Day Concert Indianapolis

We're now at Day 4 of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's single ticket launch. The "biggies" are going quickly as we imagined--Josh Bell, Liza Minnelli, Bugs Bunny, Andre Watts and Pink Martini. And we continue to ask our musicians--which classical, pops or special concert would you recommend a person (either a newbie or a veteran) experience this season? 

Bob Goodlett, Assistant Principal Contrabass:
"I would recommend Mahler's 5th Symphony. It has such monumental emotional substance. In addition, I'm looking forward to seeing soloist Barnabas Keleman play Sibelius' Violin Concerto.  He's a past Gold Medal Winner of the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis. It's always a pleasure to hear him perform."

Jill Boaz, horn:
"My pick is definitely Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Simply put, I love the "Ode to Joy."

What would you pick?  Feel free to comment!

It's a bittersweet goodbye. Ben Luttrell has worked as the Symphony's intern this summer for the fundraising event, Circle the City for the Symphony. Thanks for all the hard work Ben!

As I stood looking at the Circle the City for the Symphony finish line when I took a picture, the first thing that came to my mind was “I’m looking at the Finish Line-sponsored Finish Line.” The next thought was “This is really surreal.”

From what I’ve gathered from other interns and friends from BSU, many internship positions end with some sort of culminating event, such as a presentation or a project deadline. My internship ended, quite literally, with a Finish Line (both as a title sponsor and as a location).  I only grabbed a quick picture of it before being whisked off to pass out water and bananas, but it will be a picture I cherish for a long time.

The day went smoothly, apart from spilling a considerable amount of coffee on my white shirt and khaki pants within the first 30 minutes. Eric Halverson from WISH-TV Channel 8 (our media sponsor) was a great emcee (and posted some really cool videos online from the run), and special thanks to the Blue River Band for rocking the Circle after the races ended.

In the end, 1,400 people ran, walked, and/or strolled for the Symphony. If you add in the volunteers, committee members, musicians, staff, Colts cheerleaders, Mayor Ballard and everyone else who played a role in making this event happen, we come close to a Hilbert Circle Theatre sellout.

A few thank you’s are definitely in order:

-Thank you to The Finish Line for your title sponsorship of the event, along with our other sponsors Bingham-McHale LLP, WISH-TV and NUVO. It should go without saying that your support is a cornerstone to this event’s success.

-Thank you to Blue Bell Ice Cream and Dad’s Root Beer for providing us with the biggest hit of the day – the delicious root beer floats. I didn’t have one for fear of it ending up on my shirt like everything else seemed to that day, but everyone who had one testified to their greatness.

-A HUGE thank you to our volunteers. You all were the glue that held the event together and a large chunk of the day’s smooth operation is owed to your hard work.

-Thank you to those of you who control the weather, because it was absolutely perfect on Saturday.

-Thank you to Nia’s Market and Deli next door to Symphony Center – not for Saturday, per se, but for powering me through my internship. Were it not for Nia’s, Dunkin Donuts and Jimmy John’s, I probably wouldn’t have made it all the way to the end (those who worked with me over the summer can attest to my crushing addiction to caffeine).

-I would thank all the runners, walkers and strollers individually if I could, but that would take up way too much time. So consider this a blanket thanks and congratulations for running the race! Special thanks to our teams, and to Flashpoint HR, Ice Miller and Sallie Mae for winning their Corporate 5K divisions; and to Telamon for winning the Biggest Team Competition!

-Finally, a personal thank you to the ISO staff and musicians. I’ve been so fortunate to get to know and work with some great people that it makes going back to school harder than it should be. I started this internship with a PR skill set in development and a passion for the arts, and I’m coming out of it with so much more than I could have imagined. It will be hard leaving, and you can be sure that I’ll be back in some form.

As a final aside, I took my mom to see Time for Three, the ISO's ensemble-in-residence, perform at Symphony on the Prairie that evening. 

If there is any way to describe to people why I want to use what I am learning to advance music, it would be to sit them down at a Tf3 concert, and then tell them “I want the entire world to hear this.”
 

ISO intern Ben Luttrell provides an update on the Circle the City for the Symphony walk/run.

Things are beginning to fall in place.

That’s not to say it hasn’t been stressful. I’d liken it to one of those big domino exhibitions: it’s fun and amazing to watch and you can’t help but admire the hard work that goes into it, but it gets more stressful as each element is revealed and open to the public.

**Something I think needs to be overstated before we go any further: this blog is only one example of the resources and options given to me and to the Circle the City planners and brain trust by the Orchestra. I can not thank everyone here enough for all that I’ve been able to do, say and experience as part of my internship.**

The process of setting up and organizing an event is a lot of work, but it can be done with a relative limited amount of people. Between the committee and full-time/part-time/intern staff at the ISO, there are around 15-20 people actively involved in the pre-game phase of the event.

The day of the event itself? That’s a whole new ball game.

They say it takes a village to raise a child. If that is true, then it takes a small army to put on a road race. People are needed to pass out water, take names and register people at the door, distribute R&R food, take chips for timing, clean up and a group of people whose sole job is to stand around and answer questions.

Seeing the amount of help it is going to take, we’re putting out the APB for any and all who would be open to volunteering for Circle the City. Our target is to have 160 people on hand Friday and Saturday to help everything go smoothly and without more incident than necessary.

For signing up and helping, we will give you a volunteer t-shirt to proudly display, and we’ll also give you a free ticket to a Marsh Symphony on the Prairie concert. No cost is involved – we just want your help and attendance at the event.

Information and signup is online at IndianapolisSymphony.org. We would love to see as many of you who can’t run or would rather help out come and have a blast while helping us out with this amazing event.

Circle the City for the Symphony -- Saturday, Aug. 7 at 8 a.m.!

Intern Ben Luttrull is feeling the momentum now, as we near the home stretch for the planning of the Circle the City for the Symphony event on Aug. 7. 

If my internship was with the Indianapolis 500, we would be at about lap 350 right now: over halfway through and time to start really focusing on pushing as hard as possible down the stretch.

Some exciting things are happening with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's Circle the City event presented by Finish Line on Aug. 7.  For example, our course through downtown Indianapolis is all set! We will begin and end the race(s) on Monument Circle, and the course will take you through some of the prettiest scenery and neighborhoods in Indy.  And don't forget, ISO musicians will be scattered along the way and serenading you!

But that's not all! Remember the big surprise I talked about last time? Well – here it is:

The first 1,000 registrants for Circle the City for the Symphony will receive a FREE Combo Pass to Indiana Beach Amusement Resort in Monticello, Indiana. Unlimited theme park and water park ride access for one whole day is now included alongside your free ticket to a Marsh Symphony on the Prairie concert. This is across the board –  if you want to walk or run in the Symphony's 10K, 5K, Stroll or Junior Jog, you will receive the free pass while supplies last!  

Time is running out though!  Click here to register and claim your free tickets!

Are you interested in participating in the Circle the City for the Symphony activities, but don’t feel like running or walking? We’re looking for volunteers to help us out in making sure the events all go as smooth as possible. We need volunteer help for water stations, court marshals, and general race and participant support. If you volunteer, we will give you a free volunteer-exclusive Circle the City t-shirt and a ticket to a Marsh Symphony on the Prairie concert. Click here to sign up for a volunteer post.

Speaking of Symphony on the Prairie:  I will be at Sci-Fi Spectacular this weekend giving out information and taking registrations for Circle the City. I am infinitely more of a Star Wars fan than Trekkie, but I’m still super-excited to see George Takei. If you’re coming out to Conner Prairie this weekend, look for me at the top of the hill with the mountains of Circle the City brochures!

ISO Development intern Ben Luttrell gives us another glimpse into planning for the ISO's Circle the City for the Symphony event Aug. 7.

Between Conner Prairie trips, Circle the City for the Symphony duties, internship adventures and the dreaded “professional development," I’d say I’m having quite the summer so far at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. The honeymoon of “Wow, I have my own phone line!” has faded into the “I’m expected to do real work” feeling, but I’m quite excited to report that my internship has been everything but the coffee-fetching, errand-running busywork life that some had expected me to lead.

One part of my job that bucks the “intern does the busywork” stereotype is participating in Circle the City for the Symphony committee meetings. I love planning and coming together to talk strategy, and this road race is certainly the biggest event I’ve ever been on a steering committee for.  The full committee has met a few times now, and it’s been quite an adventure each time. Updates, brainstorming, planning, logistics, marketing, sponsorships all make regular stops on our agendas, as well as everything down to the minutest of details to be planned.

We’re working hard to not only put together the best event possible, but also get as many people as can to learn about Circle the City for the Symphony and register to participate in it. We set a goal to have 2010 people participate in Circle the City this year in downtown Indianapolis (with “2010 in 2010” being the appropriate slogan). We really want this event to be fun for the whole family, from the most competitive of runners to anyone looking for a safe walk around the city. To do that, we’ve expanded on two of our events aimed at those who aren’t looking to earn a time or a medal but rather a safe and fun way to support the Orchestra while enjoying a beautiful day.



First: the Symphony Stroll is back and better than ever. The Stroll is a one-mile walk through downtown Indianapolis aimed at all ages, abilities and activity levels. Unlike the competitive 5K/10K courses, the Stroll course is open to baby strollers and the family pet. The course will feature several of our wonderful Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra musicians playing for you as you walk by, and the end of the course will land right in the middle of our Post Race Party. All Stroll participants also get a free ticket to a Marsh Symphony on the Prairie concert!

Second: we’ve expanded on the Junior Jog from last year. The event is only open to children under the age of 10 and is a one-lap run around Monument Circle. Each of the runners will receive a bib, shirt and medal for taking part in the event, as well as their own Symphony on the Prairie ticket. Note that, unlike in years past, there is a fee for the Jog this year.

Right now, we’re bringing something together that is going to be big-time news for families regarding Circle the City for the Symphony. I can’t divulge anything until we have the answers to every possible question (something my supervisor is very keen on reminding me!), but I can say that it is a fantastic opportunity regarding the Symphony Stroll and Junior Jog. Keep posted to the ISO Blog, and I’ll be sure to let the cat out of the appropriate bag when the time is right.

Ben Luttrell gives us his third installment of his thoughts about the ISO's Circle the City for the Symphony event. Perhaps I need to give him his own blogroll?

I was a team captain for Ball State University's Relay for Life this past April. The opportunity I had to work with the BSU chapter of PRSSA (the public relations group for students) was good, but the real pleasure for me came from the opportunity to tell people all about this wonderful event and the cause it supports. It wasn’t about me and it wasn’t about the activities or the food or the free entertainment; it was all about getting as many people as I could to come out and spend some time supporting a worthy endeavor.

Take all of that, and fast forward to this summer with the ISO. Walking in to the position, I had a vague sense of what the orchestra did to better the community beyond concerts and clinics. The sheer magnitude of it all amazes me at times. The Guitar Center donation of instruments to our Metropolitan Youth Orchestra, for example: it caught me completely off guard and made my day. The fact that I have the opportunity to learn from this kind of organization still amazes me to this day. I know this sounds a little sappy, but I mean it. Enriching the lives of people through music is extremely important to me; it’s a trait I inherited from family and reinforced through education and fraternity.

If you’ve never captained a team for a charity race before, or if you want an opportunity to rally together and support a very worthy cause, Circle the City for the Symphony is providing a great opportunity to do just that. We’re pleased to roll out the brand new Biggest Team Competition this year. People from organizations across the board, from the most competitive of runners aiming to take top prize in the 10K, to someone just looking for a stroll through downtown and a morning of music and family fun, will be able to join forces as a team. Team members will receive a $2 discount on registration for linking together.

The most exciting part about this is the prize. Samaritan’s Feet, who will be at the race collecting shoes for needy children, is offering to partner with the largest team and offer a shoe distribution for needy children at the charity or community organization of the team’s choice. If you or your team doesn’t have a specific location in mind, Samaritan’s Feet will provide several choices for the team to pick from.

The more people we have coming out and supporting us, the merrier it will be for all parties involved. Circle the City for the Symphony is a great opportunity for your organization to rally together for a great cause, and have a safe and fun family adventure, too.

Online registration is live! Team captains should click here to register the team, and then the other members can click here to register after that. The deadline for team registration is July 23, so hurry up and start recruiting!
 

A Day at the "Strings and Jazzy Things" Camp
Regina Henderson, ISO Learning Community/MYO Intern
Valparaiso Univerity '11
 
 

On Tuesday June 8^th, I had the wonderful opportunity to observe the annual summer music camp called “Strings and Jazzy Things.” After creating quite a journey for myself on my way to Broad Ripple High School, I wasn’t sure what I should be expecting and had no idea where I was going once I walked into the school. However, I finally found the registration area and set off on a mission to find Betty Perry who was in the midst of a rehearsal with a large group of young musicians. At first, I didn’t know what to expect coming out of such a variety of students, but hearing them rehearse was refreshing. I was excited to learn that it was only their 2^nd day rehearsing and they sounded so great!

After the morning rehearsal, Betty gave me the run down of everything going on that day and introduced me to several of the volunteers and teachers donating their time to such a wonderful cause. She also introduced me to a few MYO members and told me the awesome news about MYO getting invited to participate in a Berklee music camp next summer! After that, we found our way to a master class of how to perform jazz music. Dr. Monika Hertzig, led a large group of kids in a workshop demonstrating what jazz music is. After running through the “blues” scale and going over some basic jazz rhythms, it was time to do some solos! There were a few kids brave enough to volunteer while others were convinced to do one. It was fun to watch how these young musicians let their creativity and energy flow into these wonderful solos.   After the jazz workshop, it was time to watch the pros do their thing and play some of their original pieces. The short concert was a nice break in the day and very enjoyable to listen to.

Once the jazz workshop was over, it was time to grab some lunch and then break off into sectionals. I went around to the violin and viola sectionals to observe and take some pictures. This is when trumpeter, Mike Buselli came in to give the younger kids a master class on improvisation while the older ones were having sectionals. It was interesting to hear his story about why he plays the trumpet and how he conveys his emotions through his instrument. After that, there were several kids geared up and ready to volunteer their improvisatory skills and prove that they could express emotions through their playing. 

After a few exercises with triads and the “blues” scale, it was time to put their freshly learned skills to the test! Mr. Buselli was able to get a few volunteers to join him in front of everyone else and improve an emotion on their instruments while the class had to guess what emotion they were trying to convey. They did this with a couple more groups as well and all of the kids who volunteered were quite impressive! After the improv class, it was time for me to head out. I was so happy to know that summer music programs in Indianapolis like "Strings and Jazzy Things" still exist today and it is evident that these kids are learning so much from it!

So I got one of those calls that comes in every once in a while about someone wanting to make a sizable donation to an ISO education program, and you think, will this really come through?  Maybe, maybe not.  I want to play it cool and steady, but there's a part of me that gets really excited even though they may not pan out.  =)

About 20 years ago I worked as a telemarketer for a regional theatre company selling subscriptions. It was difficult work, but I believed in the product - live theatre.  My boss would tell me that a certain percentage of people who commit over the phone and tell you they'll send in a check, don't.  Instead, I was encouraged to collect a credit card number on the spot to avoid the possibility of amnesia or minds changing.

A Maestro Open committee member had called me to say he made a contact with a guy at Guitar Center who said he may have some instruments to donate to the ISO.  I called up Randy Jaunzemis, VP of Logistics with Guitar Center, that same day to follow up on the lead and in fact, Randy told me that he had some instruments, but didn't know what kind or how many instruments he would have. He then said he would call me when they came in from Maryland.

Some time passed and I got that call, so I drove to the big Guitar Center distribution center in Brownsburg and walked in to a conference room filled with string instruments.  Wow!  Some needed repairs, but many were ready to be placed in the hands of a child.  At that time Randy couldn't commit to which instruments would be coming our way because he had some schools coming by for a look later that week.  He did allow me to take one full sized violin with me that day to hand over to one of our Metropolitan Youth Orchestra students still using an instrument too small for the growing boy.  I was ecstatic!  If we ended up with just the one, that OK, but maybe he might have 5 instruments out the many he had in that room for us?  We had to wait and find out.

That next week, Randy and his colleagues dropped off the instruments at Symphony Centre.  It was a TRUCK LOAD!! We had a concert about a week later and I asked some of the parents to help me catalog the generous gift - 26 instruments in all (roughly $11,000 worth!)

“When one of my contacts put me in touch with the orchestra, I was surprised by the excitement and need for the instruments,” said Jaunzemis. “Putting instruments in the hands of aspiring musicians fits perfectly with our company anthem, ‘we help people make music.’”

Thank you to Guitar Center, Inc. and Randy Jaunzemis for their generous donation to the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra program of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.  This youth and family development program uses string instruction to reach inner city youth and many students have no means to acquire an instrument.  Their gifts will be well used!

THE METROPOLITAN YOUTH ORCHESTRA

Founded in 1995 by Betty Perry and managed by the ISO since 2008, the MYO is the only youth orchestra in the city designed to serve socioeconomically challenged students in an urban setting and does not require an audition to participate. The program provides a safe, structured and positive learning environment for at-risk and underserved youth and their families; builds students’ musical skills through free and reduced-tuition music instruction; teaches them life skills and exposes them to nurturing adult role models; and encourages them to graduate high school. More than 150 socially, economically and racially diverse students in grades K-12 from area schools participate in the 35-week program.

The MYO program is also supported by the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust; National Endowment for the Arts; a Community Crime Prevention Grant; American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009; Christel DeHaan Family Foundation; The Indianapolis Foundation, a CICF affiliate; Back Home Again Foundation; Indianapolis Chapter of the Links, Inc.; The Glick Fund, a fund of Central Indiana Community Foundation; Shaw-Burckhardt-Brenner Foundation; Sheila Fortune Foundation; The Rotary Foundation of Indianapolis; and Stewart & Irwin P.C.

Ben Luttrull is an intern with the ISO this summer and is working on the Symphony's Circle the City for the Symphony event in August. I've turned my blog over to him to talk about this important fundraising event for the ISO.

When I first found out I was going to be an intern with the ISO this summer, I started mentally racing through what my first assignment was going to be. I’d like to say I was prepared for the 35,000-plus people at the Mini-Marathon Expo, but I had sadly focused on more impersonal, computer-centric tasks. I’m a PR student, so it should be expected of me to relate to the public, but I will admit that the Expo served as the largest public I’ve ever had to relate to.

My main charge at the Orchestra booth was to begin the push for the 2010 Circle the City, presented this year by Finish Line. It fit perfectly – many local runners stopped by the booth wondering about that night’s Happy Hour or what the Symphony on the Prairie schedule was (and I am definitely glad I did my homework beforehand). But they also lit up when they learned about a race for the Orchestra!

I’ll be using these posts to show what it takes to orchestrate (Ha!) an event like Circle the City for the Symphony, as well as pass along details and updates as the day closes in. We are precisely two months away from the starting line!
 
Registration is available at the Hilbert Circle Theater Box Office or online here.
 

James Joyce once said that if the town of Dublin were ever erased from the planet, it could be rebuilt brick by brick from the detailed descriptions in his own novel Ulysses. Conceivably he was not talking about structural designs or the type of brick and mortar that formed its walls, but in a word, its essence. It is that which is unsaid, unspeakable, and indescribable, and many artists struggle to capture the spirit of their inspiration. Few artists actually attain this goal, though perhaps its comprehensibility is left up to the listener, reader or viewer to make that judgment. For me, Mahler’s Second Symphony is the culmination of so many emotions: ferocity – serenity – chaos – cynicism – peace – the sublime. It portrays the unspoken possibility of existence after death and seems to create its own philosophy within its ninety-minute span.

The term "Resurrection" is taken from the title of a hymn by German poet Friedrich Klopstock, the first eight lines of which Mahler uses in the final movement of this symphony. Mahler was inspired to use this hymn while attending the funeral of friend and fellow conductor Hans von Bülow in 1894. In addition to Klopstock’s lines, Mahler added a few of his own, too.

As any biographer of Mahler will tell you, Mahler was conflicted throughout his life regarding his religious views. Raised in a Judaic household in what is now Jihlava, a small village in modern-day Czech Republic, he later converted to Catholicism, but only as a means to an end: to become conductor of the Vienna State Opera in 1897. Even though Mahler wrote Christian-based music in his Second, Third, Fourth and Eighth Symphonies, Mahler never denied his Jewish upbringing; instead he embraced it and incorporated klezmer-style fragments into them as well.
 
In Mahler’s mind (and perhaps for many of us), death is the ultimate unknown, and he seems to use this symphony as his idealistic journey to a religious awakening. From the first movement funeral march (a Totenfeier, or Death Celebration), the soul witnesses many different realms in both life and death throughout the symphony. The second movement, based on the joyous German waltz-like ländler, is more tender and contemplative; perhaps remembering the gentle (and not so gentle) moments of earthly life. The third movement, based on Mahler’s own song Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt (St. Anthony of Padua’s Sermon to the Fish) recalls those in life who remain brainless despite council from those who offer wise encouragement. In the fourth movement (the first time a voice is heard in any of Mahler’s symphonies), we hear an individual who pines for a more heavenly existence.

The fifth movement alone culminates the essence of the symphony for me. If I were ever stranded on an island, this would be the music I would take with me. Its triumphant, regal and heart-stopping drama somehow speaks to me. You will hear off-stage horn calls throughout the movement, announcing the arrival of a seemingly unearthly power. The climax of the movement, beginning around the fifteen minute mark, is first heralded by a soft two-note trombone "sigh" (foreshadowing the mezzo soprano’s plaintive cry O glaube – or I believe – later in the movement) and dramatically builds energy, complete with off-stage brass band, rumbling timpani, triple-tongued figures in the horns and screaming piccolos until the entire orchestra explodes into its grandest and most powerful registers for the ultimate apocalyptic climax. And just as suddenly as it all began, it abruptly pauses – causing every heart in the auditorium to stop simultaneously. The sound of that silence is captivating, and is one of few moments in music that lifts me up and breaks me down at the same time. Mahler excels at this. He captures the essence of life, religion, nature and human emotion in his music so remarkably well that he brings the listener one step closer to illumination.

Enjoy this symphony – revel in every movement. Close your eyes and listen for Mahler’s voice to speak.  I’ve been listening to this symphony for years, and I promise you it’s there.

Personally, I owe tremendous gratitude to the artists that will work together to create this memorable weekend on May 21-22, 2010: Juanjo Mena, conductor; Karina Gauvin, Soprano; Susanne Mentzer, mezzo-soprano; the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir led by Dr. Eric Stark, and most importantly to former Music Director Mario Venzago, whose idea it was to program this glorious work again after 23 years. Vielen Dank, Maestro.

(This blog is dedicated to my graduate professor Bruce Bellingham [1938-2010] from the University of Connecticut, who taught me how to listen to Mahler’s music not just as a musician, but as a human being.)
 

Here’s the beginning of a fine performance of the symphony by Claudio Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic (this particular clip contains the first part of the first movement).

While many of us are stuck with the image of the old, bearded Brahms in our minds, in his younger days, Johannes (right) was quite the looker and probably attracted his fair share of female attention, just like John Mayer.

1. Brahms wrote four symphonies.  Mayer has released four albums.  (There are also four Happy Hour concerts this season.  Try to explain that coincidence!)
2. Both men pursued secondary instruments in their youth.  Can you imagine Brahms as a cellist or John Mayer with a clarinet in his hands?  They both also started touring as teenagers.  At one point, Brahms' teacher wanted to send him to America to earn that big paycheck.  His parents declined, probably sparing Brahms future anonymity as a washed-up child star.
3. Speaking of the clarinet, John Mayer's first instrument, Brahms took up an interest in the reedy instrument late in life.  He came out of his self-imposed retirement to write some of his most moving music, all featuring the clarinet.  Do you think Mayer ever tried his hand at the Brahms' Clarinet Quintet?