I just got back from my daily backstage visit to document the
process of turning the Hilbert Circle Theatre into the Jimmy Fallon
Show set during the Super Bowl week. Here's what I overheard
as I was taking this picture:
Look folks, this carpet has to fit over this area *perfectly.*
These measurements should be exact...this carpet should be taut,
and I mean *perfectly* taut...no room for any error here. I
need it *perfect*. Did I say *perfect?* I mean absolutely
*perfect.*
Perfection is good.
I'v...
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Here we go.
Preparations for Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis are in full swing.
Roadways are closed off. Massive tents have been erected all
around town. The two football teams have been selected.
And Jimmy Fallon gave Indianapolis a shout-out on his show (come on
Indiana - submit a video!).
And speaking of the Jimmy Fallon Show, we are proud to be a part of
the preparation madness.
The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra has moved its performances to
Clowes Memorial Hall
this weekend in order...
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As I was looking over Prokofiev's Lt. Kijé Suite for
this
weekend's performances, I began to wonder about the place of
movie music in our concert halls. I was struck by the fact
that after a century of great cinematic achievements, very little
of the often equally as great music has made its way onto our
classical concerts. Outside of some of the earliest scores by
the Russian greats, Prokofiev and Shostakovich, it is rare to see
any film music on our so-called "serious" concerts.
What is the...
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My mom is, and always has been, my concert buddy. We're really the
only two in our family who makes a habit of subscribing to the
Broadway series in Indy; attending our coffee pops and classical
performances here with the Indianapolis Symphony; and going nuts
for any live musical performance when we occasionally visit the Big
Apple.
And the ritual is the same: we nestle into our seats, read
the program notes, and right before curtain, I lean over and say to
mom: "Did you remember to turn off...
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Now
that I’ve sappily snapped photos of the Hilbert Circle Theatre
marquee, the Symphony Centre entrance, the Marketing and
Communications Department sign, and my desk…I feel it is time to
pen one final blog post.
As this is my last day at the ISO, my sentimental mood has led me
to reflect back on the amazing opportunities this internship has
afforded me – meeting and interacting with a group of wonderful
co-workers, taking private lessons from the ISO’s principal
clarinetist, hearing some of my...
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Audience members standing during the "Hallelujah" chorus at
Carnegie Hall
Don’t be surprised if you see a few of your fellow audience members
standing up during the ISO’s performance of Handel’s “Messiah”
oratorio this weekend.
No, they are not spontaneously stretching or
preparing to make a quick exit, but rather participating in a
longstanding tradition of rising during the “Hallelujah”
chorus.
The origins of this custom – often considered
one of the most bizarre concert rituals – are unclear....
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Me and my friend Gwen at the ISO in October!
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my transition to downtown
Indy from the hills of rural New Hampshire, it’s that city living
is alarmingly pricey. Marsh groceries,
City Market lunches and (a few too many) trips to the Fashion Mall
add up at an alarming rate, leaving scant any funds for
recreational pursuits. However, while swanky clubs and fancy
restaurants might be out of the monetary question, the Indianapolis
Symphony Orchestra has taken...
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“My Requiem was
composed for nothing…for fun, if I may be permitted to say
so!”
-Gabriel Fauré
Gabriel Fauré
I must admit that I was a bit confused when I learned that the
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's
Classical Christmas concert would feature Fauré’s
Requiem. Although I was unfamiliar with this
particular piece, I thought back to my music history class, in
which I learned that a “requiem” refers to a mass for the dead – a
somber tribute to the departure of souls. Images of the...
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Some of the most memorable moments of my life happened around
Christmas. Some not so happy, others fill my heart with warmth at
the thought. Throughout my life I've spent every Christmas evening
at my grandparents surrounded by family, which is no easy task.
There were 16 people in my immediate family growing up, crowded
into a box like living room with a tree filled with presents. But
it wasn't about the presents with my family, it was the time spent
together and memories made. That sense of...
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Since purchasing discount Yuletide tickets through Franklin College
in the middle 90s, I have made it a tradition to attend Yuletide to
get into the Christmas spirit. It is always such a wonderful show.
Of course, as soon as my daughter was old enough, I had to share
Yuletide with her. In 2007, she was four at Christmastime. It had
been a particularly difficult year for our family, including my
father's death. The holidays were going to be hard for us. A friend
who new how much I have always...
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Happy December!
This month, we're amping up our social media sites to celebrate the
most festive season of the year! Maestro Man has already donned a
Santa hat, and we've posted an album full of images of our Yuletide
preparations. And from today through Christmas, look for a special
ISO "treat" (pictures, blog posts, Yuletide scoop, etc.)
every day on our social media sites!
So this holiday season, visit us at Hilbert Circle Theatre for
Yuletide Celebration, Scottish Rite Cathedral for
Classic...
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My very first time to see the Yuletide Celebration was 5 years ago.
My then boyfriend was on a 2 week leave from Iraq and we decided to
do an "All Indy weekend", as he was leaving to go back the next
week. One of the great adventures of our weekend was taking in the
Yuletide Celebration, to get in the spirit of Christmas. In the
middle of the Celebration, I noticed he was looking at me. Then I
saw his eyes shift down and he was holding a diamond ring, and then
he whispered "will you marry me".
We...
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It's been six months since I graduated
from college and what do I miss the most? Well, that might be a
trick question. But one thing I do miss A LOT is student ticket
prices. Gone are the days when I can attend world class arts events
on the cheap. Or are they?
With Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's Cyber Monday special, all
(well, most) tickets to Classical, Pops, Symphonic Hits and Happy
Hour performances are priced at the student rate of $12. Now, I
don't mean to get preachy, but this is a...
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More than 15 years ago, my family attended our first Yuletide
Celebration. The family included my mother, sister, her three young
children and myself. We did not have much money, however, we bought
holiday attire and were enchanted by the entire show. The children
are now in their 20's and we are once again attending this year.
The ISO has become a part of our family tradition and I still can
see the joy on the faces of my neice and nephews that I saw that
first night. They still have their...
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Although it is nearing my bedtime (significantly earlier since I
shifted gears from being a college student to a "working girl"), I
feel compelled to quickly blog about tonight's incredible
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra concert.
While I have been blown away by every ISO concert this season,
tonight's was particularly spectacular. Not only did I relish every
moment of Beethoven 7 (see my previous blog post for my musings on
this underrated symphony), but more importantly, Lang...
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While classical music lovers have long cherished the classic
opening motif of Beethoven’s Fifth, the pastoral-sounding wind
solos in Beethoven 6 and, of course, the “Ode to Joy” melody in
Beethoven’s Ninth, Beethoven’s Seventh often lies under the
radar.
Yet, upon its premiere in 1812, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 was
strikingly well-received. Not only did Beethoven assert that his
Seventh Symphony was one of his best works, but critics and fellow
musicians also celebrated the piece. Richard...
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I was first
introduced to Mendelssohn's "Scottish" Symphony a few years ago
when I had to play the second movement clarinet solo for a summer
program audition tape. While learning the fingerings, attempting to
perfect the articulation patterns and drilling the section with a
metronome to train myself to play it more quickly, I repeatedly
listened to the recording of the peppy, folk-like second movement.
This lively section consists of a rousing dance theme and bouncy
woodwind staccatos and...
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The first orchestral piece with which I truly
fell in love was a Richard Strauss tone poem.
While I have studied clarinet for over 10
years and have always relished the passion and power of orchestral
music, it was not until my youth orchestra performed Strauss’s “Don
Juan” in May 2009 that I realized just how obsessed I could become
with particular pieces.
It was during our first rehearsal of “Don
Juan” that I realized the magic of a tone poem. (Just a note: a
tone poem is an orchestral work...
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