Things to do Indianapolis

Mark Newman is the ISO's Vice President of Marketing and Communications. I've turned my blog over to him so that he can remind you about the ISO's user-friendly Your Season~Your Way flexible subscription packaging. 

 The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is changing . . . evolving more accurately.  Much of the impetus for this evolution has been you—our patrons, fans and friends—and your changing lifestyle.  For some time, we’ve known that a traditional fixed subscription package didn’t fit everyone.  In response to that, we created Your Season~Your Way, a flexible alternative that allows you to create your own personalized concert package to fit your music preferences, schedule and wallet.

Your Season~Your Way suits all kinds of people with all sorts of lifestyles.  Here are a few examples:

Eclectics - If you’re the kind of music lover who enjoys both the ISO’s Classical and Pops series, then Your Season ~ Your Way is for you.  It lets you mix and match from both series as well as our new line-up of casual Classical programs, Symphonic Hits.  Imagine bundling Joshua Bell, Andre Watts, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, the music of Paul McCartney and Cirque de la Symphonie in one concert series!  It doesn’t get much more eclectic than that.

Snowbirds - Say you spend part of your winter down south and can no longer make all the concerts in your traditional fixed package.  You should consider Your Season~Your Way as an option.  It allows you to fit ISO concerts into your busy travel schedule.

Power Brokers – Are you used to power lunches and power meetings?  How about a power concert series?  Your Season~Your Way is your ticket to the most inspiring music the ISO has to offer.

Workaholics - Maybe your work schedule is such that you only have select Fridays or Saturdays available for play.  Your Season~Your Way allows you to pick the concert dates that fit best with your hectic calendar. 

Penny Pinchers - Perhaps you just don’t want to make as big a financial commitment as a traditional fixed package typically requires.  The beauty of Your Season~Your Way is that you can pick as few as five concerts or as many as you like.  Regardless of how many concerts you choose, the one constant is that you’ll always save with Your Season~Your Way. 

To get a full taste of what we have in store for next season, I invite you to visit our website. I also invite you to go to our website to sign up for Your Season~Your Way.  Or, you might consider calling one of our Customer Care Representatives at 317.639.4300.  They’ll help you construct the perfect package. 

One thing we know for sure at the ISO is that life is better with music, and we feel we do a pretty good job of creating it.  I hope you’ll consider joining us next season at the Hilbert Circle Theatre!  What would be your perfect concert package?  Feel free to comment!
 

A Day at the "Strings and Jazzy Things" Camp
Regina Henderson, ISO Learning Community/MYO Intern
Valparaiso Univerity '11
 
 

On Tuesday June 8^th, I had the wonderful opportunity to observe the annual summer music camp called “Strings and Jazzy Things.” After creating quite a journey for myself on my way to Broad Ripple High School, I wasn’t sure what I should be expecting and had no idea where I was going once I walked into the school. However, I finally found the registration area and set off on a mission to find Betty Perry who was in the midst of a rehearsal with a large group of young musicians. At first, I didn’t know what to expect coming out of such a variety of students, but hearing them rehearse was refreshing. I was excited to learn that it was only their 2^nd day rehearsing and they sounded so great!

After the morning rehearsal, Betty gave me the run down of everything going on that day and introduced me to several of the volunteers and teachers donating their time to such a wonderful cause. She also introduced me to a few MYO members and told me the awesome news about MYO getting invited to participate in a Berklee music camp next summer! After that, we found our way to a master class of how to perform jazz music. Dr. Monika Hertzig, led a large group of kids in a workshop demonstrating what jazz music is. After running through the “blues” scale and going over some basic jazz rhythms, it was time to do some solos! There were a few kids brave enough to volunteer while others were convinced to do one. It was fun to watch how these young musicians let their creativity and energy flow into these wonderful solos.   After the jazz workshop, it was time to watch the pros do their thing and play some of their original pieces. The short concert was a nice break in the day and very enjoyable to listen to.

Once the jazz workshop was over, it was time to grab some lunch and then break off into sectionals. I went around to the violin and viola sectionals to observe and take some pictures. This is when trumpeter, Mike Buselli came in to give the younger kids a master class on improvisation while the older ones were having sectionals. It was interesting to hear his story about why he plays the trumpet and how he conveys his emotions through his instrument. After that, there were several kids geared up and ready to volunteer their improvisatory skills and prove that they could express emotions through their playing. 

After a few exercises with triads and the “blues” scale, it was time to put their freshly learned skills to the test! Mr. Buselli was able to get a few volunteers to join him in front of everyone else and improve an emotion on their instruments while the class had to guess what emotion they were trying to convey. They did this with a couple more groups as well and all of the kids who volunteered were quite impressive! After the improv class, it was time for me to head out. I was so happy to know that summer music programs in Indianapolis like "Strings and Jazzy Things" still exist today and it is evident that these kids are learning so much from it!

Daniel Spilsbury ("DJ") works as an intern in the marketing & communications department at the ISO. DJ just finished following the Butler University basketball team on their journey to the championship game.  Why? DJ is a proud member of the pep band!  Here's his story.

Of all the things I could brag about, the one I enjoy the most is the fact I got paid to go every step of the way along the NCAA tournament with the Butler basketball team.  For four years I’ve supported Butler basketball as a member of the pep band.  The whirlwind excitement swept us all up as we made our journey from San Jose to Salt Lake City to our very home Indianapolis.

On the outset of the tournament the band and cheerleaders provided a large support system for the team.  Being a couple of thousand miles from home and being from a small school tends to do that.  Our music and cheers always energized the crowd that was cheering for us, in a way that music played over the PA never seemed to do.  I also think our support may have provided a small comfort for the team, a small section always cheering for them even in the toughest of times.

As the team progressed the number of Butler fans grew and the team gained a certain noticeable fame.  Our jobs quickly turned from spirit squad to live entertainment.  We kept cheering, but the focus of our music changed from “support the team” to “keep the audience entertained while the game was on pause.”  

When the Final Four games rolled around this became very important.  We’d made it pretty far, but the teams we faced were tough.  People were on the edge of their seats during most of the game.  And when the time outs were called it was nerve wracking.  The pep band broke a lot of the tension with some real fun tunes like “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.”  We also gave fans heart with the “Butler War Song” and the R-U-a bulldog chant.

I think the fans would not be able to completely enjoy any game without some form of music on their side.  PA music just lacks the life and excitement of a live band.  It can’t choose songs to play based on how either team is doing.  It can’t bring a crowd to cheer for their team.  But as a band, we can support the team, the fans, and represent Butler as a whole.  And we would not be anywhere without the basketball team or the Butler Way.

Go Dawgs!

Recently, ISO double bassist Brian Smith, was interviewed for a video project about the importance of arts in our community. After providing a brief answer to the question, “What argument would you make to those in non-artistic professions to support the need for the arts in society,” Brian spent some more time thinking about it and provided the following thoughts.

I was asked recently what argument I would make to those in non-artistic professions to support the need for the arts in society (the assertion by some being that the arts have no real significance in our community). I mean, it's just another form of entertainment, right?  My answer at the time was that the arts, and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in particular, provide not only an entertainment option, but an avenue to explore the emotional and philosophical aspects of our world in a way that other mediums don't allow. If we do our jobs onstage well, performances will take on a life of their own for every audience member listening and each will react differently, based on their own experience, in a personally meaningful way. I believe this is absolutely true, but there is more to the story.

The arts are everywhere in each of our lives, whether we recognize them or not. Consider for a moment going to a movie that contained no music, a wedding with no first dance, or even just turning on the radio and hearing nothing but static. There would be no plays, movies, or TV shows without actors, no sculpture or painting to enhance our homes and workplaces without artists. The arts permeate every part of our lives. They can inspire, console, frighten, and uplift. The arts are like a language that we all speak, and without knowing why, can affect us profoundly. As a musician, I know first hand the benefits of studying an art form. Music can teach us many valuable lessons applicable to other parts of our lives. One lesson of critical importance deals with problem solving and abstract thinking. Have you ever wondered why you can listen to the same piece of music played by multiple performers and have dramatically different experiences? It is due in large part to the fact that each performer must make choices and solve problems in a way that is unique to them, thus creating a new and different interpretation of the work. Among other things, performers must decide for themselves how a piece should paced, phrased, and presented. Then they must figure out a way to achieve that vision. In other words, they have to solve a myriad of problems that will likely involve techniques that they are comfortable with and the integration of new ideas that may be unexplored for them to that point of their development.

To continually progress as an artist, you must, to coin an overused cliche, "think outside the box" as often as possible. Another part of being a musician is, just like mom used to say, learning to play well with others. Most musical performances require collaboration with other artists, whether it be with a large ensemble like the ISO, or a solo recital which usually requires accompaniment of some kind. Communication and compromising skills are essential in these settings and one must learn them quickly if they wish to have success on stage. But the most beautiful and engaging part of any artistic endeavor is the opportunity for people to create and express themselves in unique and personal ways. So often in our formative years we are told to study academic subjects such as mathematics, science, and grammar. While these subject matters are crucial in all our lives, students have far fewer opportunities to explore their creativity and how it may help and impact them in other parts of their lives. Perhaps more than anything else, this is the most important reason why everyone should support the arts.

This video will be shown at the Arts Council of Indianapolis’ annual Start with Art luncheon on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009.

by Shannon Neumeyer, marketing & communications intern

The year is 1990.  I was two years old, soon to be three.  We drove the slightly long drive to Connor Prairie to see a Symphony on the Prairie concert for the evening.  I was so excited to go and my favorite thing to do was run down the hills as soon as we got there.  It was warm and bright, and I watched as many other people arrived.  I was happy to see lots of other kids I could play with as the concert was going on.  We brought a blanket, food and lots of toys so I could play with my sister.  The music was pretty and I sat on my mom’s lap while watching the people play on the big stage.  Soon, it got dark and it made the stage light up.  As the concert ended, I was thrilled as I saw balloons being released into the air.  It was definitely an unforgettable evening with the symphony.