Indianapolis Music Concerts

I can’t believe summer is almost over. I can’t believe Marsh Symphony on the Prairie is ending. But I do believe that we will see the 100,000th patron enter those Conner Prairie gates this weekend.

In 2009, we celebrated with Debra Fleetwood, as she was the lucky 100,000th patron to arrive.

If patron number 100,000 walks through our gates (we think on Thursday evening), it will be the third time in history that we have achieved that feat.  What helped bring us to this magic number? Amazing crowds at this year’s Fourth of July concerts, amazing crowds at the Classical Mystery Tour (Beatles) weekend, amazing acts like Marvin Hamlisch, the John Denver tribute band and the Duke Ellington Orchestra, amazing performances of Pictures at an Exhibition and Tchaikovsky’s Fifth by our own Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and amazing weather (only a handful of weather-related delays and one rainout—knock on wood for this weekend!).

Symphony on the Prairie is more than an attendance number. As we close out the series this weekend, I thought I would reflect upon some highlights this summer.

A debut and an adieu
On July 23 & 24, singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile debuted with the Indianapolis Symphony and performed many of her hits to a large crowd of adoring fans. After the concert, we said adieu to ISO Associate Conductor Sean Newhouse. Sean moved to the east coast and now serves as an assistant conductor with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Bravo Sean!

Up, Up and Away
Our very own ensemble-in-residence Time for Three performed their signature genre-bending mix of music for their thousands of devoted fans.  Afterward, the boys went on a Conner Prairie balloon ride—they don’t seem to have stage fright…but do I sense a little fear of heights? 
 

It was a Thriller, for sure
Brent Havens, creator and conductor of the Michael Jackson Tribute show and other orchestrated rock tributes such as Pink Floyd, Queen and Led Zeppelin, hit a homerun by including wonderful orchestrations of the King of Pop’s greatest hits. I’ve never seen that many people dancing at Symphony on the Prairie.  One patron noted that she left “ticked off that I never got to see [Michael Jackson] in concert for real and I’m convinced no one else will ever come close to being as spectacular as he is/was.” Another patron sent in this message:  “This was a wonderful event. The ISO and the band that performed were excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed this concert. I love live music!”

He got what he asked for!
After joking about the large amount of insects buzzing around his head on stage, prolific American songwriter Marvin Hamlisch was given several bug repellent options at intermission from his fans—everything from spray, sticks, gels to bug repellant jewelry.  During the second half of Marvin’s concert, our very own Principal Librarian Mike Runyan made us all weep when he played the theme from Schindler’s List on harmonica.

Photographs also tell the story
I don't need to go on and on with highlights in writing.  I can also tell a story in pictures.  Here are some of my favorite photos from this season at Symphony on the Prairie.

Don’t forget!  The Music of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper on September 2 & 3 and the every-popular River City Brass on September 4 & 5.  See you one final time at the Prairie!

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.

Mark Newman is the ISO's Vice President of Marketing and Communications. I've turned my blog over to him so that he can remind you about the ISO's user-friendly Your Season~Your Way flexible subscription packaging. 

 The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is changing . . . evolving more accurately.  Much of the impetus for this evolution has been you—our patrons, fans and friends—and your changing lifestyle.  For some time, we’ve known that a traditional fixed subscription package didn’t fit everyone.  In response to that, we created Your Season~Your Way, a flexible alternative that allows you to create your own personalized concert package to fit your music preferences, schedule and wallet.

Your Season~Your Way suits all kinds of people with all sorts of lifestyles.  Here are a few examples:

Eclectics - If you’re the kind of music lover who enjoys both the ISO’s Classical and Pops series, then Your Season ~ Your Way is for you.  It lets you mix and match from both series as well as our new line-up of casual Classical programs, Symphonic Hits.  Imagine bundling Joshua Bell, Andre Watts, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, the music of Paul McCartney and Cirque de la Symphonie in one concert series!  It doesn’t get much more eclectic than that.

Snowbirds - Say you spend part of your winter down south and can no longer make all the concerts in your traditional fixed package.  You should consider Your Season~Your Way as an option.  It allows you to fit ISO concerts into your busy travel schedule.

Power Brokers – Are you used to power lunches and power meetings?  How about a power concert series?  Your Season~Your Way is your ticket to the most inspiring music the ISO has to offer.

Workaholics - Maybe your work schedule is such that you only have select Fridays or Saturdays available for play.  Your Season~Your Way allows you to pick the concert dates that fit best with your hectic calendar. 

Penny Pinchers - Perhaps you just don’t want to make as big a financial commitment as a traditional fixed package typically requires.  The beauty of Your Season~Your Way is that you can pick as few as five concerts or as many as you like.  Regardless of how many concerts you choose, the one constant is that you’ll always save with Your Season~Your Way. 

To get a full taste of what we have in store for next season, I invite you to visit our website. I also invite you to go to our website to sign up for Your Season~Your Way.  Or, you might consider calling one of our Customer Care Representatives at 317.639.4300.  They’ll help you construct the perfect package. 

One thing we know for sure at the ISO is that life is better with music, and we feel we do a pretty good job of creating it.  I hope you’ll consider joining us next season at the Hilbert Circle Theatre!  What would be your perfect concert package?  Feel free to comment!
 

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!
 

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 for his second installment!

If being competitive is defined as hating to lose, then I consider myself a fairly competitive person. I’ve been known to attach allegiance to teams for a month only to disavow any relationship upon the missing of playoffs. I still follow my high school marching band and cringe upon seeing any ranking other than #1. This past Ball State football season was a tug-of-war between Alma Mater loyalty and hatred of losing (still no clear winner yet). I’ve done quiz bowl, intramural sports, musical festivals and other competitions for the sole purpose of the joy of victory.

For the above reasons, I’m a little disappointed that I won’t be able to run with my fellow interns in Circle the City for the Symphony. The development interns have come up with a brilliant idea of entering the Corporate 5K Team Challenge as the official ISO Intern All-Star Team of the Decade (name pending approval). Since I’m working the event, I’ll have to only cheer and support the team on. Seeing as I’ll likely be running the equivalent of a 5K myself over the morning, it’s more of a mental setback than anything else. Still, the thought of the ISO Interns competing against their supervisors have inspired the CTC Powers That Be to consider a full-fledged bragging rights showdown between the staff.

The Corporate Team 5K Challenge is hardly limited to just the internal throwdowns. Any and every company or organization that has a group of people looking to run and compete together is more than able to register as many teams of six as they can. Rankings will be determined by the sum of the top five finishers for your team (number six serves as the tiebreaker). Every team members gets a $2 discount off of registration and a ticket to a Marsh Symphony on the Prairie concert. 

There are more than just bragging rights on the line, too. There are three traveling trophies that will go to the winners of each of the three divisions. One of these trophies currently rests in the office of our VP of development, Sean.
 

While internal bragging rights are good, the real prize we interns have our sights set on is that trophy. We’ll have to fight through a whole lot more than just our supervisors, though. Hopefully, everyone on our team is as competitive as me.

Team registration has to be done online, and all six members have to register at the same time – go here for more info and to register.
 

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!