Indianapolis Things To Do

Community Connections

Tuesday, March 2, 2010 by Brian Smith

One advantage of living in the age of the internet is the rapid spread of information from every corner of the world to your living room whenever you want it. As a result many people in our industry find themselves reading more about what goes on in the orchestra world to keep current with the latest trends and news. So this weekend, coffee in hand, I made my way to the computer to do just that, when I came across two articles that struck me for very different reasons.

The first was an article describing the Baltimore Symphony's newest venture, "Rusty Musicians with the BSO". Basically this program allows amateurs to join members of the orchestra and music director Marin Alsop on stage for a rehearsal and performance. Anyone who is over the age of 25 and can play an orchestral instrument can participate. Apparently the good people of Baltimore found this to be a great idea, as over 400 people signed up! It seems that even in a time of financial difficulty for most orchestras in this country, Baltimore has found a new way to connect with their community and created a moral boost for the organization, not to mention a new revenue stream.

On the other hand, the second article, written in a much more sombre tone, detailed some of the woes facing the Philadelphia Orchestra. Like many orchestras, Philadelphia is fighting an uphill battle financially, but to me that wasn't the disappointing part of the story. According to the story's author, there is a seemingly growing number of loyal patrons feeling disconnected from the great orchestra, which is routinely classified a member of the "Big 5" (along with the ensembles of Chicago, Cleveland, New York, and Boston). One is led to believe from the article that a lack of communication from the orchestra, along with logistical issues such as ticket prices and parking concerns, has created unwanted friction between the orchestra and it's fan base. This seems to be an issue which needs to be addressed quickly, for the sake of all concerned.

Here at the Indianapolis Symphony we want to continually develop and foster our relationship with our city. To that end we hope that along with attending concerts, you will take advantage of some of the offstage programs we have in place. Two such programs are the "Sound Off", a pre-concert question and answer session, and "Reverb", a post-concert meet and greet event with the ISO musicians. Both events are associated with all of our Symphonic Hits series concerts and are designed to give concert goers a chance to get to know more about the people and projects of the ISO. Another option are the "First Mondays at the ISO" gatherings, hosted by ISO cellist Geoff Lapin. As the name implies, the meetings take place the first monday of each month and cover a wide range of musical subjects, often featuring special guests to discuss the topic of the day.

Another great way to connect with the orchestra is through FORTE, the ISO's young professionals group. Along with providing volunteer and networking opportunities for it's members, Forte is helping our new Happy Hour series take shape. Another great volunteer organization is the ISO Women's Committee. Founded in 1937, the committee has a long standing role in organizing fundraising and music education events.

These are just a few of the ways the community can interact with the orchestra, but we are always looking for better ways to do things at the ISO. So here's your chance to tell us what you think. How are we doing? If you have a great idea, leave a comment and tell us how we can make your concert going experience better. I would love to hear them.

Time to introduce myself

Friday, February 19, 2010 by Paul Berns

Hi:

What a terrific opportunity to share my background with ISO supporters. I am Paul Berns, and if you have been to an ISO concert in the last zillion years you will recognize me as the tall guy running around in the back of the orchestra striking all kinds of percussion instruments (yep, with the pony tail).

My experience since joining the ISO pretty much says it all about my interests and versatility. I think I will give you a top 10 list of what has gone on in my musical life since joining the orchestra. In chronological order:

10. Paul auditions against many really talented percussionists and lands the job.
  9. He begins as section percussionist.
  8. Paul begins private teaching in Indy and joins the 'famous at the time' Sonic Boom Percussion Ensemble - playing 100 Young Audience Concerts each year.
  7. Paul, in addition to the ISO is named Director of Percussion Ensembles at Butler University - loved that part time gig for 10 years.
  6. ISO management - bless Sue Staton and executive director Sid Weedman ask me to form a band and play (jazz/rock/swing) throughout the state helping to raise $$$ to bring in the entire ISO - I did it and we have been successful ever since - though my group is on its own now (7 pieces) - all styles.
  5. Paul becomes ISO Principal Percussionist in 1981 - another audition
  4. Paul becomes ISO Personnel Manager - a job he held for 16 years - and loved, believe it or not.
  3. Paul begins teaching percussion again, this time at the University of Indianapolis - I have some wonderful students at the University and terrific students at home in my 700 square foot percussion studio = stop by for a lesson!!!!
  2. Paul steps back into the section - not principal (Braham Dembar replaced me as principal and what a great player he is)
  1. Paul becomes a blogger.

Ok - with all that experience YOU are bound to want to ask me questions about moi and the orchestra. I will have other top 10 lists and actually quizzes for my readers.

For instance, how many percussion instruments does the Indianapolis Symphony own and where do we store them? What member of management attends almost every concert? And how much does a really good snare drum cost?

Oh, by the way my college rock band was called "The Amen" - and in the days of the Beatles I made enough money to pay cash for a Pontiac Le Mans convertible with white leather bucket seats - stupid to have white leather cuz of all the schlepping (sp?) of percussion equipment. Actually it was stupid not saving a little more and buying a GTO (if you do not know what a GTO was - go to Google).

That is it for now - I hope this blog is of interest - it has been fun for me.

Till the next time.

PAUL

Introducing myself

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 by Dinah Montgomery

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."

The past few days I have been eagerly watching the Olympics. I like to think there is somewhat of a comparison between these extraordinary athletes and us musicians. We both have worked immensely hard since we were young children, often making sacrifices in our lives to accommodate our crafts. (My mother made me practice every day, missing lots of fun times with friends, and it took no time for me to get my geek label.) We both suffer through physical injuries and keep pushing through the pain to continue to perform. We strive for perfection with many many repetitions to ensure perfection, and yet when it's time for the real performance, that 12th man, be it a panel of judges or a paying audience, is such an unnerving factor! How many times did I say to myself, "but it went so well in practice!" Because we love our art/sport we continue. The times that all goes well and the audience responds with thunderous applause makes all the work so rewarding and those heart breaking misses, falls or mistakes, those things that have never happened before, they strengthen us in the end, and make us "seasoned performers." I do appreciate all the dedication these athletes put in to their work and love to watch them perform at such extraordinarily high levels. Our concerts aren't quite an Olympic game or a Super Bowl, but all the musicians do bring their best game to each concert, all for that thunderous applause!

Congratulations Betty! Inspire 2010: Power of Mentoring Awards

Friday, February 12, 2010 by Carol Baker

Congratulations Betty!!

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 24^that 11:30am at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. She was nominated by Donna Proctor at Marian University.

This "Mentor of Excellence" award is presented annually to individuals who have dedicated themselves to mentoring and inspiring excellence.

About MYO: The Metropolitan Youth Orchestra is a youth and family development program that uses string music instruction to reach inner city youth in a unique after-school setting. The MYO model offers positive use of free time; sequential, structured learning activities; a process of learning to set personal goals and strinve for personal best; exposure to positive, caring adult role models; and healthy peer interaction. As a result, the high school strudents who participate and stay engaged in MYO have significantly higher graduation rates than their peers and matriculate to college. The program serves students in grades k-12.

While the program has been around since 1995, MYO has been a program of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra since July 2008. ISO Director of Education Carol Baker manages the program and Betty Perry is Music Director. There are 17 part-time teachers who support the program as well as a significant partnership with Butler Community Arts School.

Betty, we are proud of the work you have accomplished! Congratulations again!

We also thank the following extraordinary sponsors for making the MYO program a reality!

The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust
Shaw-Burckhardt-Brenner Foundation
Sheila Fortune Foundation
The Glick Fund, a fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation
Back Home Again Foundation
Indianapolis Chapter of the Links, Inc.
The Indianapolis Foundation, a CICF affiliate
Rotary Foundation of Indianapolis
Christel DeHaan Family Foundation
The Arts Council of Indianapolis
Indiana Arts Commission
National Endowment of the Arts
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009

Spending "J-term" at the Symphony

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 by Carol Baker

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.

I was able to sit in on an ISO rehearsal and listen to the orchestra practice. Also, I attended a Happy Hour Concert planning meeting for the upcoming January event. It was interesting hearing all of the work that had been put into the event, and the work that still had to be done. Also, I was able to see the new promotional video for these concerts.

I attended a Coffee Concert and it was neat listening to the orchestra perform the songs that I heard them practice the day before. Also, before the Coffee Concert I served coffee and tea to patrons. It was fun and fascinating talking to the different people attending the concert. That ended my first week at the ISO, and I could not wait for the next week.

On Tuesday of my second week, I helped the HR department again with some filing. I saw more paper than I have ever seen in most of my life! It was interesting how many papers and documents go through this department.

This week I was able to eat lunch with Becky, the principal piccolo player in the orchestra. It was fun hearing some of her stories and talk about flutes! Then I said bye and continued with my work in the Learning Community - mainly creating a database of orchestra music for the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra program.

Next came Friday, my last day at the ISO. Today there was a Coffee Pops Concert that I was able to enjoy. I loved this concert and had a great time listening to it.

Well, that was my J-term experience at the ISO. I could not have hoped for a better internship. I learned many things about the business behind the orchestra on stage. I was also able to meet new people and get to know them better. I am glad that I had this opportunity to spend my two weeks with the ISO!

It's THEATER people!

Thursday, January 28, 2010 by Everyone's a Critic

Phones buzzing, people viewing their screens, or getting up from a performance are all distractions. The audience is made up of people who paid to witness a performance. Unless you're on stage, leave the devices at home or off. And I mean "OFF" off, as in totally inoperational. If a group wishes to have some interactive terminals or solicit cell contributions after the show that's fine with me. Otherwise, kindly don't interrupt my entertainment experience. We can all wait until we get home to email our friends to say where we were or how much fun it was. Unless it's some sort of Performance Art, the artists should not need to know our immediate feedback unless there is a question of ego involved. People living life with their cell phones in their hands reminds me of all the folks who watched their babies first steps on a 1" black and white screen (VCR camcorder). Put down the toys, live life, report on it later.

Name: Michael Colter
City: Indianapolis

Texting, eating, chewing, reading etc...

Thursday, January 28, 2010 by Everyone's a Critic

I find there are many things that already detract from the experience. Last week a couple in front of me were texting, chatting and occasionally making out. This was in the dress circle mind you. They also had several champagne glasses lined up. When they were not busy with those activities they were thumbing through the program. All of this occured during the performance. Indianapolis does seem to have many coughing, candy un-wrapping, program dropping patrons. I do not think we need to encourage this type of behavior - it will be common place soon enough.

Name:
City: Indianapolis
Email:

Fauré’s Requiem: La berceuse de mort *

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 by Zack French

Fauré’s Requiem: La berceuse de mort *

Orchestras around the world perform Requiem masses quite regularly as part of their season. Apart from orchestral works based on love, heroism or nature, the Requiem Mass seems to be one of the very few genres that concentrate on a particular event in a person’s life: death. What intrigues us is how each composer utilizes the same liturgical texts from the mass proper but applies it differently in the music.

Without going into a history of each composer’s philosophies on life and death, consider for a moment the differences (and occasionally stark similarities) between three of the most well-known Requiem masses: Mozart, Verdi and Brahms. Some may remember recent performances by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Indianapolis Symphonic Choir of the Mozart (January 2006), Verdi (June 2008) and Brahms (May 2007) Requiems, all of which have had modest success at the box office. Perhaps we love the heart-wrenching climaxes of Mozart’s Lacrimosa (“Tears”), the fever-inducing bass drum blasts of Verdi’s frightening Dies Irae (“Day of Wrath”), or the dramatic urgency of Brahms’ Denn wir haben hier keine bleibende Statt (“For here we have no continuing place”). While Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem (based on German texts from the Lutheran Bible, and not from the traditional Latin mass) is known for its compassion toward those whom are still living, other Requiems relish in the dramatic and formidable aspect of death.

The Requiem of Gabriel Fauré (pronounced “4-A”), on the other hand, is one of optimism, peace and humanity.

Fauré himself was a quiet, gentle and sincere man, and his Requiem portrays this beautifully. It is written, not as a blatant reminder of death, but rather, as Fauré himself put it, “a joyful deliverance, an aspiration towards a happiness beyond the grave, rather than as a painful experience.” As one who directed the music of countless funerals, Fauré wished to create something different. His Requiem would soothe those who mourn, a gentle reminder that death is another part of life and should not be met with fear.

For those readers unfamiliar with the work, here’s what to listen for.

Sanctus (Holy): A glorious and resounding movement featuring melodic lines by the violins interwoven with the vocal entrances. (Note that this is the first movement which features the violins; only the lower strings were used in first two movements.) Its rising climax “Hosanna in excelsis!” is triumphant, yielding a simple yet powerful declaration by the horns, accompanied by full orchestral accompaniment including organ. This occurs at 1:50 in the following clip.

Pie Jesu (Kind Lord Jesus): A beautifully simple movement for solo soprano and one of the most well-known in the repertory. The premiere performance of the Requiem featured a boy soprano in this solo role, but only because women were not allowed to sing in the choir of that venue. In subsequent performances, Fauré preferred a female soprano sing the role, due to its difficult breathing passages, long phrasing and difficult interval leaps. This weekend this movement is sung by soprano and IU alumna Jacqueline Brecheen. Listen here.

Agnus Dei (Lamb of God): This movement features a very beautiful yet simple transition of tonality as the sopranos enter alone on the note “C” on the word “lux” (“light”), shifting the character into a hymn until its climax with full orchestra. (In this clip, begin listening around 2 minutes)

Libera Me Domine (Deliver Us, Lord): This is the second of the two movements that feature the baritone solo (this weekend performed by Hugh Russell), and is perhaps the most somber of the Requiem. It is also the movement that includes the ill-fated Dies Irae (Day of Wrath), which Fauré was hesitant to include, but was obliged by the local diocese. Clearly announced by the sinister register of the horns, the Dies Irae is understandably dark but quite brief, but quickly rises itself up out of the depths with unison choir with a return of the main theme sung quietly by the choir. Listen here.

In Paradisum (In Paradise): The final and most cherubic of the Requiem. The organ provides a gentle lulling with accompanying muted strings, closing the Requiem into a peaceful serenity. Listen here.

Fauré was not a religious man, but seemed to have understood life’s journey in a very optimistic and simplistic manner. Through his Requiem, he assures the listener that there is nothing to fear at the end of life, and that perhaps a more peaceful existence awaits us.

* I chose the French translation to honor Fauré’s gentle masterpiece, but also because “Lullaby of Death” in English sounds too depressing…

*****

Please join us this weekend to hear Fauré’s Requiem, along with Mahler’s Songs of the Wayfarer (featuring Hugh Russell) and Dvořák Symphony No. 7 ~ this Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00 PM at the Hilbert Circle Theatre, featuring the ISO debut of Finnish conductor Pietari Inkinen.

www.indianapolissymphony.org