I bet you have a friend or relative who likes to forward funny
emails. You know, the ones that say "Funniest Church Signs,"
"10 Things Never to Say to Women," (I can think of more than 10),
"Priceless Wedding Invitation from Mother of the Groom," or
"Awkward Family Photos."
Don't tell my mother-in-law (because she's the sender!), but I
usually disregard or delete most of these emails; however, the
Awkward Family Photos website is a must. I picked a few of my
holiday-themed favorites below.
The...
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Music can entertain us. Music can bring us to tears. Music can make
us exercise longer. Music can make us cheer. Music can help us
remember. Studies show that music can even heal.
And music has the power to distract, in a good way.
That's what Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Zach De
Pue was reminded of when he visited Brad Humphrey in the hospital.
Brad is a teenager who plays tennis and the violin. Tragically,
Brad was one of many severely injured during the Indiana State...
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If
two years ago anyone had told me that the Indianapolis
Symphony Orchestra concert for which I would be most
excited this season would be
Mahler's First Symphony, I would have called them
crazy.
For most of my life as a classical musician, I could
never bring myself to like or even understand Mahler's
compositions. Beethoven symphonies, Brahms sonatas, and even
Strauss tone poems made sense to me, but these long, loud, and
laborious Mahler works that call for an army of brass
players and...
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Hello, everyone!
My name is Shannon Draucker, and I'm the new Communications Intern
for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. I am so excited to be
here - meeting great people, listening to wonderful music, and
learning a lot about the organization!
After I was hired, I immediately visited the ISO's website to
peruse the program for this season. When I saw that the ISO,
joined by the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir and Children's Choir,
would be performing Carl Orff's masterwork
Carmina Burana,
I...
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If you asked me what's been happening this week, this is how I
would sum it up. Maestros. Mansions. Memory. Music. And Jimmy
Fallon.
Our new Music Director, Krzysztof Urbanski ("just call me Krzys")
arrived late Sunday evening. It's been a privilege for me to host
our maestro around town, especially to venues like Lucas Oil
Stadium for a photo shoot on Monday (Krzys will be appearing on the
cover of the winter edition of the Indianapolis Convention
& Visitors Association's 4/c visitor guide)....
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I purchased a new toy for myself last spring: a fancy-schmancy
Nikon 3100 digital camera (it also takes video, although I'm not
interested in reading that page yet in the handbook. One thing at a
time for this beginner).
I don't want to be a professional photographer or even an amateur
for that matter. I just want to play one on TV.
So this season, I put myself to work at several Marsh
Symphony on the Prairie performances to capture a bit
of the audience, the environment, the entertainers and...
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On Monday, Aug. 8, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's single
tickets went on sale to the public. In this
blog post, I mentioned a few
of my favorite pieces, concerts, moments that I was excited about,
and I also included what percussionist Paul Berns was looking
forward to.
And now, we have violinist Jennifer Greenlee and Principal Bassoon
John Wetherill submitting their picks. Lo and
behold...there's some similarity here!
From Jen Greenlee:
I found it difficult to
find highlights, because the...
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It's a big day at the Indianapolis Symphony
Orchestra on Monday, Aug. 8 at 9 a.m. That's when the flood
gates open and single ticket purchasers can "have at it" and secure
the best seat in the house for virtually any concert of their
choice (except
Yuletide Celebration - you'll have to wait
for late September, folks).
Which begs the question...what concert are you looking forward to
the most?
I know my picks. I blogged about
this particular piece of musica year ago. Thank goodness I get to...
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This week is one of those unusual weeks in the ISO calendar
when the orchestra players are just, well,
everywhere. Four
outdoor locations to be
exact. Welcome to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra - al
fresco style!
On Thursday, July 14, we travel west to the lovely town of
Danville,
Indiana and perform at the picturesque amphitheatre in
Ellis
Park. Danville boasts just over 8,000 residents and to my
naked eye, it seems like at least half of these friendly
folks enthusiastically attend this...
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I
love having contests on this blog. Contests allow us to give
away cool stuff like tickets and gift cards. Contests allow us to
get the word out about Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra concerts,
events and programs so that more people attend. Most importantly,
contests allow us to hear from you - our blog readers - and
interact with you.
But when it comes time to pick the winner, I'm not a fan of our
contests. It's the old cliche...you're all winners in my
book. So, I will follow my own rules,...
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My husband and I have been going to the Symphony on the Prairie
since before we got married. We have been married for 8 years.
Though the last few years we had not been able to go. We were
really sad about that. We have a 4 year old daughter. Last year we
decided we would like to take our daughter. She loves music. We
went to te Beatles tribute. We had a blast with her. She danced and
loved that we had a picnic at night. We love the prairie it is so
peacful and relaxing. We would love to come...
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It all started August 8, 2009 while watching the "Mozart in
Moonlight" of the Marsh
Symphony on the Prairie concert
series. I was by myself watching the concert that night because all
the friends I invited to watch this concert were either at work or
had other plans or plain not interested with classical music at
all. I was at that time enjoying my independence at 33 years of
age, single and unattached, living at my very own apartment and
simply enriching my life. Then there was this gentleman...
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After graduating from DePauw University in May 2009, two of my
friends and I stayed at our alma mater working various jobs, trying
to fend off real life just that much longer. The economy was
uncertain, and our futures looked like they might be bleak for a
while. We enjoyed spending time together, but our worries about the
new chapters of our lives made it hard for us to live in any given
moment. Every time I smiled, I felt like I had a hornet’s nest in
my throat. Misery was spreading around the...
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Hi
Everyone:
I have not written for awhile - just too busy.! But, we are
getting excited about this summer's run at
Symphony
on the Prairie. The music looks
fantastic.
Was at Home Depot (kitchen remodeling project and porch furniture)
and I saw a couple picking out chairs and discussing if the
attached umbrella would bother other concert goers at the
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra concerts this summer.
So, we struck up a conversation - they recognized me (darn
pony tail). A great couple -...
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We had season tickets to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra back
in the '80s and went to
Symphony on the Prairie a few
times back then, but then we moved away from Indy and could come
back only occasionally. We still have two daughters and their
families in the Indianapolis area, so last year I bought a Value
Pack so we could all go to Symphony on the Prairie together,
including our ten, nine and two year old grandchildren. We chose
the concert with Maestro Urbanski, and knew right then he...
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My husband and I brought our two boys (ages 10 and 12 at the time)
to see the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra perform Queen.
We put our blankets and chairs down, ate dinner and waited for the
concert to start. Our youngest wanted to go down in front of the
stage when it started, so one of us went with him. Slowly, more and
more people came down, and eventually our whole family was front
and center. We all sang and danced through the whole concert and
never went back to our chairs! It felt like a...
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Hard to believe, but the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's Marsh
Symphony on the Prairie series is celebrating its 30th
season this summer.
It's funny how much has changed (the orchestra
under a tent ca. 1986).
And what still remains the same (our Nike swooshes
and bangs are smaller now, but thank goodness you can still sit
back, relax and listen to great symphonic music under the
stars).
What are your memories of
Symphony on the Prairie through
the years? Do you have a favorite performance? A...
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The
final
Symphonic Hits of the season is upon us, and in fact, it's
the final week of the Indianapolis Symphony Orcehstra's Classical
Season. Next week, summer officially begins with the
Indianapolis Symphony's move out to the
Prairie. For this last concert, we're hearing Beethoven's
final two symphonies led by Music Director Emmeritus, Raymond
Leppard.
These two works are as different as they could be. The 8th
Symphony is bubbly and delightful (it even lacks a slow movement),
and imitates...
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Hello,
again!
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