When Stella Artois Happy Hour at the Symphony returns on March 18, the program turns to music by John Mayer and a John of an older generation - Johannes Brahms. Crazy as it may seem, these two musicians actually share more than just a first name.
But Brahms was more than just good looks. This guy had soul. Brahms was a throwback, looking to the music of Bach to write truly heartfelt music in an era where contemporaries like Liszt, Wagner and Mahler were revolutionaries out to discover the music of the future. In an era where vocal hooks and sampled beats reign supreme, John Mayer also looks to the old masters, writing guitar-driven pop inspired by blues legends like B.B. King and rock gods like Jimi Hendrix.
And the similarities just keep on coming. . .
Both men shared an interest in older women. John Mayer famously dated Jennifer Aniston, eight years his senior. Brahms spent most of his adult life pining after Clara Schumann, 14 years his elder and the widow of the man who helped launch his career, Robert Schumann. While Mayer was never too shy to share the most intimate details of his relationship via Twitter, Brahms was not as forthcoming. While many scholars believe the relationship with Clara was never consummated, there isn't definitive proof either way.
For the full story on Brahms, check out Jan Swafford's fun biography. (Or get the lightning round in this article.)
As for Mayer? Well, there's always @johncmayer.
(Thanks to Alyson Ahrns for research and writing assistance.)
| 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. |  |
But Brahms was more than just good looks. This guy had soul. Brahms was a throwback, looking to the music of Bach to write truly heartfelt music in an era where contemporaries like Liszt, Wagner and Mahler were revolutionaries out to discover the music of the future. In an era where vocal hooks and sampled beats reign supreme, John Mayer also looks to the old masters, writing guitar-driven pop inspired by blues legends like B.B. King and rock gods like Jimi Hendrix.
And the similarities just keep on coming. . .
- Brahms wrote four symphonies. Mayer has released four albums. (There are also four Happy Hour concerts this season. Try to explain that coincidence!)
- 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.
- 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?
Both men shared an interest in older women. John Mayer famously dated Jennifer Aniston, eight years his senior. Brahms spent most of his adult life pining after Clara Schumann, 14 years his elder and the widow of the man who helped launch his career, Robert Schumann. While Mayer was never too shy to share the most intimate details of his relationship via Twitter, Brahms was not as forthcoming. While many scholars believe the relationship with Clara was never consummated, there isn't definitive proof either way.
For the full story on Brahms, check out Jan Swafford's fun biography. (Or get the lightning round in this article.)
As for Mayer? Well, there's always @johncmayer.
(Thanks to Alyson Ahrns for research and writing assistance.)
Hi Everyone:
The entire concept for Happy Hour #3 was really born out of the idea that "Heart of Life" by John Mayer would make a great arrangement for orchestra. The song came on as I was driving to a gig back in December, and I immediately thought of the Happy Hour series. I called Nick Kendall and pitched the idea of doing it, and he said "Oh my God!"(that's usually a good sign). After that, I began building a whole concert around Mayer's tunes paired with classical selections.
Memory is a funny thing. 
This coming Friday and Saturday, I’ll be hosting our preconcert event Sound Off at a special time – 6:00pm. This is because the Honor Orchestra of America will be performing at 7:00pm, before the ISO hits the stage at 8:00pm, for 
The first is by our 
Friday night at the Symphony was exciting even in the face of a snow blizzard that threatened attendance by even our most loyal patrons. All in all, there were just under 300 patrons who braved snowfall and drifts to hear the ISO and Christian Tetzlaff perform the Brahms Violin Concerto, Midsummer Night's Dream and Schumann's Rhenish Symphony under the direction of Maestro Gilbert Varga (pictured). When you see that people defied the elements to enjoy an evening of symphonic music, you are reminded of how special events like these are to our loyal patrons. (Bravo audience!)
Just then, I pulled a tool kit from a closet (pictured to the left)... a kit filled with sewing needles, thread, scissors, bobby pins, etc. and picked up a spool of fine wire. Eureka! I would wrap the wire around the prongs of the button cover to create a loop. It took some doing to loop the cover over the button, but voila! Instant button cover! Our maestro was properly adorned once again.
A few months ago during a marketing and communications meeting for the ISO, the VP of marketing was recalling the previous night’s performance in which Chris Botti played with the orchestra, and closed the night with an instrumental take on Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. It wasn’t until this discussion that I realized that Leonard Cohen wrote the song. I was only familiar with Jeff Buckley’s fragile and heart-wrenching version. Since it fit Buckley so well, I never questioned whether he wrote it. When you consider yourself a popular music aficionado, as I do, and you discover a jewel that somehow you were not, or only marginally aware of, it’s almost embarrassing. So I did what I assume others like me would do, I scrambled to immerse myself in it so that I can move forward as if I’d known everything about the song all along. Now I’ve heard several other musicians perform it. And I’ve read up on some of the references and imagery. I have even more love and respect for the song, it’s a truly brilliant combination of poetry and music.
I'm quite excited to post my first blog! I'm not at all savvy about anything electronic, including but not limited to computers, i-pods, phones and remote controls. One of my colleagues reminded me of my "one to one" session with a "genius" at the Apple store where I learned how to turn on my i-pod. My husband, Jerry, who is the 3rd horn here in the Indianapolis Symphony, has thrown his hands up in despair after each of my button pushing marathons with the TV remote control. However, I'm looking forward to blogging! I've been a member of the ISO's 1st violin section since 1975, and there is little truth to the saying that "unless you're the lead dog, the view is always the same."
Have you ever had one of those days when you wonder where the time went? Well, that happened to me today. I was in my practice room looking over the music I have to prepare for a number of upcoming concerts, which is fairly substantial, and felt a sudden panic. Staring back at me from my stand are symphonies of Beethoven, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich, and concertos of Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, and Tchaikovsky. All of which are to be performed with the ISO in next few weeks. When you add in my regular practice regime and a looming recital on the horizon, that is a lot of notes to learn in a short amount of time. 
Betty Perry, ISO staff member and music director of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra, is a finalist for the Inspire 2010: Power of Mentoring Awards to be presented by College Mentors for Kids, Inc. on February 24th at 11:30am at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. She was nominated by Donna Proctor at Marian University.
My name is Sarah and I attend Covenant Christian High School. Each year after Christmas break, students at my school participate in a two week experience called “J-term”, or two week internship. I love music and thought that the Indianapolis Symphony would be a great opportunity. For my two weeks, I was part of the Learning Community. There were many activities and projects that I participated in during these two weeks, like the Young People's Discovery Concert teacher workshops designed to help teachers prepare their students for concerts and assisting HR with paper filing. The teacher workshop was a brand new experience for me and I loved learning the different ways of presenting classical music to groups of elementary level students. 
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