A Bass-ic Understanding

Now that the calendar has turned to April and the gray, cold days of winter are gone for a while, signs of brighter days are appearing everywhere.  Winter coats hung in the closet, new buds on trees, and enjoying the great outdoors are all signs of the rejuvenation that comes with spring.

Maybe the weather had something to do with the renewed sense of energy on stage at the theater this past weekend. After a well deserved week of vacation, the orchestra welcomed Mark Wigglesworth back the podium for a concert featuring Rachmaninoff's second symphony and the first concerto for piano and orchestra by Beethoven (performed by Adam Golka).  Now often after a week off, when practicing for the next show isn't always high on anyone's priority list, it can take a little time to get back into the swing of things.  I am very happy to report that this was not a problem for us this time around.  

As many of you probably are aware, we are in the midst of a search for our next music director at the ISO.  This being the case, many of us are watching very carefully to see what each guest conductor brings to the table, gauging our interest in working with him or her again, and vice versa.  While I can't speak for my colleagues, I found that we responded quickly and very positively to maestro Wigglesworth's style of conducting.  

Very often conductors try to control every part of the musical presentation when they stand before an orchestra.  For example, they might demand exact and unwavering ideas about phrasing and articulation choices, leaving no room for the musicians to add their own individuality to the mix.  While some parameters must be set by the conductor (tempo, dynamic balancing, some general style points), the real masters of the craft understand that music making is a collaboration, and therefore some room for interpretation must be given to the players in the orchestra.

A good example of this give and take from this past weekend could be heard during the gorgeous and dramatic clarinet solo, played beautifully by our own David Bellman, in the slow movement of the second symphony. Wigglesworth helped to create a lush and tender backdrop for David to play above, taking the appropriate steps during rehearsals to do so, but never gave any specifics about how the solo should be played.  The result was spectacular as I am sure all those who heard it live would agree.  

Another enjoyable part of the week's rehearsals for me took place after the first read-through of the Beethoven, which begins with an extended introduction played by the orchestra before the piano solo enters.  During the first reading of the introduction, the orchestra's dynamic contrast, or the difference between the loud and soft sections, wasn't great enough for the maestro.  He spent several minutes working on just that one detail, as it is a prevailing theme in the piece.  I was stuck not only by the effectiveness of the change, but also at the effect it seemed to have on the stylistic phrasing the orchestra produced as a result.  We began to feel the shape and lilt of the music better as an ensemble.  Again a result of collaboration as opposed to dictation from the podium.  

The concerts were full of great energy and musical cohesion.  I hope many more weeks like this one are to come for all of us.  And I look forward to working with Mr. Wigglesworth again soon.   

Over the past few days a group of very talented young people could be seen milling about the backstage area of the Hilbert Circle Theater.  As they waited, many could be seen playing with cell phones or chatting with friends.  Things you might expect a group of teenagers to be doing to kill some time.  A passerby might see this gaggle of young men and women and think nothing was out of sorts, save the formal attire they were wearing.  But these people were far from your normal mall loitering youngsters.  They were the musicians of the Honor Orchestra of America, waiting their turn to impress an audience with their musical skill.  

The orchestra performs an hour before the ISO is to take the stage this weekend, presenting a very challenging, but well done, concert of Shostakovich's Festival Overture and Mussorgsky's Pictrures at an Exhibition.  

I know from personal experience what a week like this can mean and do for a young musician.  When I was in high school, I performed with a similar group in New Orleans.  I remember walking into the first rehearsal and being terrified.   I didn't know what to expect.  How would I stack up with the other players?  Is the music to difficult?  Excitement and fear were resonating through my brain, fighting for supremacy.  Thankfully, once the rehearsal began, and I took a deep breath, what followed helped me realize what I wanted to do with my life and propel me to make music a lifelong passion.  

All the performers on the stage with me were as dedicated and focused as I was on creating the best musical experience we could.  The feeling of comradery was like a wave making it's way to shore, slowing building in momentum and strength.  At the end of the week all that energy was released in a performance that was as powerful as any I have been a part of.  I was hooked.  

I have had many great experiences onstage since then, but I will always remember the one from New Orleans as a very special one.  I only hope that the members of the Honor Orchestra of America will take away a special memory of their own.

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.

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.  

But you know what.  That's just the way I like it.  Before joining the ISO's bass section a year and a half ago, I worked primarily as a freelance musician where you mix and match your schedule to perform with various orchestras on an as needed basis.  This also allows for one to take a week off to catch up if you want.  For this reason one of the biggest adjustments for me, but one I was happy to make, has been performing a different program every week we are on stage.  That means a lot more work at home to be ready to go for the next week's show, but I really enjoy the challenge of staying sharp and learning a large amount of repertoire regularly.

I remember when I was in school marveling at the number of projects many of the teachers would take on at the same time.  Many had orchestra jobs, chamber music groups, or other pet projects that required as much or more time as their teaching position.  I once asked such a teacher how he managed to get everything done and do it at a high level.  His answer was simple and poignant, as most truths tend to be.  He said, "I love what I do, but I won't be able to do it forever.  I want to bust my hump to be as good as I can be for as long as I can be, so I don't wonder 'what if' later."  I like that answer a lot.  

Classical musicians train for years, many beginning as children, to be able to perform the masterworks of Bach, Beethoven and the rest.  I for one feel very fortunate to be able to present them from week to week with the ISO, even if it does require a little more prep time.  Now if you will excuse me, I have to go practice.