerts on Thursday and Friday. There are children and seniors right here in our community who go to bed hungry because they do not have enough to eat. We can make a direct difference.

* Continuing in the spirit of giving to the community, Lucas will be participating in Knoxville's very own Dancing with the Stars on Thursday, April 1st. Although the event takes place on April Fools Day, it is no joke. This is a fundraiser for East Tennessee Children's Hospital. You can vote with your wallet; every vote costs $1 and all proceeds benefit the hospital. I've never seen Lucas dance, but my guess is he's quite dapper. Vote early and vote often!

* Have you seen these PSA's for the Arts? They seem to have been out for awhile but I've never seen them on television. Knox county is getting ready to ax some more arts programs in the schools. Perhaps they need a good dose of Raisin Brahms or Van Goghgurt.

Blogger's Night!

Blogger's Night is coming up this week! I had so much fun meeting everyone at the reception last year, I look forward to seeing some of you again and hopefully meeting some new people this year.

I'm hoping that we'll have some new faces in the audience this week, so I'm re-running part of a blog I wrote last year in preparation for Blogger's Night.

Do I have to wear a tie / ball gown / tux?
Only if you want. Wear what you are comfortable wearing. You will see people in all kinds of attire at the concert from very formal to jeans and a teeshirt. Most people fall somewhere in the middle.

When do I clap?
This is a sticky question, and one that has been discussed and debated here. Tradition says to wait until the entire piece is over before clapping. To clap in the “right” place you can either count movements or do what I do and wait for someone else to start clapping before joining in. Another way to tell it it's time to clap is to watch the orchestra and conductor. If we still have our instruments up and the conductor hasn't turned around, it usually means we're only pausing between movements and the piece isn't finished. Don't stress too much about this. Even if you accidentally clap in the “wrong” place, applause is a show of appreciation and we like to hear it.

Can I take pictures of the orchestra / theater?
Yes, you can take still pictures of the orchestra and theater before the concert starts, at intermission, and at the end of the concert. When the lights go down and the concertmaster walks on stage to start the performance, we request that you stop taking any flash pictures. Video and audio recording are not permitted.

Where can I learn more about the pieces that I will hear?
The KSO posts program notes online. You can read about the pieces you will hear on Blogger's Night here. There is also a pre-concert chat that is free to anyone who is attending the concert. These start at 7:00. I highly recommend attending. They are led by the conductor and really give you a better idea of what to listen to during the performance. When I can sneak out of the house early enough, I like to listen to the pre-concert chat. Even though I've spent the week rehearsing the music, I almost always learn something interesting.

If you have any other questions, please post them in the comments section. I will do my best to answer them for you. I am looking forward to meeting my fellow bloggers at the reception after the concert!

Principal Quartet at Borders

My quartet has been rehearsing quite a bit lately. There have been several days in the past few weeks where, between quartet rehearsal and symphony rehearsal, I've spent more time with my quartet members than I have with my husband. Luckily we all get along. (And my husband is understanding about the strange schedule of a professional musician! He does want to write a guest post entitled "The Symphony Widow" sometime, though.) Usually a string quartet puts itself together; people mutually decide to play as a group. In our situation, the symphony has put us together because we are all in principal seats. Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn't. Right now it's a successful mix of personalities and temperaments and I'm thankful. The give and take of rehearsing and performing with the quartet is very satisfying.

This Friday at 7:00 (tomorrow!), the Principal Quartet will be performing at the Morrell Rd. Borders. We'll be playing a few movements of the first Brahms quartet as a preview of our April chamber concert, some Mozart, a piece or two by Gershwin, and some other light classics. This is a free concert and we'd love to see you!

Dr. King's Dream

Today is Martin Luther King Day.

It is a day to reflect on how far our society has come and also how very far we still have to go. King was killed 42 years ago. It was one of a series of tragic events that rocked a generation and precipitated a societal revolution in the United States. The danger is that, with the passage of time it is all too easy to become complacent. I can tell you just by reading the paper that inequality still exists. Hatred still reigns. How close are we to realizing Dr. King's dream? As a society? As individuals? What can we do to make things better? These are questions that we must continue to ask ourselves daily, not just on the day we honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.



This evening at 6:00 the Knoxville Symphony will be joined by The Holiday Celebration Choir, members of the Austin East High School Orchestra, a Boy Scout choir, and soloist Michael Rogers in a celebration of Dr. King. This concert will take place at the Civic Auditorium and is free to the public.

Big Broccoli Ocarina

This was too bizarre not to pass on. I've seen people play with their food but I've never seen someone actually play their food. And quite beautifully, too!



If the broccoli rendition of Angels We Have Heard on High didn't get you in the holiday spirit, you should stop by the Borders on Morrell road tomorrow at 7. A string quartet from the KSO will be there playing light classics and holiday favorites. No vegetables required.

November in a Nutshell

There is a lot going on with the KSO in November!

Last week the KSO performed educational concerts for thousands of area school children. Beginning this week and continuing through the month, small ensembles of musicians will be touring the Knox County Public Library branches for special musical story time presentations. These are always very entertaining. I have participated in story time concerts both as a musician and as an audience member with my daughter. It's hard to say which was more fun. There are many opportunities for the children to participate, from singing along with familiar tunes to playing small percussion instruments. It is a great (and free!) way to introduce young children to live classical music. The full story time schedule can be found here.

This week is also the KSO's debut Chamber Classics Series performance of the season. Sunday afternoon's concert is a concert of string serenades by Tchaikovsky, Elgar, and Suk. Don't let the parking situation around the Bijou deter you from attending this concert. Once again the KSO will be providing a shuttle service from the State Street Garage (behind the Tennessee Theater) to the Bijou.

On the 16th the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestras will give their first performance of the season. These kids work incredibly hard and their concerts are not to be missed.

Later in the month is the November Masterwork's Concert featuring pianist Benjamin Hochman playing Mendelssohn. We'll also be playing Der Rosenkavalier Suite by Strauss, the gorgeous Prelude and Liebestod from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde and Haydn's 16th Symphony.

Also mid-month is our first Family Concert of the season. Picardy Penguin will be back in a program entitled, "Shall we Dance?" Our family concerts are more like events than concerts. There are plenty of activities for children and their families to participate in before the actual concert. It's a nice way to spend a cold afternoon.

Finally, the end of the month brings two free community performances. On November 27th (aka, "Black Friday") at 6:00 the KSO Brass Quintet will be performing in Krutch Park near Market Square for the City of Knoxville Celebration of Lights. The next day a string quartet will be at West Town Mall playing holiday music.

YPC

This week the KSO is performing a series of concerts for area school children. Young People's Concerts, or, YPC's for short, have a very special place in my heart. I love kids and I love teaching kids about music. Before they attend a YPC, most of the students have been working with a docent and have had some symphony musicians visit their classroom. The kids learn about the repertoire in advance. There are CD's for the music teachers to play for the students and sample lesson plans. The symphony members visit the class to give the kids an up-close preview of what they will hear at the concert. Before I came to Knoxville I had performed in numerous young people's concerts in other cities. I think that of all the places I've played, Knoxville has the best educational concerts. The KSO's education department and our area music teachers do a fantastic job preparing the students for the concert. The students are familiar with the music they will hear and are eagerly anticipating their favorites. They participate and are engaged. They know the basics of audience etiquette and are a joy to play for.

Aside from the kids, I love YPC's because people in the orchestra let their hair down. Not to say that the playing is sloppy, it's just that it's hard to be completely serious when you're wearing a fake mustache. Or listening to Principal Trombonist Sam Chen "talk" to long-deceased Richard Wagner on his cell phone. Or when you're keeping one eye on your music and the other on the real live donkey and praying that when it gets scared and runs off-stage it decides to run AWAY from you. People smile during YPC's. We laugh. We wear costumes that we would never be caught dead in otherwise. We dance the macarena and the can-can. And it's all in the name of education. How can you beat that?

Race for the Cure

For better or worse, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra functions like one enormous extended family. People care about each other and pull together to celebrate the good times, but where this makeshift family excels is helping in times of crisis. Because of the great camaraderie amongst the players, when something terrible happens to one the impact ripples through the whole group. People come together and help each other out. This summer the symphony was dealt two blows in a very short period of time. Former KSO violinist Cate Myer died from a recurrence of breast cancer and violinist Lynn Rogers-Carl died from ovarian cancer that spread. Both women were in the prime of their life and both were mothers.

It's not fair.

There are a lot of statistics associated with breast cancer. 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer... 200,000 cases will be diagnosed this year... 40,000 of those 200,000 will die... Every THREE minutes someone is diagnosed... And every 13 minutes someone loses the battle...

But these are simply numbers. A number can shock but a number can't express how it feels not to have your mom there to walk you down the aisle, or how much you miss your best friend, or your shock at hearing the diagnosis. Numbers don't cut it. Breast cancer affects friends, mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, daughters, sons, sisters, brothers... Take a minute to count how many people you know who have had breast cancer or who have been affected by breast cancer. I was shocked by how many I know.

The KSO has put together a team for this year's Race for the Cure in honor and memory of Cate Myer and Lynn Rogers-Carl. We would be honored to include you in our "family." Come cheer for our runners on race day, and make a donation to help us help others.

Reaching Out

On the Knoxville Symphony's main web page, a calendar at the right of the screen gives you links to information about public performances in a given month. If you looked right now, you would notice that the next highlighted date is October 16th (a FREE performance at the Morrell Rd. Borders!). October 16th is nearly two weeks away, so is the orchestra on fall break?

The answer is a resounding no. Actually, the next two weeks are packed with performances, 22 in all! The KSO is dedicated to bringing music into the community. In fact, 80% of our performances every season take place OUTSIDE our Pops, Masterworks, and Chamber Classics subscription series. Musicians play in area hospitals as part of our award-winning Music and Wellness program and they also bring classical music into area schools and libraries. These performances use small groups of instrumentalists in quartets, duos, and even playing solo.

These performances don't show up on the regular calendar because, as a rule, they aren't open to the general public. (Although, if you happened to be in a hospital lobby during a Music and Wellness performance you would be welcome to sit and listen.) Despite this, these concerts are, in my opinion, some of the most important performances the KSO gives. The sick and worried are comforted. Children who have never seen a stringed instrument in person get to hear one live and ask the musicians questions about music and their life as a musician. It's important work.

If you know of a place that you think the KSO could be reaching in the community you can contact Jennifer Barnett, KSO's Director of Education and Community Partnerships.

Knoxville Jazz Orchestra

For a musician, playing an instrument is like breathing. Not meaning that it's effortless, but that to play means to live. Even in retirement it is rare for a musician to completely give up playing unless they are forced to stop for physical reasons. Playing is an emotional outlet, a way to connect with people that transcends language. The ways to express one's self through music are numerous and most musicians don't limit themselves to a single genre. I've mentioned before that many KSO musicians moonlight in other groups. Tonight the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra is giving a concert in the Bijou Theater. About half the musicians who will be on the stage also play in the KSO. Of course, the numbers are somewhat skewed because the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra is using strings for this concert. I will be playing, along with several colleagues from the KSO string section. It's rare for string players to get to play along with a jazz orchestra and we're all excited to have the opportunity. The soloist for tonight's concert is vocalist Deborah Brown. Her voice is pure and her sound is absolutely effortless. I think I could listen to her all day. I have also been awed by KSO clarinetist Mark Tucker (playing saxophone) and trombonist Tom Lundberg. The mere thought of improvising makes me break into a cold sweat. I much prefer the security of notes on a page. They make it sound easy.

This is going to be an awesome concert. (I know I always say that, but it's true!) If you plan to buy a ticket at the door I advise you to get there early because Knoxville Jazz Orchestra concerts are quite popular and often sell out.

Play Ball!

The KSO's 2009-2010 season began on Monday! It's exciting to be back. Everyone looks well-rested and ready to start the season. Our first Masterworks concerts in the Tennessee Theater are on September 24th and 25th, but in the meantime, the KSO will be out and about in the community.

Tonight at 7:30 the symphony will perform at the Maryville Greenbelt Amphitheatre. This concert is always quite popular. Our audience in Maryville is passionate about classical music. In the past we have played in thunderstorms and still had a large audience braving the elements under umbrellas. The greenbelt is a beautiful park. The concert atmosphere is relaxed with many people bringing along picnic dinners. This is a good concert to bring children to because there is plenty of space to walk around away from other concert-goers if they start to fidget. There is also a play area nearby. You would be wise to bring chairs or a large blanket. This concert is free.

Saturday at 6:00 the Knoxville Symphony Brass Quintet will perform at The Cove at Concord Park. The KSO's small ensembles allow individual musicians to really shine. The KSO Brass Quintet is not heard in the community as much as the string quartets from the KSO, so take advantage of this somewhat rare opportunity to hear some great brass music. This concert is also free.

On Sunday the KSO will present the 24th annual Symphony in the Park at Ijams Nature Center. Featured soloists will be opera singers Andrew Wentzel and Karen Nickell. The concert is only part of the festivities on Sunday. The evening also includes a silent auction and a catered dinner. For more information, click here.

I hope to see you at one of these concerts this weekend, but if you cannot attend remember that WUOT is broadcasting performances from last season every Thursday beginning at 8:00.

Finish Strong

This year was a difficult year. Too many businesses closed their doors and way too many people found themselves without work. Like everyone else, arts organizations across the country were hit hard. Many groups were forced to shorten their season, cut salaries or staff, and a few completely folded. It has been an incredibly stress-filled year for everyone involved in the arts, which makes what happened in Knoxville even more stunning.

The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra finished the 2008-2009 season in the black.

Finishing in the black is not the easiest thing for any orchestra to do under normal economic conditions. Finishing in the black under the economic conditions of 2008-09 is a monumental accomplishment. Everyone in the organization worked incredibly hard on and off the stage to make it happen. Everyone who donated made a difference, too, whether they donated ten dollars or ten thousand dollars. We all deserve a pat on the back. But, the 2008-09 season has ended, and while we ended strong, the 2009-2010 season is starting this week and we need your support. There is no such thing as a small donation. Every dollar helps keep us on the stage where we belong.

Lets make the 2009-2010 season even better than 2008-09. If you would like to donate online here is the link.

Local Musician Portrait Series

I always cringe a bit when I walk into a restaurant and see musical instruments hanging on the walls. To me instruments are meant to be played. Still, I appreciate their beauty as objects. Shiny brass instruments with their maze of tubing, the contrast of wood and metal of the woodwinds, stringed instruments polished to the point you can see your reflection: musical instruments are beautiful and intriguing to look at. They also make great subject matter for visual art.

Brian Wagner, a local artist, has been an artist-in-residence with the Art and Cultural Alliance here in Knoxville for the past six months. During his time as artist-in-residence he worked on a project called the Local Musician Portrait Series. He photographed local musicians using a photo booth and then transferred the images onto canvas. Several musicians from the Knoxville Symphony volunteered to be photographed for this project. I have seen a few of his portraits online and they are stunning. I can't wait to experience the full effect of his large prints in person. Wagner's show will open this Friday in conjunction with First Friday. The show will be at the Balcony Gallery in the Emporium Building and will run through the month after which it will move to various places throughout Knoxville.

A Streetcar Named Desire

Working in a recording studio is one of my favorite things to do as a musician. It's a lot different than performing on stage, which I also enjoy. The work is fast-paced and the emphasis is on getting the job done as quickly and accurately as possible. There is a little bit more pressure to get things right the first time, but the general atmosphere is much more relaxed than it is on the concert stage. Tuxedos are not required for studio work. Neither is a serious countenance. For me this is a great relief. My poker face is non-existent. My emotions, good or bad, are written all over my face and it has gotten me into trouble a few times.

I also find the whole process of recording fascinating. Often times parts are recorded separately and then mixed together to form a full ensemble. To make sure the parts all fit together when everyone is recording separately, musicians wear headphones and listen to a click track, which is basically a metronome. Tracks can be layered so that one violinist sounds like a whole section. The end result is pieced together like a puzzle and sounds like a huge ensemble all playing in the same room together.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to work on a recording project for the Clarence Brown Theater. This week the theater will open it's season with A Streetcar Named Desire. If you have seen or read the play you know that Tennessee Williams called for many music cues. Lucas Richman actually wrote a score to go along with A Streetcar Named Desire when he was a mere teenager. His mother, actress Helen Richman, was in a production of Streetcar, came home from rehearsal one day and asked Lucas if he would write incidental music for the production. He scored the music for Dixie band and string quartet, an unlikely combination of instruments that actually works quite well to set the mood of the play. His original score was re-recorded by local musicians, many of whom are KSO members, and will be heard in this Clarence Brown Theater production.

A Streetcar Named Desire runs from September 3rd through September 20th. Information about purchasing tickets can be found here.

Red-Haired Mary

Most musicians enjoy exploring more than their chosen specialty. There are several members of the KSO who moonlight with various bands or on secondary instruments. Tomorrow KSO flutist Jill Allard will perform as a member of Red-Haired Mary on WDVX's Blue Plate Special. The concert is free and starts at noon. The WDVX studio is located downtown at the corner of Gay Street and Summit Hill. If you can't make it downtown, you can stream the concert live from the WDVX website.

It's the Smart Place to Be!

When a musician is completely engrossed in a piece everything around them disappears. You lose yourself in the music. It's a lot like reading a good book. You forget your surroundings and join a world that, while only words, is completely real in your mind. For this reason I have always loved reading. I also love libraries. (And librarians... I married one!) The library has always been one of my favorite places because you can walk out with a stack of books, a few CD's and a movie or two, peruse them at your leisure in the comfort of your home and then go back and repeat the procedure all for FREE.

The Knox County Public Library system is great. First of all, it's huge: in addition to the main library downtown there are 17 branches all over Knoxville. If the branch in your part of town doesn't have the materials you want, it's not a problem. You can reserve them and have them delivered to your chosen branch. If you need a book that the KCPL doesn't own they will try to get it for you from a different library system.

The library offers many programs from story time for children (including musical story time with members of the KSO!), to family game night, to computer workshops for adults. There is something going on every day at the library and the variety of programs is so wide there is something for everyone.

I am a veteran library user, but until very recently my experience with KCPL's website was limited to reserving books and checking the due dates on my books. Boy was I missing out.

The library's media collection is called Sights and Sounds. They have a sub-page online called The Music Room. It has all sorts of databases you can access online from the comfort of your home with your library card. There is a source for classical music scores, African American Song, a classical music library with audio you can listen to right at your computer, the Smithsonian Global Sound for libraries, and several others. There is a link to their collection of CD's by local artists, local music venues (including the KSO!), and a list of upcoming events by AC Entertainment. The Sights and Sounds web pages are a great way to stay on top of the Knoxville music scene.