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...
The ISO - A Great Night Out, Easy on the College Kid's Wallet


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...
It's a tradition!
Family
The Splendor of Strauss
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...
Read More »Bringing Brahms to Life
In
an effort to avoid a reputation as the intern who
creepily writes about composers' graves, I will refrain from
discussing what a transcendent experience I had visiting the
resting place of Johannes Brahms at the Zentralfriedhof ("Central
Cemetery") in Vienna. I will simply post a picture
instead (see left). In my excitement about the Indianapolis
Symphony Orchestra's performance of Brahms' Third Symphony
this weekend, I will however write a bit about the
fascinating man that was Johannes...Make Us Laugh
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.

What to Listen for in Mahler's First Symphony
Hello,
again!As I revealed in my last blog post, I absolutely love Mahler's First Symphony and cannot wait to hear the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra perform it this weekend! Although I am always intrigued by the soft opening chords, haunted by the funeral march, and excited by the rousing ending, what makes Mahler 1 so fascinating to me is the way in which Mahler incorporates various melodies and motifs from several different works to create a coherent symphony. While I once found Mahler 1...
"Carmina Burana" in Pop Culture
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...Read More »
My Photo Favorites from Symphony on the Prairie

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...Read More »
Three for Three
Classical Mystery Memories
As we drove home, looking at my race number, I saw that attached to it was admission...Read More »
Making Music, Changing Lives
The
title says it all. Making music and changing lives is what the
Indy Symphony does. And now, you have a very special chance to
help us change the lives of deserving children.On April 15, the Indianapolis Symphony and the Columbia Club will host "Making Music Changing Lives," a fundraising event for the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra (MYO), and we would love for you to join us!
MYO is an amazing program sponsored by the ISO's Learning Community that provides individual and chamber music lessons...Read More »
Symphonic Hits and a Conductorial Debut
Meet Dan Kamin, Star of The Classical Clown

On
Feb. 27, Dan Kamin will bring side-splitting, family-friendly
comedy to Hilbert Circle Theatre--without saying a word. In a
performance of
"The Classical Clown" with the ISO and
conductor David Glover, Kamin will play a mischievous clown who
battles the conductor for control of the orchestra. His masterful
physical comedy is sure to delight everyone from toddlers to their
grandparents.
Kamin's comedy resume is impressive--he trained Johnny Depp and
Robert Downey, Jr. for their acclaimed...
Three in Three
Wow.
I cannot believe that I've been the communications intern at the
ISO for three
weeks now! It has been a great experience so far and I'm sure it
will only continue to get better.
To commemorate my first three weeks at the ISO, I'm sharing "Three
in Three," three things I've learned about the symphony in my first
three weeks--and three things that you should know, too!
1. The ISO's music is truly phenomenal.
I must ashamedly admit that I had never been to an
ISO performance before starting my...
Yuletide Celebration Contest – Winner(s) Chosen!
Wow.
We received 49 blog entries for the Indianapolis Symphony
Orchestra's first Yuletide Celebration “Share Your
Favorite Yuletide Memory” contest! When the contest closed on
Friday, Dec. 3 at 5 p.m., I admit, I dreaded picking the
winner.
These 49 submissions are heart-felt stories of family traditions,
holiday cheer, inspiration, humor, generosity, loss, hope, love and
musical memories. The contest had no parameters or criteria;
and I wouldn’t have it any other way. We chose the...