tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30068258604356300762024-02-20T01:00:34.323-08:00NobilmenteWelcome! Here you will find my thoughts on current events, life, books, recordings...and of course, the craft of musicmaking!nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.comBlogger215125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-7535793687782093422020-11-08T22:11:00.011-08:002020-11-08T22:27:06.827-08:00Thank you, Vice-President Kamala Harris <p> </p><p><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqtwhjr0DOpCg0fBECxVnoI377Dcb5rXuTCjs8S32mm1jjrsCtJtPDGYzKQ8KcYZ2H3r3OtLDJNfQC1ZXumGbqtEmBNuTb5Hi5XwwJTg92Nopv3xeEyLlG3kwz0pD_lgHcvG34xmSvTQ/s640/Kamala+Harris.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqtwhjr0DOpCg0fBECxVnoI377Dcb5rXuTCjs8S32mm1jjrsCtJtPDGYzKQ8KcYZ2H3r3OtLDJNfQC1ZXumGbqtEmBNuTb5Hi5XwwJTg92Nopv3xeEyLlG3kwz0pD_lgHcvG34xmSvTQ/s320/Kamala+Harris.jpg" /></a></div><br />Remembering my very early childhood when I learned how to ride the bus:<p></p><br style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;">On her days off, Mom would take my sister </span><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl oo9gr5id gpro0wi8 lrazzd5p" href="https://www.facebook.com/sherrie.thompson?__tn__=-]K*F" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0"><div class="nc684nl6" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sherrie Thompson</span></div></a></span><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;"> and me into downtown Charleston. There was only one car, so we rode the bus. Mom taught us how to board, which first and foremost included greeting the bus driver, after which we would put our bus fare into the machine.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;">Those trips downtown in the early 70s always included a trip to the KRESS lunch counter. An adventure for a four-year-old, definitely.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl py34i1dx gpro0wi8" href="https://www.scpictureproject.org/charleston-county/s-h-kress-building.html?fbclid=IwAR2Kn3yh2yf3-VMhhXn-ET8p3cPhfKN0DYmOj0ixLCUZB_4jl0rcbOHnHjY" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://www.scpictureproject.org/.../s-h-kress-building.html</a></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;">Simultaneously, as we lived in public housing, Mom and Dad were members of the Tenants' Association - this was before moving to the Waylyn neighborhood (where my mother still lives) and attending Brentwood Elementary then Brentwood Middle School and Gordon H. Garrett High School. Both the Tenants' Association building and the neighborhood Head Start were located between the Ben Tillman and George Legare housing projects, just above "the field" where children living in "dueling" housing projects met, smiled, squealed, played, and held homemade kite relays.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;">Strange that I would go to tenants' meetings at the Tenants' Center with my parents and watch movies about lead paint, and even more strange that the first book of poetry that I read was Langston Hughes' last - "<a href="https://aalbc.com/books/bookreview.php?isbn13=9780195091144" target="_blank">Black Miser</a>y" - while not understanding the significance of the family trips into downtown Charleston during which we sat at soda counters, a simple act that just a few years before was a privilege denied.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;">As we get older, hopefully we learn history - not just what they teach us in high school and specialized college general education courses. Now, as an adult, I have some knowledge (won't say "I understand") and recognize the significance of things....and here we are.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;">Deepest thanks to all who made this happen, and thank you so much, Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, for "taking us over that line."</span>nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-30345155104742141532020-05-15T18:58:00.003-07:002020-05-15T18:58:59.430-07:00"Candles in the Rain" - 1970, Melanie Safka and the Edwin Hawkins Singers<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-DJOF8W8ZA" target="_blank"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-DJOF8W8ZA" target="_blank">So, here we are</a>. "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1482sif-y8" target="_blank">Welcome to the real world</a>".</div>
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Today marks the beginning of my sixth year living in a third floor apartment on the corner of Saint Paul and Read in Baltimore's Mount Vernon neighborhood. Yes, I moved into this place in 2015 just a few weeks after the Baltimore Uprising.<br />
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That time aside: if anyone would have told me five years ago that I would be spending two months under a "shelter-in-place" order, I MIGHT have laughed. <br />
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Five years later, here we are. Five years later, here I am, and during these five years I have realized how important "home" is. My realization has included everything from decorating (finally had concert posters framed) to maintenance (it was only a year ago that the kitchen was totally renovated - an example of "overwhelming necessity"), and now purchasing foam-backed blackout curtains because this third floor living, while wonderful, features tremendous summer sunset light as the windows face the east. <br />
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Yea, it get's hot in here....and it's getting hot in here.<br />
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The decision to (FINALLY?!) order foam-backed blackout curtains may seem curious to many of you (you've been living there for HOW LONG?!) - and moreso now as COVID-19 continues to shape the way that we live, gather, and SPEND - but it's been "on the docket" for a while. Personally, it's strange for me as I'm making this choice while realizing that, for financial reasons, I may have to leave this beautiful space (downsizing) at some point between now and October...but all of that aside.<br />
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"Quarantine" means many different things to all of us, and during this time I have- despite reaching a "rock bottom crackup" a few weeks ago - been listening on many levels.<br />
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The first level: a teacher/mentor/friend who is downsizing sent me a box of compact discs. Oh, the discoveries! I have made it the point to choose something unfamiliar every day.<br />
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The SECOND level: going through memories, which include my being a high school student and hearing Melanie Safka's "(Lay Down) Candles in the Rain". While I was stunned upon first hearing as a high school student in 1986, I am grateful to live now with a glimpse of understanding.<br />
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I need not say anymore....just read, listen, and think about where we are today....</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaiT8gATzxc" target="_blank">Melanie Safka and the Edwin Hawkins Singers</a><br />
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<a href="https://americansongwriter.com/melanie-lay-down-candles-in-the-rain/" target="_blank"><br /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "lora"; font-size: 18px;"><a href="https://americansongwriter.com/melanie-lay-down-candles-in-the-rain/" target="_blank">Speaking of how she wrote “(Lay Down) Candles In The Rain,” Melanie says, “I left that field with that song in my head, the anthemic part.” The lyrics speak to the sense of community that washed over Safka on that magical night. “It was this incredible flow of human power being directed toward me,” she says. “And I got to see the hillside light up like so many fireflies.”</a></span></div>
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Melanie got some assistance on the song from the Edwin Hawkins Singers, who had their own gospel hit with their arrangement of “Oh Happy Day” two years earlier. Melanie had to beg the group to join her on the song, since they were reluctant to perform any song that didn’t make sepcific mention of the Lord. “But he’s in there,” she told them in the studio, and she must have been convincing. “By the time I finished singing,” Safka says, “they were joining me in the chorus.”</div>
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It was an unlikely combination of folk introspection and gospel exultation, and it’s refreshing to think of an era in music when such a song could conquer the charts. Melanie attributes some of its success to the time period in which it was released. Not only was there the Woodstock connection, but the song also spoke to those fed up with the Vietnam War. “It gave it a lot of poignance that it might not have had if it happened at another time,” she says.</div>
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nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-15624902451375720282020-03-26T20:57:00.002-07:002020-03-26T20:57:44.827-07:00Day Whatever....<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As I write this, I have to refer to a meme that I saw today in which we were told "I don't know who needs to hear this, but today is Thursday, March 26."<br /><br />I spent most of Thursday, March 26, 2020 under the covers of my bed. While that may seem "lazy" to many, especially in light of the state-of-the-world, this was purposeful. March 26, 2020 would have been my father's eightieth birthday, and I guess I needed some time to think about that.<br /><br />Nevertheless, a few days ago I wrote a typical "Library of Congress" length Facebook post, and I humbly ask that we revisit that post:<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Day whatever: grateful to have received what I did from Food Rescue Baltimore this afternoon, and even moreso for my neighbor Paula who brought me a pound of rice, a jar of peanut butter, and what can only be called a "hunk" of cheese...<br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Strange to live in Mount Vernon and find the streets empty, and to see the city buses empty...<br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Grateful that I can trust my intuition, as the "something's wrong" thought that filled my brain this morning went away upon coming home this afternoon to see THREE fire trucks on the 900 block of St. Paul Street. Fortunately, no building went down and to my knowledge no one was affected, but solar plexus energy is NO JOKE, y'all....<br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Grateful to have had the ability to say "I need to lie down" in the middle of the afternoon and to do so in a clean, quiet apartment while rains fell...<br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Grateful to have seen a neighbor at the store tonight who, while I was walking home, drove by and asked 'Are you okay? Are you able to work from home?'<br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Grateful as always for <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=1287008837&extragetparams=%7B%22__tn__%22%3A%22%2CdK-R-R%22%2C%22eid%22%3A%22ARAw0WUXNvw5KwvczkeFS94oNGiMZ8SaDImQzWLpyOaqZiHEvQYaZh615TLSCjTyFBTb6_Ew_lZL5oXD%22%2C%22fref%22%3A%22mentions%22%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/kimberly.johnson.3597789?__tn__=%2CdK-R-R&eid=ARAw0WUXNvw5KwvczkeFS94oNGiMZ8SaDImQzWLpyOaqZiHEvQYaZh615TLSCjTyFBTb6_Ew_lZL5oXD&fref=mentions" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Kimberly Johnson">Kimberly Johnson</a> and our tradition of end-of-the-day checkins that has existed for a few years...<br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Grateful to be in my home and typing while shawarma chicken is cooking alongside the beets and sweet potatoes that are roasting as I type...<br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Grateful to have taken the day away from C-Span, local and national news ...<br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Grateful to have made the choice to step away from the noise to remember my truly fearless cousin Russell Sabb (and there's a story that I can tell you if you wish to hear privately as that moment twenty years ago was a real life-changer)....<br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"...but still: I'm tired. Many of you who know me know that one of my strengths is also one of my weaknesses, that being that the heart is on the sleeve and that the emotions sometimes have no container...but we're all tired, no?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"We're all grappling with this in so many ways, from some worst-case scenario planning to those having worst-case scenarios and income losses thrown into their faces. I shudder as I think of my friends and colleagues who have lost probably tens of thousands of dollars due to cancellations and will be forced to make draconian decisions (as I may have to in a few months).<br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"We're all tired: As I have primarily worked from home since August 2019, the joy that I had due to being able to watch all of the impeachment hearings on C-Span has been replaced by the profound desire NOT to tune in to the daily updates and watch both a national and world leader step to the podium with the posture of a studio class colleague who never practiced and never accepted the new routines being deathly afraid to pick up the fiddle and play Kreutzer #2, 4, 7, and 13....profoundly afraid for a bad rating, profoundly afraid for a "bad look", profoundly afraid of a shaking bow....<br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"...but the reality is this: those of us who understand our positions and the responsibilities of those positions "lean in". Those of us who have performance anxiety do the work to get through: therapy, Kato Havas, yoga, meditation, reschooling and retooling, seeking advice and humbling ourselves....<br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"...While we ARE definitely seeing the needed leadership from officials including Maryland governor Larry Hogan, New York governor Andrew Cuomo, and countless others, we're not seeing this from the Commander in Chief now, and I shall not comment on the article that I read today in which the person responsible for leading our nation out of a pandemic said that he has to this day NOT consulted past presidents for advice.<br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"THAT fact alone should be enough for everyone, but unfortunately it will not be.<br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Dear departed cousin Russell Sabb would approve of this message, as he was tired as well..."<br /><br />More from the ground coming later,<br />Samuel Thompson</span></div>
nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-92189830299104949322020-03-24T17:32:00.000-07:002020-03-24T17:38:35.187-07:00Terrence McNally....<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Note: this started as a Facebook post on the evening of Monday, March 23, 2020 and has been both expanded and edited.</b></span></i><br />
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Based on some of my Facebook posts, a dear friend referred to me a "Concierge Music Services: Always Playing the Perfect Soundtrack of the Moment". While that was meant as part joke and part serious, I find myself at a loss these days. As a child of the 80s, I remember the fear, suspicion, outrage and governmental inaction that surrounded the AIDS crisis. For those who do not remember, there is a both fascinating and sobering <a href="https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/" target="_blank">Independent Lens</a> documentary titled <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/films/we-were-here/" target="_blank">We Were Here</a>. </i>This documentary is focused on the city of San Francisco (and if you can, watch this on a large screen, specifically for one scene), but focuses on five people.<br />
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According to the Sundance Film Review: "...<a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/sundance-review-deeply-affecting-doc-81845" target="_blank">this is a rare AIDS movie that is affirmative rather than depressing. That is because of the lessons the survivors gleaned from these dark days. They recall the spirit of caring and camaraderie that transformed the gay community in San Francisco and also awakened the compassion of many straight Americans who went through a sea change in their attitudes towards homosexuality. The film is not airbrushed. Many of the memories are start, such s Eileens' recollection of removing the eyes of dead patients in order to gain an understanding of a mysterious virus that caused blindness in a number of AIDS victims. Despite the painful memories they share, their honesty and clear-eyed intelligence help to provide a sense of healing.</a>"<br />
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It is more than safe to say that in fifty years, there will be COVID-19 documentaries, especially considering that it was announced today that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/24/theater/terrence-mcnally-dead-coronavirus.html" target="_blank">Terrence McNally, who was referred to as the "Tony Award-winning playwright of Gay Life</a>", died today at 81 due to complications of the coronavirus.<br />
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While I WAS going to embellish yesterday's Facebook post: in light of Mr. McNally's passing (and the present-day irony of his passing based on his life), I shall not, and I have no words to go forward. There are only questions.....<br />
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nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-28871391664296840482019-07-24T00:22:00.001-07:002019-07-24T23:06:07.551-07:00Enlightenment, confusion, and "doublespeak": or, What happens to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in September?So, in a recent <i>Baltimore Sun</i> article, current President and CEO Peter Kjome has asserted that management "<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bs-fe-bso-audit-20190715-p6wmrds5wrdplnihgcqhkt73fm-story.html" target="_blank">plans to welcome the players back to work on September 9 and to pay them the wages they received under their most recent collective bargaining agreement, which expired in January 2019</a>."<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">First, let's be clear: in case you haven't been paying attention, the "most recent collective bargaining agreement" <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/bs-fe-bso-contract-20181029-story.html" target="_blank">actually expired on September 9, 2018</a> and was extended retroactively, that extension ending on January 15, 2019.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /><br />Second, yet equally as important: a few weeks ago, Mr. Kjome shared a vague statement that was basically <i>torched</i> by two people with a depth of experience in nonprofit arts management, orchestral governance and orchestral work conflicts.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /><br />In a <i>Baltimore Sun</i> article published on June 27, 2019, Mr. Kjome is quoted as saying that "If an agreement has not been reached by Sunday, September 8, 2019, the BSO will terminate the lockout on Monday, September 9, 2019. Work will be provided to bargaining unit employees beginning on that date."</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><br /><b>"<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bs-fe-bso-insurance-20190627-story.html" target="_blank">BSO offers musicia</a></b></span><b><a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bs-fe-bso-insurance-20190627-story.html" target="_blank">ns health insurance extension amid contract dispute</a><span style="background-color: white;">"</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></b></span>
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Mixed with other articles, here are the responses to the current President and CEO's statement about "work being offered":<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /><a href="https://maskoftheflowerprince.wordpress.com/2019/07/11/or-its-accredited-successor/" target="_blank">"Or Its Accredited Successor"</a> <a href="https://maskoftheflowerprince.wordpress.com/about/" target="_blank">(<i>Mask of the Flower Prince</i></a>)<br /><br />"<a href="https://songofthelarkblog.com/2019/07/12/the-baltimore-symphony-burning-gifts-and-burning-gifs/" target="_blank">The Baltimore Symphony: Burning Gifts and Burning GIFs</a>" (<a href="https://songofthelarkblog.com/about/" target="_blank"><i>Song of the Lark</i></a>)<br /><br /><br />(Side note: how fascinating to see that despite former Minnesota Orchestra CEO Michael Henson's assertion that "blogs are senseless and must be ignored", the blog entries shared were followed by immediate "message changes", including the current BSO President and CEO asserting that management "plans to welcome the players back to work on September 9 and to pay them the wages they receives under their most recent collective bargaining agreement, which expired in January.") </span><br />
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While Mr. Kjome's words about the end of this "lockout" could be seen as heartening, we must take a moment to look at both language ("rhetoric") and reality.<br />
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"<i>If an agreement has <b>not</b> been reached</i>"....folks, that's not how contract negotiations play out when the employees are represented by a union. We'll come back to this, though, as today's news again contained both clues to the future, yet <i><b>another </b></i>baffling statement from the current Baltimore Symphony Orchestra President and CEO, and a bit of clarity from Mary Plaine, current Secretary/Treasurer of <a href="https://www.musiciansunion.org/" target="_blank">Local 40-543 of the American Federation of Musician</a>s.<br />
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On Monday, July 22, 2019, an article published in the <i><b>Baltimore Sun</b></i> chronicled <i>changes both in the date of the annual Baltimore Symphony gala and the scheduled performer</i>.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bs-fe-bso-gala-20190722-6id6hb7mzvfgbeuxxhhlw6rmce-story.html" target="_blank">"Citing labor dispute, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra postpones fundraising gala; Renee Fleming won't appear"</a> </b><i>(Baltimore Sun, July 22, 2019)</i><br />
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THAT I shall leave for you to read on your own. However, to cite a parallel it is necessary to revisit October 2010 and the early weeks of the<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_Symphony_Orchestra#2010%E2%80%932011_DSO_musicians_strike_and_aftermath" target="_blank"> Detroit Symphony strike</a> (October 4, 2010-April 3, 2011).<br />
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From <b><i>The Strad</i></b>: "[Violinist Sarah] Chang had been due to perform as soloist with the orchestra in its season-opening concert. But after the players began strike action on 4 October, it was announced that she would instead perform a recital programme. DSO musicians, who are fighting against salary and benefit cuts (<i>sound familiar?</i>), wrote to Chang, pleading with her not to cross the picket line and perform. The chairman of f the <a href="https://icsom.org/" target="_blank">International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians</a>, which represents 4,200 orchestral players in the US, did the same. Strongly worded messages were also sent to her fan-created Facebook page.<br />
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"Explaining her decision to withdraw from the recital, Chang said in a statement: 'My original intention to bring music to the community has been derailed and I have been unwillingly drawn into an inner dispute that does not appropriately involve me'."<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.thestrad.com/violinist-sarah-chang-pulls-out-of-detroit-recital/6332.article" target="_blank">Violinist Sarah Chang pulls out of Detroit recital</a> (</b><i>The Strad</i>, October 9, 2010<b>)</b><br />
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Regarding the delayed-yet-upcoming Baltimore Symphony gala: "The gala is the orchestra's biggest fundraiser and includes a black-tie dinner, a concert at which tickers are sold for premium prices and a post-concert reception. The previously-announced headlines, opera singer Renee Fleming, is unavailable in May, according to the release. Instead, the violinist Itzhak Perlman will be the gala's star guest artist."<br />
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So: a decision was made to postpone a gala for eight months. According to a comment posted at Norman Lebrecht's <a href="https://slippedisc.com/2019/07/perlman-replaces-fleming-in-baltimore-gala-fiasco/" target="_blank">Slipped Disc</a>, gala invitations were mailed out within the past two weeks, and notifications of the rescheduling and new guest artist were sent via email.<br />
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The recent <i>Baltimore Sun</i> article also shares the "new" plans for the season opening, plans that were also shared in the <i>Baltimore Business Journal</i>: "In place of the gala, the orchestra plans to host a <b><i>free season preview concert</i></b> on September 14 at 8pm at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall".<br />
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"<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2019/07/22/bso-reschedules-gala-to-2020amid-contract-dispute.html" target="_blank">BSO reschedules gala to 2020 amid contract dispute</a>"<i>(Baltimore Business Journal, July 22, 2019)</i><br />
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Of course, one cannot ignore the current BSO President and CEO's inexplicably upbeat tone in the <i>Baltimore Sun</i>: "He said in the release that he is 'grateful' to those who have already promised donations to the gala and added that he looks forward 'to expressing our gratitude to our community by launching our new season with free concerts featuring out extraordinary musicians'."<br />
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SO, to summarize:<br />
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1. <i>Gala invitations were printed and mailed despite the fact that the musicians of the Baltimore Symphony have been locked out by their executive management and Board of Directors since June 17, 2019</i> (For the record, this has gone on now for <b>thirty-nine days</b>. While "summer vacation" may make this not seem real, just wait until the 2019-20 concert seasons starts)<br />
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2. <i>Approximately eight days after invitations were mailed, an email was drafted and sent. In that email, the contract dispute is shared as the reason that the gala has been postponed until May 9, 2020</i>. <i>Due to scheduling, Renee Fleming is not available as previously announced, and Itzhak Perlman has been secured as the headliner. </i><br />
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Please understand that this date is near the <b>END</b> of the proposed 2019-20 season, and while the current President and CEO insists that this eight-month delay will not affect the organization's bottom line, this rescheduled gala also takes place<b><i> less than three months</i></b> after most arts organizations announce their upcoming concert seasons (<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/bs-fe-bso-upcoming-season-20190222-story.html" target="_blank">case in point: the Baltimore Symphony's 2019-20 concert season was announced on February 22, 2019</a>). Concert seasons are announced in late winter-early spring so that subscriptions can be sold and revenue generated.<br />
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3. Over the past thirty-nine days, the current Baltimore Symphony President and CEO has made continuously changing statements about the duration of this lockout:<br />
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- <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bs-fe-bso-insurance-20190627-story.html" target="_blank">"If an agreement has not been reached by Sunday, September 8, 2019, the BSO will terminate the lockout on Monday, September 9, 2019. Work will be provided to bargaining unit employees beginning on that date."</a><br />
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<b><i>And HERE's where we go to the quote from Mary Plaine</i></b>. Remember, Ms. Plaine is the current Secretary/Treasurer of Local 40-543 of the American Federation of Musicians. <br />
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Ms. Plaine was quoted in yesterday's <i>Baltimore Sun</i> article: "<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bs-fe-bso-gala-20190722-6id6hb7mzvfgbeuxxhhlw6rmce-story.html" target="_blank">We certainly understand management's decision to postpone the gala....They keep telling the public the orchestra is coming back to work on September 9. But, I don't believe the orchestra will go back to work until they have a ratified contract. That's the way to hold the gala in September - end the lockout</a>."<br />
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"But WAIT:, someone said: "<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bs-fe-bso-insurance-20190627-story.html" target="_blank">Didn't the current President and CEO say that the lockout would end whether or not an agreement was reached</a>?"<br />
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Yes, he did - <b><i>but that's NOT how strikes and lockouts end, people</i></b>.<br />
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During work conflicts (strikes and lockouts), contracts have to go through a RATIFICATION process, and the collective bargaining agreement ratification process is both beautifully and <i>clearly</i> explained via this document which was published by (of all organizations) the permanently threatened <a href="https://www.arts.gov/" target="_blank">National Endowment for the Arts</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/120701-CBWhatisitandHow-itWorks-3page.pdf" target="_blank">Collective Bargaining: What It Is and How It Works</a><br />
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Forgive me for speaking "South Carolinian", but <i>here's the deal, y'all</i>: As the musicians of the Baltimore Symphony are represented by Local 40-543 of the American Federation of Musicians, any contract dealings that they have with the Board of Directors and Executive Management of the Baltimore Symphony are negotiated through what is known as COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.<br />
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According to the National Endowment for the Arts, "Collective bargaining—a mutual exchange of positions followed by agreement—enables a group of employees with
a 'community of interest' to negotiate a binding written
contract with an employer. It gives workers a voice in their
workplace and has become a respected approach, valued by
employees and employers in the private sector and throughout various levels of government."<br />
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I shall not go into the step-by-step of collective bargaining here: as the kids say, "reading is fundamental". Everything that you need to know is contained in this NEA document. I shall simply go to THE QUESTION:<br />
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<b><i>HOW, in light of locking out your musicians, which was followed by cancelling benefits, which was followed (due to public outrage) by reinstating health insurance (<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bs-fe-bso-insurance-20190627-story.html" target="_blank">which expires on September 1, 2019</a> - <a href="http://www.bsomusicians.org/public_html/bso-management-refuses-budge/" target="_blank">and this does not take into account the cancellation of other benefits</a>), does the Board of Directors and Executive Management of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra plan to have the musicians of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra "come back to work" in September under the provisions of a previously expired contract (which was a fifty-two week employment contract) while continuing to lobby both the state government and the public to accept the "necessity" of a twelve-week contract reduction which equals a <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/bs-fe-bso-contract-extension-20181101-story.html" target="_blank">16.6 percent pay cut, with reductions in health care benefits making executive management's proposal equal a 26.8 percent cut for a single person and 28 percent for someone with family insurance</a>?</i></b><br />
While I COULD speculate, I choose not to....but stay tuned...<br />
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<br />nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-30552108888440886972019-06-18T16:19:00.000-07:002019-06-18T16:27:03.067-07:00"We want...Information"....<br />
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Since there may be "too much news" with which to keep up, here are the pertinent articles (from both sides) that have been published within the last forty-eight hours. <br />
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<b>June 18, 2019</b><br />
<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/bs-fe-bso-lockout-20190617-story.html">https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/bs-fe-bso-lockout-20190617-story.html</a><br />
- Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, musicians endure first work stoppage in 31 years. But they're still talking.<br />
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<b>June 17, 2019</b><br />
<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/baltimore-symphony-orchestra-musicians-officially-locked-out/2019/06/17/c9cced8e-9143-11e9-b570-6416efdc0803_story.html?utm_term=.4c1369ffd8b1">https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/baltimore-symphony-orchestra-musicians-officially-locked-out/2019/06/17/c9cced8e-9143-11e9-b570-6416efdc0803_story.html?utm_term=.4c1369ffd8b1</a><br />
- Baltimore Symphony Orchestra musicians officially locked out<br />
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<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-bso-musicians-lockout-20190616-story.html">https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-bso-musicians-lockout-20190616-story.html</a><br />
- Baltimore Symphony Orchestra musicians protest Meyerhoff Symphony Hall lockout<br />
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<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/readers-respond/bs-ed-rr-bso-finances-letter-20190617-story.html">https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/readers-respond/bs-ed-rr-bso-finances-letter-20190617-story.html</a><br />
- Fault poor endowment decisions, not musicians, for BSO's woes<br />
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<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/editorial/bs-ed-0618-bso-lockout-20190617-story.html">https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/editorial/bs-ed-0618-bso-lockout-20190617-story.html</a><br />
- Many American orchestras have emerged stronger from lockouts and strikes; the BSO can too<br />
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<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-0618-musician-lockout-20190617-story.html">https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-0618-musician-lockout-20190617-story.html</a><br />
- BSO leadrship decisions damage symphony<br />
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<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-0617-bso-negotiations-20190613-story.html">https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-0617-bso-negotiations-20190613-story.html</a><br />
- BSO board members: Responsible decisions will save the symphony<br />
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From <a href="https://songofthelarkblog.com/2019/06/16/a-note-on-the-night-of-the-baltimore-symphony-lockout/" target="_blank">Emily Hogstad</a>:<br />
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"Friends, please stay up to date on this situation! The Baltimore Symphony Musicians’ website is<a href="http://www.bsomusicians.org/public_html/" target="_blank"> here</a>. The Save Our BSO audience advocacy group website is <a href="https://www.saveourbso.org/" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">here</a>. From there you can follow those groups on social media.</div>
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"If you feel moved, please support transparent governance however you can, whether by reading articles online about the dispute (this helps show the press that people care!), or by liking and sharing social media posts, or by donating money, or by sending letters or emails of support, or by considering doing whatever else these groups suggest the public do. Those are the best ways to help right now. And good thoughts and a few prayers wouldn’t go amiss, either.</div>
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"Signing off with the hope that American orchestral governance as a whole improves, and soon. There are so many smart, creative people in this field. I hope we can build a future where we can avoid these heartwrenching situations entirely."<br />
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-SAT</div>
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<br />nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-72834079027144142482019-06-17T20:53:00.005-07:002019-06-17T20:54:48.062-07:00LOCKOUT...or Here we are....<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">...and here we are, in Baltimore. Today, which included the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's final performance of "West Side Story" with the movie, the <a href="http://www.bsomusicians.org/public_html/" target="_blank">Baltimore Symphony Musicians</a> went to Facebook and posted photos of musicians <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20src=%22https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FBaltimoreSymphonyMusicians%2Fposts%2F2450559444979462&width=500%22%20width=%22500%22%20height=%22650%22%20style=%22border:none;overflow:hidden%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20allowTransparency=%22true%22%20allow=%22encrypted-media%22%3E%3C/iframe%3E" target="_blank">clearing out their lockers</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Additionally, the <a href="https://www.bsomusic.org/misc/negotiations-updates/important-update-about-collective-bargaining-from-the-bso/" target="_blank">upper management and Board of Directors of the Baltimore Symphony issued a press statement</a>: "The Board of Directors of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra approved a lockout of the organization's musicians, Local 40-543, if an agreement between the musicians and management was not reached by the end of the regular subscription season. With no agreement reached, the lockout will go into effect on Monday, June 17, 2019."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>LOCKOUT</b>. In case you're curious, here's the definition: "A lockout is a temporary work stoppage or denial of employment initiated by the management of a company during a labor dispute. <b style="font-style: italic;">That is different from a strike in which employees refuse to work. </b> It is usually implemented by simply refusing to admit employees onto company premise and may include change locks and hiring security guards for the premises. Other implementations include a fine for showing up or a simple refusal of clocking in on the time clock. It is therefore referred to as the antithesis of strike."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Taking this to "everyman terms": the musicians of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra are allowed to file for unemployment benefits through the state of Maryland. Had they made a decision to strike, they would not be able to file for unemployment benefits.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That fact, however, is not what this is about.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Regarding the Baltimore lockout: In recent days, friends and colleagues have asked "How does this affect you?" Here are my answers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">First, I am a freelance musician living in the city of Baltimore, and my work includes both performing and teaching in Baltimore, Washington DC, and Philadelphia (and, when I'm lucky, New York City). This is a region overflowing with extremely hard-working and well-equipped musicians, which already means that one has to be incredibly dilig<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">ent not only in the maintenance of one's playing ability but equally so in building and maintaining relationships throughout the field. Should this lockout continue past September, a shift in the workload of regional freelance musicians will undoubtedly take place.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Second, and this is important: over the past ten years the city of Baltimore has suffered the loss of two performing organizations (the Baltimore Opera and Concert Artists of Baltimore) and, as with any disruption, the destinies of those affected by those losses is still unfolding just as they are for those who were victims of the 2003 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Philharmonic_Orchestra#Collapse_and_bankruptcy" target="_blank">Florida Philharmonic bankruptcy</a>.</span></div>
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Third: not only have I been both fascinated and captivated by "large changes" for my entire life (with memories of post-Vietnam War "boat people", the Mariel boatlif and the Polish "Solidarity Movement" being a part of childhood while the Movement for Black Lives, and the still-unfolding post-Hurricane Katrina diaspora are "real-time"), but my first visceral memory of a work-stoppage stems from 1998 when, after having spent a summer with the National Repertory Orchestra, I went back to Houston (in May 1998, I completed the Master of Music at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music) to begin my life as a post-graduate freelancer. During that time, the musicians of the San Antonio Symphony were locked out by their management, and I met a violist affected by that lockout while playing services with the Symphony of Southeast Texas (its home being Beaumont, Texas - which is a FOUR HOUR DRIVE east of San Antonio and at that time rehearsed at night).</div>
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Fourth: In addition to both playing and teaching the violin, I am a published writer whose work has appeared in Strings Magazine, the San Jose Chamber Orchestra's "Other Notes" column, Nigel Kennedy Online, and still fairly regularly at online industry magazine <a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2FViolinist.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0w3jU9n2L68xV0Fn27PYczDaRlsgW9I9kpci03a5KdZ4vgo2C6utMAMZA&h=AT0HAueAY4sYdqi5TyPh--iDP18fyOs9Xf9QTVsYv1SKc_w08WJoSTW8Df4yLU0t68ohqb83JmRgEowILo6J7OQ2DqyKfwATQ08d51UIjOPV20wF8zaac8nqNeE2khXfCluB8dAkrNeuHbdTt7chAu4oX3TW1PdX5fWePrGHuBaJ" original_target="http://violinist.com/?fbclid=iwar0w3ju9n2l68xv0fn27pyczdarlsgw9i9kpci03a5kdz4vgo2c6utmamza" rel="noopener nofollow" saprocessedanchor="true" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Violinist.com</a> (and that sharing of my credentials is not about my self-esteem).</div>
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While "diaspora" may seem to be a peculiar word choice when speaking about orchestral work conflicts, it does seem appropriate considering the decisions that members of orchestras make during turbulent and uncertain times.</div>
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Stay tuned...and if you don't get it or choose to turn a blind eye to it, "I can't help you"....</div>
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nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-85639789090317421722019-06-03T20:48:00.000-07:002019-06-03T20:53:21.066-07:00"The King is Half-Undressed...."<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">...and here we are.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">On Saturday, June 1, 2019, I had the pleasure of attending a concert presented by the <a href="https://www.congressionalchorus.org/" target="_blank">Congressional Chorus of DC</a>. This concert, titled "Let Justice Roll", was a precursor to the chorus' upcoming tour and included the second Washington DC performance of <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRLZVsQnJsE&list=PLzuipfc_eANPPfXknlXPn4DoKXIcchsNp" target="_blank">And They Lynched Him On A Tree</a></i>, the profoundly compelling oratorio written by William Grant Still that was premiered in 1940 by the New York Philharmonic. This work had its second performance at Howard University six months after the premiere, and sat on the shelves for decades - but that's another discussion for another time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Having played in the chamber ensemble that accompanies the Congressional Chorus, I have to say that it was even more inspiring to watch this ensemble as an audience member. Artistic Director and Conductor David Simmons is truly amazing as he gives so much thought to programming.<br /><br />While I asked myself why, as a forty-eight year old African-American, that I was hearing this work for the first time, I found myself putting that discussion aside as I was unable to shake recent developments in our region.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In case you haven't been paying attention (which, considering that friends and colleagues of mine from both Atlanta and Washington DC have asked me about this): <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/baltimore-symphony-orchestra-unexpectedly-cancels-summer-season/2019/05/30/825ddda2-8318-11e9-95a9-e2c830afe24f_story.html?fbclid=IwAR0DY-kTY4EgKKdXSzz-qUwa6pHPKk9Cri6JVCtsqyFDwRJBB-nDc5pv4oc&utm_term=.7c579dc1edc8" target="_blank"> on Thursday, May 30, 2019, Baltimore Symphony CEO Peter Kjome announced not only the cancellation of the recently planned Baltimore Symphony summer season</a>, but also that the musicians of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra would be paid through June 16, 2019 in efforts desperately needed to "<a href="https://www.bsomusic.org/misc/bso-updates/baltimore-symphony-orchestra-announces-fiscal-reform-improvement-efforts/" target="_blank">ensure both a sustainable model and a sustainable future for the organization</a>".<br /><br />These measures, according to press releases, include the commitment from upper management and the Board of Directors to explore cost-cutting measures that include reducing the BSO's concert season to a 40-week season (instead of the major orchestra 52-week season). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">While I COULD go down the rabbit hole of talking about how this "went down" (which includes the fact that some musicians heard about this draconian measure via social media), I shall not. What I would like to do over the next few weeks, is explore. That exploration is based on the fact that on November 6, 2018, Baltimore Symphony CEO Peter Kjome asserted that "There have been discussions about season length for many years."<br /><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><a href="https://www.bsomusic.org/misc/bso-updates/a-message-from-baltimore-symphony-president-and-ceo-peter-kjome/" target="_blank">https://www.bsomusic.org/misc/bso-updates/a-message-from-baltimore-symphony-president-and-ceo-peter-kjome/</a><br /><br />In January, I posed a question: <i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><b> <a href="https://samuelathompson.blogspot.com/2019/01/resignation-and-unintended-consequences.html?fbclid=IwAR2Zp8JuoMxUkxU7ujPttXHYHXUZ1HD2rvytGX_4KfrArjbtfhdyEfk2yiI" target="_blank">if it is true that "there have been discussions about season length for many years", why does it seem that the public is hearing about this discussion point for the first time?</a></b></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="color: #333333;">Through some research, I did find that this sentiment has been true for quite some time. In a 2006 "exit interview" with Yuri Termikanov that was published in the <i>Washington Post, </i>it is stated that "</span>Management has refused to rule out either downsizing the orchestra or reducing its status as a full-time, 52-weeks-a-year organization."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /><span style="color: #333333;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/samue/Desktop/Maestro%20Stepping%20Down%20On%20a%20Melancholy%20Note.html" target="_blank">"Maestro Stepping Down on a Melancholy Note"</a><br /><i>Washington Post - May 27, 2006</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="color: #333333;"><i><br /></i><br />So, here's my question: if current CEO Peter Kjome asserts that this discussion has gone on for a while, and as there is documented proof that this season-shortening discussion has taken place since 2006, who are the key players in upper administration/board governance who have had this thought, and what made them think that the hiring of a new CEO (that being Peter Kjome) who has (not saying that he's not up to the job) less experience as an arts administrator than Paul Meecham, provided the moment to push enough money/political power/social capital to push this agenda and make everyone else fall in line?</span></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /><br />Stay tuned...<br /><br /><a href="https://youtu.be/AgdgptaBma8" target="_blank">"The King is Half-Undressed"</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-46914083995479715942019-03-17T23:10:00.000-07:002019-03-17T23:10:01.290-07:00H. Leslie Adams, or "New Ears"....and Lightning in a BottleSo...what a weekend of music and musicmaking, and again I am grateful to have had the opportunity to support colleagues and friends as an <i>audience member</i>.<br />
<br />
The first, soprano Alexandria Bradshaw Critchlow's senior recital. Alexandria and I first met at the Colour of Music Festival in 2016, and since have had opportunities to work together, two of those opportunities including the performance of works by <a href="https://www.jasminebarnescomposer.com/about" target="_blank">Jasmine Barnes</a>. Well, on Friday, Alexandria presented a compelling recital that included "<a href="https://www.facebook.com/quamir.payton/videos/2671177729575966/UzpfSTY1MzAxNTEyNDoxMDE2MTU1MjI2NTY4NTEyNQ/" target="_blank">Creole Girl</a>", a fascinating song by H. Leslie Adams (b. 1932) in which questions are asked about the subject's multiculturalism (this "Creole Girl" being of French, Spanish, and African ancestry).<br /><br />Alexandria also sang - in addition to works by Scarlatti, Brahms, Gounod, and Schubert - Jasmine's compelling arrangement of "Give Me Jesus". If you have not heard of these phenomenal women, stay tuned - YOU WILL.<br /><br />The next night, I had the pleasure of hearing <a href="https://www.kennethoverton.com/about" target="_blank">Kenneth Overton</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYpeNEFQ4wE" target="_blank">Chauncey Packer</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaoDbVRgENY" target="_blank">Lucia Bradford</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuMjDiJS070" target="_blank">Marsha Thompson</a> as soloists in a performance of the Mozart Requiem at Washington DC's<br />
Duke Ellington School for the Arts. If Mozart were alive, I trust that he would have referred to this collection of vocalists as his "dream team" for this work - and I'm not simply saying that because I know all of these folk. This performance was the real-life definition of "lightning in a bottle"!<br /><br />In an interview with <a href="http://www.peterlindbergh.com/" target="_blank">Peter Lindbergh</a> included in <i>Peter Lindbergh: Selected Work 1996-1998 </i>(Assouline Press), Antonio Ria asks Lindbergh about the evolution of working relationships. <br /><br />Mr. Lindbergh answered: "I first photographed Isabella Rosellini in Paris fifteen years ago, maybe more, and we still to continue to work together....I am used to long-term relationships, even very long ones. I have been photographing Naomi (Campbell) for ten years, Linda Evangelista for twelve years....These are very personal relations and friendships. <i>They are never based on public relations. That would be something totally unacceptable to me</i>."<br />
<br />
Having met each of these amazing human beings and vocalists separately (Marsha in 1994, albeit briefly; Chauncey in 2001 at the <a href="https://www.utahfestival.org/" target="_blank">Utah Festival Opera</a>; Lucia in 2000 at Spoleto Festival USA and Kenneth in 2004 with the <a href="http://www.houstonebonymusic.org/" target="_blank">Houston Ebony Opera Guild</a> - only to hear him give his 100th performance as Porgy in a Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre performance of <i><a href="http://utahtheaterbloggers.com/23752/music-carries-the-gershwins-porgy-bess" target="_blank">Porgy and Bess</a></i>), having watched their collective evolution as artists and to see them all together on stage was meaningful in ways that I cannot describe and I am both proud and humbled to call them all my friends.<br /><br />BACK to H. Leslie Adams, though: WOW! A very interesting and captivating musical language this man has created, and after researching I have found that there are three works for violin and piano. Additionally, how fortunate am I to have stumbled across performances of his Preludes for Piano that were recorded by a pianist and organist who currently lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (which is just up I-83)?<br /><br />More from the road,<br />
Sam<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-55882992518214494132019-03-09T17:31:00.001-08:002019-03-09T17:31:26.227-08:00"La Da Dee..."<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_KztNIg4cvE" width="459"></iframe><br /><br />
<br /><br />
Considering what I'm seeing as I walk the streets of Philadelphia and Baltimore - as well as what I'm reading about Los Angels and San Francisco - perhaps it's time to revisit this tune and its message.<br /><br />
<br /><br />
<br /><br />
<div>While walking to Philadelphia's Kimmel Center last summer, I stumbled upon the perfect "social commentary" photo. However, out of respect for the man who would have been photographed, I did not take a photo. After all, would any of us have liked to have been photographed sleeping on the sidewalk (what is called "sleeping rough") right outside of the Wells Fargo Tower? I think not.</div><div><br /><br />
<br /><br />
Meanwhile, if one goes just a few blocks south of where I live in Baltimore one shall find at least two people sleeping on a steam grate. It keeps them warm...<a href="https://www.violinist.com/blog/nobilemente/20143/15611/" target="_blank">and I have written about this before</a>.<br /><br />
<br /></div><div><br /></div>nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-7333062027947852682019-02-01T00:21:00.004-08:002019-02-01T00:21:51.158-08:00THE BALDWIN CHRONICLES: MIDNIGHT RAMBLE
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The past eight months have been
tremendously fruitful for Chicago Modern Orchestra Project founding
director <a href="http://www.reneebakercomposer.net/" target="_blank"><b>Renée </b><b>Baker</b></a>.
In July 2018, Ms. Baker was one of three female African-American
composers to participate in <i>Magnetic Fields: Sonic Abstraction</i>
at the Museum of Fine Arts of St. Petersburg, Florida. It was also
during the month of July that the first of her <i>Baldwin Chronicles</i>
was presented to the world.</div>
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Described as “a multimedia work of
operatic proportions based on texts by James Baldwin” by
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<span style="font-style: normal;">Chicago's</span><i>
<a href="http://www.thevisualist.org/2018/07/renee-baker-the-baldwin-chronicles/" target="_blank">The Visualist</a>,</i> <i>The</i> <i>Baldwin Chronicles: Negro
Ideologies </i><span style="font-style: normal;">was presented in July
2018 and immediately considered for presentation at Symphony Center
by the CSO African-American Network. “While I was initially
approached by Symphony Center with an invitation to present </span><i>Negro
Ideologies</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, I made the choice to
create a larger production to further explore James Baldwin's work,”
Ms. Baker said during a telephone interview. </span>
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<span style="font-style: normal;">This
new work, titled </span><i>The</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span><i>Baldwin Chronicles: Midnight Ramble</i> receives its world
premiere in Buntrock Hall at Chicago's Symphony Center on Saturday,
February 16, 2019 at 5:00pm. This is
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Ms. Baker's third presentation as
Visiting Resident Artist for the Chicago Symphony African-American
Network (AAN) at Symphony Center since the successful presentation of
Oscar Micheaux's silent movie <i>Body and Soul </i><span style="font-style: normal;">in
2017 featuring Ms. Baker's vibrant score for jazz orchestra, which
was followed by last year's screeing of the 1927 race film </span><i>The
Scar of Shame </i><span style="font-style: normal;">which also
included a new version of the musical score. </span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
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<span style="font-style: normal;">The
world “prolific” is used to describe those whose output in their
chosen fields has been incredibly fruitful and productive. One can
definitely include Renée Baker in this category, as she has composed
over 2,000 works including symphonies, chamber music, ballets, film
scores and operas. She has also published sixteen graphic novels
and received commissions from the Chicago Sinfonietta, Joffrey
Ballet, Berlin's International Brass, Chicago's Sheds Aquarium and
Indiana University's Cinema and Black Film Center Archive. </span><i>Blue
Sonapoem</i><span style="font-style: normal;">e, Ms. Baker's first
opera, was premiered in 2012 at Chicago's South Shore Jazz Festival,
and subsequent works have been presented at both the INTUIT Museum
the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Kulhspot (Berlin), and the
Destijlik Museum in Zwolle, the Netherlands – thus making her the
first African-American to have premiered a significant series of
successful operas. </span>
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<span style="font-style: normal;">The
task of delving deeply into the life and work of James Baldwin could
be seen as daunting as he was one of the leading writers,
intellectuals and activists of the twentieth century. His output,
which included novels, essays, poems, articles and sermons, “serve
to remind the American public of our full humanity,” Renée said.
“James Baldwin was undoubtedly brilliant, but had he been a White
man, there would have been a very different reaction and response to
his work. Much of his thought process included finding his 'place',
even with being a brilliant man of letters who was able to debate
</span><i>anyone</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.” </span>
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This 'finding of
place' manifested itself in Baldwin's move to France from the United
States at the age of twenty-four. Baldwin wrote about this move in
the essay “The Discovery of What it Means to be an American”,
describing the decision as the conscious removal of himself from
American prejudice and to have his writing understood on its own
merit.
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<span style="font-style: normal;">Baldwin's
decision to live in France, however, was neither an abandoning of the
United States nor of himself. In 1957 he returned to the United
States and became deeply involved in the Civil Rights movement (while
personally eschewing the title of “Civil Rights activist”), his
involvement and observation resulting in a series of articles and
essays written between 1957 and 1963 about which </span><i>Time
Magazine</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> said “there is not
another writer who expresses with such poignancy and abrasiveness the
dark realities of the racial ferment in North and South”.</span></div>
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The thoughts
included in Baldwin's essays about race in the United States have
maintained their relevance through the present day, and equally
compelling are the profound, impossible-to-answer questions that
appear throughout all of his work. Despite the relationship
between James and his father being harsh, the experiences of religion
and spirituality pervade Baldwin's writing, as do questions
surrounding sexuality, color, relationships, and the sense of
'rootlessness' felt by African-Americans as described by Pulitzer
Prize winning playwright August Wilson who also experienced the
racism and segregation of the early twentieth-century when true
equality was just outside of the fingertips of millions of
African-Americans.</div>
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<span style="font-style: normal;">After
a profound exploration of and immersion into Baldwin's work, Renée
chose the poem “Conundrum” as the centerpiece of </span><i>Midnight
Ramble</i><span style="font-style: normal;">. “Midnight ramble is
a term once used to talk about late-night movies, Ms. Baker said.
“In this context, I use the phrase to describe what had to be James
Baldwin's thoughts in some of his darkest moments – dark
illuminations inside the Black mind.” Included in the 2014
publication </span><i>Jimmy's Blues and Other Poems, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">“Conundrum”
confronts the question of acceptance. “How do you tell the
difference between what's yours and what's not? Those questions are
still faced today,” Ms Baker said. “Fortunately for us, Baldwin
confronted these questions in an incredibly straightforward and
succint manner.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: normal;">Threading
ideas from essays, novels, the love letter, filmed debates and
stitching images and feeling into music, Renée 's intention with </span><i>The</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span><i>Baldwin Chronicles: Midnight Ramble</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
is to “plant the listener and viewer into James Baldwin's
imagination.” One manner of accomplishing this is the inclusion
of the </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Keith Hampton
Singers </b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">to
signify Baldwin's constant return to the church and the ideals with
which he was raised</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>.
</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">In addition to the
chorus, </span><i>The</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span><i>Baldwin
Chronicles: Midnight Ramble</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
incorporates performing forces including eleven soloists and the
Chicago Modern Orchestra Project. Ms. Baker's work as a modern
artist and filmmaker is also included in this production, as all of
the set pieces are original creations. Additionally, the set
includes a twenty-four foot wide screen on which film, graphics and
paintings will be projected including scenes from both New York and
Paris in the 1950s and 1960s. </span>
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“Beauty and life for Baldwin stem
from the precariousness of terror, the sublime moments of the blues,
rhythm and stops of improvisation, and the simultaneity of Black life
and life in America,” Renée said. “As a storyteller and
intellectual, Baldwin occupies a position as a cultural icon and
truth-teller for us all, and <i>The Baldwin Chronicles: Midnight
Ramble</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> is a unique space for
stitching together music and his poetic imagination.”</span></div>
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<i>Renée Baker's </i><i><b>The
Baldwin Chronicles: Midnight Ramble </b></i><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">is
being produced by and presented at Symphony Center Chicago</span></i><i><b>
on Sunday, February 16, 2018</b></i><i> at
</i><i><b>5:00pm</b></i><i>.
With music and libretto by Ms. Baker, the creative team includes
concept direction by Bibiana Maite' and set design by Aghijana Daru.
Performs include featured vocalists Dee
Alexander, Rae-Myra Hilliard, Vickie Johnson, Sheila Jones, Robert
Sims, Julian Otis, Cornelius Johnson, Taalib-Din Ziyad, Saalik Ziyad,
Yoseph Henry and Jeffrey Burish; the Keith Hampton Singers, and the
Chicago Modern Orchestra Project. </i>
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<i>For tickets and more information, please visit
h</i><i><b>ttps://cso.org/ticketsandevents/</b></i><i>.</i></div>
<br />nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-71097279633014742202019-01-27T23:07:00.004-08:002019-01-27T23:11:02.848-08:00Resignation and Unintended Consequences<style type="text/css">
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In
case you haven't been paying attention, </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>you
should be</b></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">.
<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2019/01/16/baltimore-symphony-orchestra-musicians-contract.html">As
of January 15, 2019, the musicians of the Baltimore Symphony have
been working without a contract as the four-month contract extension
offered to them by BSO management has expired</a>.
To be more specific, after playing without a contract since September
9, 2018, the musicians of the Baltimore Symphony agreed to a
four-month extension of the previous contract on November 1, 2018 –
meaning that the extension was taken with a </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>retroactive</i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> start
date.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">As
chronicled in the </span><i style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Baltimore Sun</i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">, the musicians took this
contract extension after receiving a proposal from BSO management
that can only be called shocking at best: </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><br />
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<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/artsmash/bs-fe-bso-contract-extension-20181101-story.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Looming schedule cuts imperil Baltimore Symphony's status as 'world class' orchestra, musicians say</span></b></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">-<i>Baltimore Sun</i> (November 2, 2018)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">According to current Baltimore Symphony President and CEO Peter Kjome, this huge reduction of the symphony season is </span><i style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">necessary,</i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and both the reasons for this drastic proposal and some details look like this: </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"There have been discussions about season length for many years, and other major orchestras with shorter seasons maintain a high level of artistic accomplishment. Of the 21 major orchestras across the country as defined by budget size, one-third have seasons less than 52 weeks....During negotiations on October 30 with the Musicians' Association, the BSO presented a proposal that included a reduction in season length. During the summer, we have historically presented comparatively few concerts, and the summer season has not proven to be financially viable. The proposed reduction of our season from 52 to 40 weeks is primarily through fewer paid weeks during the summer, including a reduction from nine weeks to four weeks of paid vacation. Our proposal includes increasing the weekly base compensation of our musicians and holding auditions to fill open positions. A comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, long-term disability benefits and pension benefits, will be maintained." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "lato" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="http://bsomusic.org/misc/bso-updates/a-message-from-baltimore-symphony-president-and-ceo-peter-kjome/" target="_blank">"A Message from Baltimore Symphony President and CEO Peter Kjome"</a></b></span></span><br />
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<i style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Before going on, I must ask: if it is true that "there have been discussions about season length for many years", why does it seem that the public is hearing about this discussion point for the first time? </b></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In a press release dated November 1, 2018, the musicians of the Baltimore Symphony shared - very clearly - what the proposed "reduction" means in terms of salary and, concerning leadership, questions regarding previously made statements:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />"The BSO management offered a proposal that entailed a radically reduced season, cutting the weeks of employment from 52 to 40, <i><b>amounting to a 23% cut in work weeks</b></i>. The BSO has proposed eliminating its summer season, j<b><i>ust one year after telling the Musicians at the bargaining table how important it is that the BSO remains one of this country's 52-week orchestras</i></b>. This offer would result in a minimum of a 17% cut in salary. Other increased costs to Musicians in benefits and workload changes would bring the total cuts to 25% in real world value."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In this press statement, the Musicians also lay out a very clear picture of the BSO's financial picture from 2009 until now. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"<a href="http://www.bsomusicians.org/public_html/bso-management-offers-drastic-cuts/" target="_blank">BSO Management Offers Drastic Cuts to Musicians</a>"</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">As SO much written and shared from November until now, writing a synopsis would be an Olympian feat, but articles and updates can be found at the following sites:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.bsomusicians.org/public_html/" target="_blank">Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Musicians</a> </b></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">recent updates are chronicled on the home page, and recent press articles on the <a href="http://www.bsomusicians.org/public_html/recent-news/" target="_blank">Recent News</a> page</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.saveourbso.org/" target="_blank">Save our BSO</a> </b></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/bs-fe-save-our-bso-20181220-story.html" target="_blank">website of an audience advocacy group formed by a group of the orchestra's governing members</a> and supported by patrons, supporters, amateur participants in Academy and “Rusty Musician” programs, and all who appreciate great classical music and the arts. </span></li>
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<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/search/dispatcher.front?Query=Baltimore+Symphony&target=all&spell=on" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Baltimore Sun</span></b></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Through a search, one can find all of the articles, including editorial letters, that have been written regarding this contract impasse (included in the editorial letters are a significant number of letters in support of the Musicians)</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">While there has been a tremendous wellspring of support for the Musicians combined with significant opposition to BSO management's proposal - and what looks like "resignation" from Board Executive Committee member <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-rr-bso-budget-trims-letter-20181128-story.html" target="_blank">Terry Meyerhoff Rubenstein</a> and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Endowment Trust Chairman <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-op-0125-bso-endowment-20190124-story.html?fbclid=IwAR1wV5P2IYPxOVaQ_UqcggmzW0EF8Fx_-ecuzl3gP-HNYLoALtLS7anSfJE" target="_blank">Chris Bartlett</a> - I find myself wondering if the current BSO Board of Directors and Management have really looked at what the "unintended consequences" of such drastic measures would be.<br /><br /><i><b><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">As another meeting between the BSO musicians and management is scheduled for January 29, 2019 according to </span><a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2019/01/16/baltimore-symphony-orchestra-musicians-contract.html" target="_blank">Baltimore Business Journal</a><span style="background-color: white;">, we must applaud the musicians of the Baltimore Symphony as working without a contract in the middle of a concert season - acting in good faith that management will neither institute a lockout or violate contract terms - is more than noble. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">With
that in mind, we also have to applaud Evan Tucker, who wrote a most
insightful article recently published in the <i>Baltimore
Fishbowl</i>. In this article, Mr. Tucker does a
brilliant job of putting this contract impasse in context, both
regarding the recent decade's history of blistering orchestral work
stoppages and postwar American industrial history. Mr.
Tucker goes so far as to ask THE question: </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"CEO Peter J. Kjome and board chair Barbara Bozzuto are the first orchestral bosses with the chutzpah to do what every orchestral board in a Rust Belt town has long wanted: to gut the orchestra to shreds....<b><i>What is the point of lending your names to an institution if you willfully preside over its decline</i></b>?"</span></span></div>
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<b><a href="https://baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/what-baltimore-loses-if-the-bso-is-forced-to-cut-its-schedule/?fbclid=IwAR2TE6pLYLf9pyUlXyuMvoujrv34dVIsYvfFOIujwokFa-QzAj5ai1LpoDM" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"What Baltimore loses if the BSO is forced to cut its schedule"</span></a></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">- <i>Baltimore Fishbowl (January 23, 2019)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are two very important figures in the world of arts management that have chronicled the result of continuous cuts, one of them being <a href="http://devosinstitute.umd.edu/Who-We-Are/Leadership" target="_blank">Michael Kaiser</a>. Current Chairman of the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland, Mr. Kaiser is known worldwide as the "turnaround specialist" due to his tremendous work in reviving the Royal Opera House (UK), American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Kansas City Ballet. Most recently, <a href="https://therivardreport.com/sa-symphony-names-turnaround-specialist-as-executive-director/" target="_blank">Mr. Kaiser served as interim Executive Director of the San Antonio Symphony</a> after its near-demise in January 2018 (which has been chronicled at <a href="https://therivardreport.com/sa-symphony-to-suspend-remainder-of-season-after-weekend-concerts/?fbclid=IwAR2A-NRjMbe_zDp-Ppr3MuNsVRTpcwKFlhMu2yJ_8uWgBX-QFK9MpxQZYs8" target="_blank">The Rivard Report</a>, a San Antonio nonprofit journal) and following resurrection.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mr. Kaiser's 2008 book <a href="http://philanthropynewsdigest.org/off-the-shelf/the-art-of-the-turnaround" target="_blank"><i>The Art of the Turnaround</i></a> is now considered required reading for anyone interested in the long-term survival and growth of arts organizations of all sizes and types. In this book, he shares his ideas about what organizations should focus upon during trying times, those things ranging from ensuring that public statements are unified to focusing on growth and revenue building instead of cuts. Mr. Kaiser also wrote a blog at the Huffington Post, and in a 2008 entry titled "Arts in Crisis" he shares his thoughts on board decision-making in the face of economic challenges and makes the valid and argument that good work and aggressive marketing lead to success and growth. In contrast, he also <i>correctly</i> asserts that organizations focusing on cuts to remain healthy set up a vicious cycle that results in loss of revenue leading to more cuts, the end result being that the "organization simply gets too small to matter."</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-kaiser/arts-in-crisis_b_222393.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Arts in Crisis</span></b></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">- Huffington Post (July 30, 2009)</span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://adaptistration.com/about/about-drew-mcmanus/" target="_blank">Drew McManus</a>, arts consultant and author of the <a href="https://adaptistration.com/about/" target="_blank">Adaptistration</a> website (on which one can read <a href="https://adaptistration.com/tag/baltimore-symphony-orchestra/" target="_blank">archived columns about the Baltimore Symphony</a> dating from 2004 to the present), has noted that a proposal similar to that facing the musicians of the Baltimore Symphony was ratified by the Saint Louis Symphony. McManus shared that one of the unforeseen results of the season reduction in St. Louis was a huge loss of both financial and political support. Furthermore - and similar to what we have witnessed in the aftermath of the 14-month-long Minnesota Orchestra lockout of 2012-2014 - "it took the introduction of a new CEO and new board commitment to reverse course before they [the Saint Louis Symphony] went down that path."</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><br />Indeed, after the cost-cutting season reduction engineered by President and Executive Director Randy Adams in 2001, another consequence of earlier cost-cutting measures was a two-month lockout in 2005, a vote of "no-confidence"against Mr. Adams after the musicians returned to the stage and, in June 2007, Mr. Adams' resignation. Fortunately for the St. Louis Symphony, their next President (<a href="https://peabody.jhu.edu/explore-peabody/our-leadership/fred-bronstein/" target="_blank">Fred Bronstein</a>, who has served as the Dean of Baltimore's Peabody Institute since 2014) launched an aggressive revenue plan with audience development, new programming and innovative marketing strategies at its core. The results of Mr. Bronstein's initiatives include a 26 percent increase in philanthropic support and a 36 percent increase in ticket sales, <i>a shining exception to the conventional wisdom that all orchestras are struggling due to aging audiences and declining ticket sales</i>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Looking at the stellar track record of an internationally-recognized "turnaround specialist" </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">(Mr. Kaiser) and Mr. Bronstein's successful initiatives in St. Louis (which, incidentally, is one of the orchestras that Mr. Kjome refers to when speaking of "</span><span style="background-color: white;">other major orchestras with shorter seasons" that have maintained "a high level of artistic accomplishment"), I can only wonder what has led to the sense of <i>resignation</i> (meaning "the acceptance of something undesirable but inevitable") pervading the management and board of directors of the Baltimore Symphony. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">This </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"We give up" position is at best disappointing, especially considering that the during the past ten years Baltimore's musical community has suffered two great losses, those being the </span><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/12/AR2009031203447.html" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">2009 bankruptcy of the Baltimore Opera</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and the </span><a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/artsmash/bs-fe-concert-artists-shutdown-20180613-story.html" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">June 2018 shutdown of the Concert Artists of Baltimore</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">. One would hope that those contemplating such a draconian decision would heed the ambitions and growth-oriented recommendations of Gregory Tucker, who served as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's vice president of public relations from 1997-2004 and a member of the Board of Directors from 2014-2018. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>"<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/01/14/how-ensure-baltimore-symphony-orchestra-stays-major-league-team/?fbclid=IwAR34j0rmndSxfErc9KhhljzO12jTK77PfS61hDghCjQ5GI5c5C-JnnPo2m0&utm_term=.32c771721ed8" target="_blank">How to ensure the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra stays a 'major-league team'</a>"</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>- </b><i>Washington Post (January 14, 2019)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">So, as the clock ticks and as we stand in solidarity with the musicians of the Baltimore Symphony, let us hope that this impasse is resolved in a manner that truly protects both the BSO's current world-class status and the livelihood of our fellow citizens. After resolution, however, let us hope that innovative, ambitious and growth-oriented energy floods both the administrative and philanthropic corridors of the Baltimore Symphony so that the organization can continue to grow through the next century and beyond. Should this not happen, I shudder at the consequences of what the enactment of a short-sighted proposal will bring.</span></div>
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nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-74554726713987169532018-12-19T17:32:00.001-08:002018-12-20T16:52:20.137-08:00"If language were liquid": Thoughts for a Board ChairA huge blue sign outside of Baltimore's Meyerhoff Symphony Hall says "There's so much to LOVE at the BSO!" As a musician, I definitely agree. While the Houston Symphony Orchestra was a huge part of my musical development during my studies at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra became a part of my life in 1997 while I attended the National Orchestral Institute, a three-week summer intensive held annually at the University of Maryland-College Park. <br />
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In 2005, members of the Baltimore Symphony became a part of my life again as I came to Baltimore and performed with members of the orchestra for concerts given by the Baltimore Choral Arts Society during the two years following Hurricane Katrina. From that time until now, which has included having audition coachings with members of the orchestra, attending symphonic and chamber orchestra concerts, and befriending members of the orchestra - it can undoubtedly be said that the musicians of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra are both some of the finest musicians in our nation as well some of the most tremendously open-minded and compassionate humans that I have encountered.<br />
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With that, it is deeply disheartening to see that <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/artsmash/bs-fe-bso-contract-20170602-story.html" target="_blank">after two years of accepting one-year contracts</a>, the musicians of the Baltimore Symphony are now working under a four-month extension of last season's contract (which expires on January 15, 2019) while engaging in negotiations with their management and Board of Directors who have proposed, among other things, reducing the length of the Baltimore Symphony season from 52 weeks to forty. <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/artsmash/bs-fe-bso-contract-extension-20181101-story.html" target="_blank">Such a move would result in base salary cuts of 16.6% (proposed cuts to health care benefits raise that amount to 26.8 percent for a single person) and the elimination of the orchestra's summer season</a>. <br />
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Readers of the <i>Baltimore Sun</i> have probably kept abreast of the situation via the many letters written both by supporters of the orchestra and members of the orchestra's Board of Directors. One such letter came from Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's Board Chairperson <a href="https://www.bsomusic.org/about/administration/board-of-directors/barbara-bozzuto.aspx" target="_blank">Barbara Bozzuto</a>, and in her letter Ms. Bozzuto states some reasoning for such drastic measures: "<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/bs-ed-op-bozzuto-bso-20181121-story.html" target="_blank">Orchestras of our budget size have been facing financial issues for some time. Certain challenges pervade our entire industry: changing demographics, varying media available to listen to music, local economics, time constraints of our audiences, aging subscribers and, in our city's case, <b><i>a stubborn and persistent crime wave </i>[italics mine]</b>.</a>"<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">"A stubborn and persistent crime wave." </i><br />
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Having lived in Baltimore full-time (after Katrina there was a lot of "wandering") for eight years now, I have found myself concerned about issues that could prove Baltimore to be a "city in peril": nevertheless, this language is deeply disturbing.<br />
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We who live in the the Baltimore-Washington megalopolis have seen organizations and citizens finding solutions to problems, including those centered around crime. One of the most notable is <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/the-bloods-and-the-crips-unite-in-baltimore-to-stop-killing-one-another-and-rebuild-the-community-10209635.html" target="_blank">the 2015 truce brokered between the Crips and Bloods in response to the death of Freddie Gray</a>.<br />
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Going further: in 2017, the <a href="https://baltimoreceasefire.com/" target="_blank">Baltimore Ceasefire</a> Movement was founded. The goal has been simple ("Nobody kill anybody"), and the <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/bs-md-ci-ceasefire-anniversary-20180731-story.html" target="_blank">organization's activities have made a difference</a>. <br />
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Recently, Johns Hopkins president Ron Daniels met with Baltimore City Council to assert the need to establish a Johns Hopkins University police force (both Morgan State University and Coppin State University, also located in Baltimore, have their own police). Daniels has also been speaking to community leaders about the necessity of a university police force, and those conversations have included the promise of assurance that the "new police force" would treat all people fairly ("<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/bs-md-ci-hopkins-police-20181206-story.html" target="_blank">this is not going to turn Hopkins or the neighborhoods around it into a militarized police state</a>"). As he has listened to the concerns of community leaders, one must applaud Daniels for working with Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development (<a href="https://www.buildiaf.org/" target="_blank">BUILD Baltimore</a>) and actually <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-build-hopkins-police-1208-story.html" target="_blank">going into neighborhoods</a> around the Johns Hopkins University Medical Campus in East Baltimore to speak with community residents.<br />
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Additionally, a group named the <a href="https://www.wmar2news.com/news/region/baltimore-city/new-safety-task-force-launched-to-protect-baltimore-city-teachers-and-students" target="_blank">Baltimore City Schools Task Force</a> was created. This group was created to address assaults by students against teachers in the Baltimore City School District.<br />
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Less than fifty miles away from Baltimore, <a href="https://alextimes.com/2018/11/alfredstreetbaptist/" target="_blank">the historic African-American Alfred Street Baptist Church of Alexandira, Virginia</a> received bomb threats. In response, Alfred Street has instituted their "Easter Sunday" protocol which involves both heightened security and the total emptying of the building between services. This has also included an increased presence of security officials and members of the Alexandria Police.<br />
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Why do I mention these examples? Baltimore's Mount Vernon/Bolton Hill/Mount Royal region is a lively region, one filled with restaurants, bars and entertainment venues. The Mount Vernon/Bolton Hill/Mount Royal area is also the home of Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, the <a href="https://modell-lyric.com/" target="_blank">Patricia and Arthur Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric</a>, <a href="https://www.centerstage.org/" target="_blank">Baltimore Center Stage</a>, the <a href="https://peabody.jhu.edu/" target="_blank">Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University</a>, <a href="https://www.mica.edu/about-mica-2/" target="_blank">Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)</a>, the <a href="http://www.ubalt.edu/index.cfm" target="_blank">University of Baltimore</a> (which has its own police force), classical and jazz presenter <a href="http://andiemusiklive.com/" target="_blank">An Die Musik</a> and the small but relevant <a href="https://www.spotlighters.org/" target="_blank">Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre</a>.<br />
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<b>Should the <i>"stubborn and persistent crime wave" </i>highlighted<i> </i>by </b><b>Ms. Bozzuto have resulted in diminished concert attendance, would there have not been a consortium of institutional leaders convening to discuss this issue and work for mutually beneficial solutions that would include increased security at venues to ensure the safety of patrons? </b><br />
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Organizational cooperation around shared civic concerns is <i>not</i> a trailblazing concept. During the two years that I worked as Marketing Associate for Da Camera of Houston I became familiar with what many of us jokingly called the "Houston G-7". This group was comprised of the executive directors of organizations including Da Camera of Houston, Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Ballet, the Alley Theatre and the Society for Performing Arts. During those meetings, leaders met to discuss civic issues (including parking meter rate hikes) that would affect their audiences.<br />
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To my knowledge, a community-galvanizing step similar to those highlighted has not been initiated by the management and Board of Directors of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Had it been, we would have read about it in the <i>Baltimore Sun</i> just as we have recently read about the renewed efforts by Johns Hopkins University/Hospital to establish its own police force. Therefore, we have to ask why a "stubborn and persistent crime wave" is used as one of the justifications to cut twelve weeks from an orchestra's season, particularly as Baltimore Symphony CEO and President Peter Kjome <a href="http://bsomusic.org/misc/bso-updates/a-message-from-baltimore-symphony-president-and-ceo-peter-kjome/" target="_blank">asserts that the proposed changes - which include the elimination of the orchestras's summer season</a> - will not affect subscription series at either Meyerhoff Symphony Hall or the Music Center at Strathmore.<br />
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The answer to that question is a complex one; nevertheless, it must be said that the mention of a "stubborn and persistent crime wave" in Baltimore - a city which is 63.7% Black or African-American and in which 23.7% of the population lives below the poverty line according to the 2010 Census - is deeply disturbing and dangerous as it echoes the "Southern Strategy" of the 1950s and 1960s, a narrative used by Republican Party strategists to increase political support by appealing to racism against African-Americans and, in recent years, to criminalize poverty.<br />
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This tactic has been studied and is referred to as the use of "coded language", which is defined as "<a href="https://www.vox.com/2016/2/1/10889138/coded-language-thug-bossy" target="_blank">a subtle way members of the public, media, and politicians talk about race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and religion</a>" in the United States. As no data has been shared to support the claim that a "crime wave" has had a negative effect on the Baltimore Symphony's bottom line, one has to question the inclusion of coded language in a statement written to support a structural proposal that will wreak havoc both on the institution and the city's musical community.<br />
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Stay tuned...<br />
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</style>nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-39747510427968689752018-11-26T23:36:00.001-08:002018-11-28T14:44:36.552-08:00Nina Michailowna Beilina (1931-2018)<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What a time, eh? What a personal and meaningful time, definitely for me and I am sure even moreso for many others.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Just a few months ago, I had the immense pleasure of returning to Houston, Texas to participate in the Colour of Music Festival. That week was definitely "old home week", as I reconnected with many friends, colleagues, and teachers including <a href="https://music.rice.edu/faculty/kenneth-goldsmith" target="_blank">Kenneth Goldsmith</a> (with whom I studied for three years) and <a href="http://www.uh.edu/kgmca//music/faculty-staff/austin_a/" target="_blank">Alan Austin</a>, a man who does double duty as Professor of Baroque Violin and General and Artistic Director of the <a href="http://www.uh.edu/kgmca/music/tmf/" target="_blank">Immanuel and Helen Olshan Texas Music Festival</a> at the University of Houston.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Of course, during "old home week" it was so wonderful to spend a day with my teacher and his wife, first having a meal and talking about books and then watching him coach a group of chamber music students at the Shepherd School. Additionally, Alan was working on the Fredell Lack archives - and both Alan and Mr. Goldsmith sent me home with truly priceless pedagogical material for which I shall always remain grateful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Fortunately, Mr. Goldsmith is still with us, and I recently acquired a set of bowing etudes written by Henri Marteau that Mr. Goldsmith gave many students before me. With thanks to Alan, I have many things from Ms. Lack's archives, including all of the Leopold Auer courses and Paul Rolland's "Basic Principles of Violin Playing".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Getting back to Ms. Beilina, though: the memory of being an incredibly green, wide-eyed and naive fiddler from South Carolina who had been studying in Oklahoma, walking into an apartment building in New York City and being greeted with such grace by a stranger who said "Take your time, use this room (the warmup room) as your home" as she dealt with real life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(As an aside, let's think about that: as we now find ourselves overwhelmed and dare I say both frustrated and angry about email culture, here was a woman who took the time to hear me and coach me while she was dealing with family and life-changing issues. Shall we all buck up - YES!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">After about ninety minutes, she called me into the living room....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">While life did take me to Houston after this venture into the world (and as I look back, I am reminded that "success lies in organization"), I have always wondered how life would have unfolded should the trip to New York had gone smoothly. It need be said, however, that the bumps in the road were totally MINE: Ms. Beilina was so tremendously organized around everything in her life, and that she took so much time with me makes the experience even so much more meaningful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">All of that aside, I shall never forget Ms. Beilina's kindness: "Think of this as your home," she said as she ushered me into a side room in her apartment to warm up for our trial lesson, later calling me to the living room about ninety minutes later for one of the most intense, insightful and meaningful lessons that I think I have ever had.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I have thought of her many times over the years, and while I did not have the opportunity to spend years with her, those two days in New York City definitely made an impact.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you, Ms. Beilina. Rest now, deservedly.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://youtu.be/_xCwfWRgc9Q">https://youtu.be/_xCwfWRgc9Q</a></span></div>
<br />nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-85525124519796604552018-11-02T18:04:00.002-07:002018-11-04T15:23:38.327-08:00Violin Solo: Kurt Nikkanen at The Spire SeriesSomewhere in <i>The Seat of the Soul</i>, author Gary Zukav wrote that we have to combat darkness by reaching for that thing called "light". With recent American events including the interception of pipe bombs, the assassination of two African-Americans in a Kentucky grocery store by a man who said "Whites don't kill whites" and the anti-Semitic Pittsburgh massacre, it's more than safe to say that we all need some light now. Not light as in "levity", but "light" as in affirmation of all that is good in humanity.<br />
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On Friday, October 26, 2018, we had a moment to witness that light. It was on that evening, in the the midst of many of us reeling from the evil that had been unapologetically unleashed across the United States, that <a href="https://nycbo.org/musicians/nikkanenk/" target="_blank">American violinist and New York City Ballet concertmaster Kurt Nikkanen </a>presented a recital of works for unaccompanied violin that included Stephanie Ann Boyd's <i><a href="http://www.stephanieannboyd.com/worldsonataproject/" target="_blank">Nostrobis</a></i>.<br />
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<i>Nostrobis</i> is a fourteen-minute, seven-movement sonata for unaccompanied violin that takes its inspiration and musical material from world cultures and regions including Central America, the African continent, and the South Pole. <a href="http://www.stephanieannboyd.com/worldsonataproject/" target="_blank">This work is a commission from 2017-2018 that included thirty-five violinists from across the globe and received its premiere in "traditional venues, but also with performances at national landmarks like the Great Wall of China, in embassies, at a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan, in Faroe Island churches, and others."</a><br />
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This performance was Mr. Nikkanen's second appearance on <a href="http://www.firstfranklin.org/index.php/community/music/the-spire-series/" target="_blank">The Spire Series</a>, an annual series featuring both musicians and visual artists presented in the stunning Gothic Revival sanctuary of Baltimore's <a href="http://www.firstfranklin.org/index.php/about/architecture/" target="_blank">First & Franklin Presbyterian Church</a>. <br />
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I first heard Kurt Nikkanen on the same series in March 2015 when he presented a program that included both the D Minor Partita and the C Major Sonata of J. S. Bach, and that performance was incredibly enlightening: in addition to Mr. Nikkanen's profound understanding both of Baroque performance practice and applying that understanding to modern violin performance, he took the time to explain the rhythmic differences of the Chaconne and the Sarabande.<br />
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Mr. Nikkanen's intellectual acuity and violinistic prowess were again evident in his October 2018 performance, as he opened the concert with Bach's <i>Partita No. 3 in E Major.</i> After an elegant and virtuosic Preludio (after which the very eager audience instantly burst into applause), Nikkanen became the "dance master", playing the six movements that follow the Prelude as true dances with spontaneous yet more than convincing ornamentation.<br />
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The E Major Partita was followed by Eugene Ysaye's hair-raising <i>Violin Sonata No. 2</i>. Dedicated to Jacques Thibaud, this sonata is well-known both for quoting the opening of Bach's <i>E Major Partita </i>and the inclusion of the <i>Dies Irae</i> in many forms. <br />
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While the "obsession" may seem to be with the E Major Partitia, Ysaye's brilliance is that he also captured the spirit of the Furies - female spirits of justice and vengeance in both Greek and Roman mythology. As the Furies punished their victims by driving them mad, Nikkanen's reading of this sonata made even more sense: in addition to the obsession with perfecting motives and gestures found in Bach's E Major Prelude, he shared the <i>Dies Irae</i> as another obsession throughout all four movements. From the ending of the second movement (titled "Sarabande") through the third, a captivating yet disturbing medieval homage to religious figures (titled "Danse des Ombres" - Dance of the Brothers) and the final movement - titled "Les Furies" and containing fiendinsh trippe-stopping (there were three of them - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erinyes#Three_sisters" target="_blank">Aletca, Megaera and Tisiphone</a>), Kurt shared a profound understanding of how to bring programmatic music alive in ways that may have escaped many fiddlers including myself.<br />
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<i>Nostrorbis</i> came after the intermission, and included Nikkanen stomping rhythms during "Luxor" a movement based on Ghanaian music, later visiting sounds recalling the Mexican "Dia de Muertes"(Day of the Dead) and interpreting the sounds of a digeridoo.<br />
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<i>Nostrobis</i> was followed by a most compelling reading of Bach's <i>A Minor Sonata, BWV 1003</i>. The four movements flowed effortlessly, beginning with a very spacious and melancholy<i> Grave</i> which was followed by a heightened sense of musical energy in the<i> Fugue</i>. These were followed by the Andante and a quick and lively Allegro (again ending with arpeggiated ornamentation that almost recalled the ending of the E Major <i>Preludio</i> that opened the concert).<br />
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We are fortunate to have a series like The Spire Series in Baltimore. One of Baltimore's best-kept secrets, The Spire Series is one of the most vital concert series in this city. All performances, whether by internationally-acclaimed artists or equally gifted artists who have chosen Baltimore as home, are compelling and of incredibly high artistic quality and how grateful am I to have this just a few blocks walking distance from my home!<br />
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The next concert on The Spire Series promises to be tremendous as well: on <a href="http://www.firstfranklin.org/index.php/news/jnai-bridges-mezzo-soprano-and-mark-markham-piano/" target="_blank">Friday, November 30</a>, mezzo-soprano <a href="https://jnaibridgesmezzo.com/" target="_blank">J'Nai Bridges</a> (whom I had the pleasure of meeting in March at the International Saint-Georges Music Festival in Guadeloupe) and pianist <a href="http://markmarkhampianist.com/about/" target="_blank">Mark Markham</a> will perform a recital featuring works by Mahler, Ives, Copland and a selection of Spirituals in advance of their December 13 performance in New York's Carnegie Hall!<br />
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<br />nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-14454237978566684202018-08-27T22:36:00.000-07:002018-08-27T22:36:11.942-07:00"He rises and begins to round" - Phenomenal Women and Ralph Vaughan Williams' "The Lark Ascending"In 1914, English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote a piece for violin and orchestra titled<br />
<i><a href="https://www.gramophone.co.uk/feature/vaughan-williams-the-lark-ascending-which-recording-is-best" target="_blank">The Lark Ascending.</a> </i>Taking its title from a poem written by <a href="https://www.bartleby.com/246/680.html" target="_blank">George Meredith</a>, <i>The Lark Ascending</i> was written for and premiered by the English violinist <a href="https://songofthelarkblog.com/2011/11/19/article-miss-marie-hall-the-girl-violinist-a-romance-of-real-life-june-1903/" target="_blank">Marie Hall</a>. Ms. Hall was a student of violinists, composers and pedagogues including August Wilhelmj, Edward Elgar, and Okatar Sevcik, with whom she apparently studied for <i>eighteen months</i>.<br />
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Eighteen months. Let's think about that - how many of us spent time with the volumes written by Mr. Sevcik in our early days? How many of us refer to Op. 1, Part 4 today? That Ms. Hall spent that much time with a man who is revered today as one of the early twentieth century "method masters" alongside Carl Flesch says volumes about her facility. Furthermore, like Joseph Joachim with Johannes Brahms, Ms. Hall worked with Vaughan Williams during the composition of <i>The Lark Ascending</i>, which resulted in the piece being dedicated to her.<br />
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While Ms. Hall did give the first public performances of the piece - first a violin and piano version in 1920 and a complete with orchestra in 1921 - it was not until 1928 that The Lark Ascending was recorded, that performance being given by English violinist I<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pocZgPVoFnk" target="_blank">solde Menges</a> (note: while I am grateful for the "youtube to mp3 technology, if anyone knows how I can get my hands on this in a hard copy...).<br />
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During my undergraduate at the University of South Carolina School of Music, I spent HOURS in the music library listening to recordings. It was simply because I had found myself intrigued by a piece called <i>The Lark Ascending</i> after seeing the sheet music listed in a Shar catalog that I took the plunge and listened to a recording made by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTGwTH1PUeI" target="_blank">Rafael Druian with Louis Lane and the Cleveland Sinfonietta</a>.<br />
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Imagine the wonder, the reverie, as a very green and very unwordly music student listened to one of the most "clean" performances of a work and subsequently fought both to learn and perform said work, which I did in 1993 in recital at Oklahoma State University.<br />
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With all of that, however, this post is not about me and my "wanderings". Nor is it about the fact that there are SO many recordings of The Lark Ascending, including a particularly interesting one made by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNGI9xzxpd4" target="_blank">Christopher Warren-Green</a> and the London Chamber Orchestra.<br />
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This is about the strange and wonderful fact that the premiere, first recording, and subsequent benchmark readings of a work written in 1914 and completed in 1920, a "<a href="https://bachtrack.com/en_GB/review-prom-17-brabbins-parry-holst-vaughan-williams-bbcnow-july-2018" target="_blank">seriously developed entity and a summation of rural simplicity, that was soon to be blown away by the First World War</a>", have been delivered by women.<br /><br />One of those remarkable women following the "family tree" that includes Marie Hall, I<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pocZgPVoFnk" target="_blank">solde Menges</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzONNtE_WqM" target="_blank">Iona Brown</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4NMf2PO_mQ" target="_blank">Janine Jansen</a> is American violinist <a href="http://taimurray.com/" target="_blank">Tai Murray</a>.<br />
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<br />nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-2667774983682600992018-06-29T13:30:00.003-07:002018-06-29T13:41:03.903-07:00Renee Baker on Film and Film Music<style type="text/css">
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: ,;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Renee
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: ,;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Albert
Lamorisse's </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDHefs-JmTc" target="_blank">Le Ballon Rouge</a></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Red Balloon</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
1956) is a must-see film for everyone. During the thirty-five
minutes of Lamorisse's Oscar-winning film, one watches young Pascal
discover a huge red balloon and then follows the pair as they remain
inseparable through a series of adventures throughout the Belleville
area of Paris as it existed before slum clearance efforts (also known
as gentrification) undertaken by the Parisian government in the
1960s. The film is compelling for many reasons, the primary reason
being the presence of an anthropomorphic red balloon as a central
character. There is no narrative: all of the action is “told”
through the actions of the characters and underscored by a delightful
and sometimes haunting score by French composer Maurice Le Roux. </span></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="color: black;"> </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> The
contrast between the darkness of post World War II Paris and the
presence first of Pascal's companion and (in the tremendous finale)
the colors of the balloon cluster that comes to Pascal's rescue is
also significant: as films serve as documents, </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Le
Ballon Rouge</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
is a “color-record” of the Belleville region of Paris before the
phenomenon of urban renewal made its way through the neighborhood.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">La
Ballon Rouge</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
is just one film that made a profound impression on <a href="http://reneebakercomposer.net/" target="_blank">Chicago Modern
Orchestra Project founder and artistic director Ren</a></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://reneebakercomposer.net/" target="_blank">é</a></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://reneebakercomposer.net/" target="_blank">e Baker</a>, who presents the 1926 Japanese avant-garde film </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>A
Page of Madness </i>with live music score and chamber ensemble </span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">at
the Museum of Fine Arts in </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">St. Petersburg, Florida on Saturday, </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">July
28, 2018. </span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /> </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">“I
have been a voracious consumer of musicals and non-American cinema
since childhood, and have been absolutely obsessed with animation,”
Ren</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">é</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">e
shared. In addition to </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">La
Ballon Rouge</span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
both the stage musicals and film versions of </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">West
Side Story</span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Oliver
</span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">fueled
Ms. Baker's fascination with film and film music</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
“When you have those kinds of cinematic experiences, you can't
let them go. Knowing that I could have the opportunity to combine
films like those with my compositions actually changed the way that I
see film.” </span></span></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It is clear that the combination of early wonder, adult responsibility, curiosity and intellectual acuity has resulted in her phenomenal involvement in film music composition. The</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> early broadening of her perspective has resulted in Ren</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">é</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">e
having both knowledge of and involvement in all aspects of film
production, that including keen insight into how one can move film
audiences through music. “The easiest way for modern audiences is
with a modern score,” Ms. Baker said. “Everything is recorded
live by the Chicago Modern Orchestra Project, and I also watch the
movies so many times that I have deep knowledge of the frames
themselves.”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> Heralded
as “a dynamic force in the creative music scene in Chicago” by
contemporary classical music magazine </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
Care if You Listen</span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
Ren</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">é</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">e
Baker is an incredibly multifaceted and prolific artist. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">In
addition to her work as a founding member and principal violist of
the Chicago Sinfonietta, </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Ms. Baker is a member of the internationally
acclaimed Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians
(AACM). Renee is also the founder of both the Mantra Blue
FreeOrchestra and Chicago Modern Orchestra Project, both ensembles
being dedicated to performing and recording works of living
composers. An established visual artist, Ms. Baker's work has been
exhibited in museums and art galleries across the world.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What started as an MFA project has turned into yet another fantastic and ever-expanding facet of </span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ms. Baker's highly creative career</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">. Baker's foray into film music composition began while finishing
her Master of Fine Arts in Composition at Vermont College of Fine
Arts. “The seed was first planted by a mentor, because I wasn't
'looking' in that direction,” she said. “Don DiNicola, a mentor
in the program, approached me about doing a film project while I was
concentrating on contemporary classical music. Our first project was
Oscar Micheaux's </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Body
and Soul</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
At</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
the time I said I would score the entire movie – and I did.”</span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Known
as the most successful African-American filmmaker of the early
twentieth century, Oscar Micheaux (1884-1951) produced over forty
films between 1919 and 1948, those films including 1925's </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Body
and Soul</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
“I call Micheaux 'the original DIY guy',” Ms. Baker said. “He
was truly an inspiration for my film scoring and company, because he
did </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">everything</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.”</span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /> </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Ren</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">é</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">e
Baker's interest in and exploration of early twentieth-century
African-American silent film is profoundly mission-driven.
Understanding that a lot of early twentieth-century African-American
history has been captured in many films, Ms. Baker feels the
important need for twenty-first century audiences to explore those
films. “I am working to bring honor to the fact that there is
world cinema in a historical context that needs to be seen again,”
she said. </span></span></span></span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
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<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
“After </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Body
and Soul</span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
was premiered at the Museum of Contemporary Arts Chicago, I was asked
close Ebertfest with the Chicago Modern Orchestra Project and the
score, and in February 2018 I did a second film at Symphony Center
called </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Scar of Shame</span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.”
To date, there have been over thirty screenings of </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Body
and Soul</span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
throughout the world, both with live orchestra and recorded score.
In 2019, Ms. Baker will take </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Body
and Soul</span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
to the Gateways Music Festival in Rochester, New York.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> After
their initial success</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">,</span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
DiNicola and Baker formed Dirigent Media and scored three films,
including the Japanese horror film </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">A
Page of Madness</span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and the 1915 silent German horror film </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Der
Golem</span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
“I decided that I wanted to learn about the business on my own,
and founded WabiHouse Media in 2016, under which we have scored over
200 movies,” Ren</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">é</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">e
said. “I then formed Relinquish Media and started making my own
experimental films.”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> In
addition to scoring both German and Japanese expressionist films and
becoming a true filmmaker, Ms. Baker's foray into filmmaking includes
a recent presentation of a new version of D. W. Griffith's
controversial </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Birth
of a Nation</span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(1914/15). “Griffith's version of </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Birth
of a Nation</span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
was the first feature film shown in the White House, and this
exploration definitely put things into perspective. Many of
Micheaux's films were made in response to </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Birth
of a Nation, </span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">and
he was not the only filmmaker who decided that the images presented
in Griffith's film would not be the only images people saw of
African-Americans.” This timely screening of </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Birth
of a Nation</span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
was titled “The Conundrum Conversation” and featured both a
dinner and an introduction from the American Civil Liberties Union
(“T</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">he
audience had a good time,” Ren</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">é</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">e
said.).</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> When
asked about the level of seriousness that she shows in all of her
work, Renee said simply </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">“I
am simply a believer in my product and following my leanings.”
“</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This
matter-of-factness has been hallmark of Ren</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">é</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">e
Baker's approach to all aspects of her career. “I am an abstract
thinker on a journey, and what I do is honor that journey by doing my
homework.” That sense of responsibility and curiosity has led
to exploring the Black Center Film Archives at Indiana University
(“They were so gracious in allowing me to visit and have full
access to the available resources.”).</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> While
Ren</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">é</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">e
does indeed carry a seriousness into her work, she has maintained a
sense of humor and no-nonsense perspective on the </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">business</span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
of film scoring and musicmaking. “</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">A
lot of people call me wanting meetings and shortcuts – I </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">wish</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
that I could take everyone to the tubs and bins that I have studied.
Don't wait for CliffNotes – do your homework!”</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">#
# #</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> Renee
Baker conducts an original music score to the 1926 avant-garde film </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">A
Page of Madness </span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">with
chamber ensemble as a part of </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><a href="http://mfastpete.org/event/magnetic-fields-sonic-abstraction/" target="_blank">Magnetic Fields: Sonic Abstraction</a></b></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, Florida on Saturday, July
28, 2018. An afternoon of abstract sonic work by female African-American composers, this event was curated to complement
</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><a href="http://mfastpete.org/exh/magnetic-fields/" target="_blank">Magnetic Fields: Expanding American Abstraction, 1960s to Today</a></b></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
</span></span></span></span></span>
</div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<em><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></i></span></span></span></em><em><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Magnetic
Fields: Expanding American Abstraction, 1960s to Today</b></i></span></span></span></em><em><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></i></span></span></span></em><em><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">is
the first U.S. presentation dedicated to the formal and historical
dialogue of abstraction by women artists of color. Organized by the
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Missouri, </span></span></span></span></span></em><em><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Magnetic
Fields</span></i></span></span></span></em><em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
was also shown at the National Museum of Women in the Arts,
Washington DC. </span></span></span></span></span></em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">©Samuel
Thompson, 2018</span></span></span></span></span></div>
nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-24801329934779911302018-06-21T20:46:00.001-07:002018-06-22T23:13:58.541-07:00When Reality Shifts...remembering Betsy Mullins (8/31/1974-6/21/2018)<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPXUhHwArS9u-wLd6evGn2iWCVS7S0FRNUSQQoZn54EZywR2OAuMWWWK6Vk2UPuNumfGUCQJspFsbiH1tSdhV0KaIDG5op2ufwFNiWHOvmAnGXeOMyzSCc3DDqjqHu7o2hyYikkSVtOU/s1600/Betsy+Kate+Mullins.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPXUhHwArS9u-wLd6evGn2iWCVS7S0FRNUSQQoZn54EZywR2OAuMWWWK6Vk2UPuNumfGUCQJspFsbiH1tSdhV0KaIDG5op2ufwFNiWHOvmAnGXeOMyzSCc3DDqjqHu7o2hyYikkSVtOU/s400/Betsy+Kate+Mullins.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjNLCbIMzZs" target="_blank">"....maybe if I get this down I'll get it off my mind..."-Amy Winehouse</a></i><br />
<br />
If I were to step back, I would realize that I am at the age where the losses now are not always of people much older than me.<br /><br />If I were to step out of myself, I would read the poignant and beautiful tributes on what is now the "Remembering" Facebook page and be happy to see the legion of lives that were touched and changed by someone's presence.<br /><br />If I were to really pay attention, I would have known that when my crown opened two days ago and you came floating into it that you were saying goodbye.<br />
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In August of 1997, I was finishing my second summer as a desk attendant at the Rice University Graduate House. For those who do not remember the "old" Graduate House, it was located at the corner of Main Street and University Boulevard in Houston in what was the <a href="http://arch-ive.org/archive/tidelands/" target="_blank">Tidelands Motor Inn</a>. How many friendships formed at the pool (yes, we had a 1950s swimming pool!) I cannot even imagine, but there are incredible memories of that place. <br />
<br />A part of my summer duties included finalizing room reservations for incoming students, and I to this day distinctly remember seeing a reservation made by an incoming student from Boiling Springs, South Carolina.<br />
<br />
How I remember that one with all of the incomings (the old graduate house was also the place where many internationals lived when coming to Houston for the ESL program), I have no idea: what I do remember is her walking in with her father for check-in and her amazement when I said "YES! You're Betsy Mullins from Boiling Springs!"<br />
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I think she was caught off-guard, because she smiled - and laughed. <br />
<br />
That laugh...one of the most infectious and joyous laughs I have ever heard.<br />
<br />
"You know Boiling Springs?!" she asked.<br /><br />"Certainly - I'm from Charleston!"<br /><br />
Needless to say, we became friends on THAT day, and I'm grateful to know that ours was a friendship that lasted for twenty-one years.<br /><br />Today I had the opportunity to speak with another friend made during the old Graduate House days. THIS one: she was to be my neighbor during the second year of my graduate studies, and I immediately took the moment to meet her.</div>
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<br />"HI! I'm Samuel, your next door neighbor. Welcome! Sometimes I practice in my room, and I hope that won't bother you."<br /><br />Again, a disarmed smile and a laugh. Another laugh that I remember.</div>
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SO...<a href="https://www.susanhurleysoprano.com/" target="_blank">Susan Hurley</a>, Betsy and I became in some ways the "Three Musketeers", and this joining included one night at the end of the fall '97 semester on which Susan and I kidnapped Betsy.<br /><br />Yes - kidnapped, but with love.</div>
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If memory serves me, the transition to a new city had resulted in some stresses for our dear Betsy (as that transition does for all of us), and one Friday night (this was all planned, of course), Susan and I met Betsy with a blindfold and said, "Be quiet, and come with us". Fortunately, the relationships that had developed alleviated all fear, and Betsy joyfully played along as we blindfolded her, put her in the back seat of Susan's car, and drove her to Bookstop. Housed in the old <a href="http://www.cinemahouston.info/alabama.shtml" target="_blank">Alabama Theatre</a> which was located in a strip mall on the corner of Shepherd and Alabama, Bookstop was a wonder, a perfect gem, and the ideal place for an escape from the pressures of the pressure cooker that was (and probably still IS) Rice University. </div>
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So we drove, got out of the car (Betsy still blindfolded), and took her into the store, gently guiding her to the balcony space which had become the location of all of the coffee table books that we all love. This WAS the 90s, so Peter Lindbergh's <i>Ten Women</i>, Arthur Elgort's <i>Model's Manual</i> and a host of other hardcopies were on the shelves. There was also a coffeeshop in the balcony space, and the owners understood that while there were two classes: the consumers, and those who wanted to <i>dream, </i>which meant that there was no problem with taking a stack of magazines and books to a table with a cappuccino. HOW many hours....another friend remembers this as that one (neither Susan nor Betsy) was the person who introduced me to the joy of taking a September or March day and gathering all of the HUGE international fashion magazines and a few books, buying a coffee and scone, and sitting to marvel at international creativity.<br /><br /><br /><br /> </div>
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<br /><br />When we took the blindfold off, this is what Betsy saw....and the three of us had a moment...<br />
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nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-58157136051414420242018-05-04T21:48:00.000-07:002018-05-04T21:48:40.788-07:00Contemplating Mahler<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
So, after the first of two performances with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony, I am still thinking about the tremendous sounds made by concertmaster Kurt Nikkanen, the elegance of Brandie Sutton's Mahler #4, and the sheer magic and musical brilliance of pianist Leon Fleisher...and contemplating Mahler.</div>
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Tomorrow night, a colleague who has become a friend over the past four years and I get to hear the Baltimore Symphony play the first symphony of Gustav Mahler. This work is dear to m<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">e for many reasons, the main being that it is a "signifier" in my life.</span></div>
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I started my university studies at the University of South Carolina in 1987. The first orchestra concert included the first symphonies of Beethoven and Mahler. Flash to 1998, and the last Shepherd School Symphony concert that I would hear as a student: Mahler #1.</div>
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A few months later, after a tremendous summer on the mountaintop with the National Repertory Orchestra (<a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=524856681&extragetparams=%7B%22fref%22%3A%22mentions%22%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/tessa.chermiset?fref=mentions" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">Valerie-Tessa Chermiset</a>, <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=704933508&extragetparams=%7B%22fref%22%3A%22mentions%22%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/rene.reder.5?fref=mentions" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">René Reder</a>, <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=607238582&extragetparams=%7B%22fref%22%3A%22mentions%22%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/jenny.kozoroz?fref=mentions" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">Jenny Snyder Kozoroz</a>, <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=1099272934&extragetparams=%7B%22fref%22%3A%22mentions%22%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/kana.kimura.758?fref=mentions" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">Kana Kimura</a>, <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=542152770&extragetparams=%7B%22fref%22%3A%22mentions%22%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/dorris.janssen?fref=mentions" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">Dorris Dai Janssen</a>...anyone else who was there, CHIME IN), I moved to Miami Beach to begin two years with the New World Symphony. Rep on the first concert? A work by Michael Tilson Thomas and - yes - the first symphony of Gustav Mahler.</div>
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A few years passed, and then came 2002 and Spoleto Festival USA.<br />In addition to "The Flying Dutchman" and "Death and Transfiguration" - yep, you guessed it. The memory of playing alongside many friends and colleagues, all of us just "in it to win", is something that I shall always treasure.</div>
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So - what's the "signifier"?</div>
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Transition, and openness to the future and the unknown.</div>
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April 21, 2018 and here I am, once again stepping into a portal with an open heart, tremendous curiosity, and a determination to step further out of the comfort zones as I did at each of those times. Let's see what the future holds....</div>
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Anyone else have a "signifying work" in their life?</div>
</div>
nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-87306161957046518532018-05-04T21:10:00.001-07:002018-05-04T21:46:04.743-07:00Wanda Wilkomirska (11 January 1929 – 1 May 2018)So....it was at some point in the late eighties or the early nineties that I became aware of the "Polish phenomenon" that was <a href="http://wandawilkomirska.com/" target="_blank">Wanda Wilkomirska</a>. <br />
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The exact date I do not remember (which is probably incredibly humorous to those who know me and call me "the elephant that never forgets"), but what I DO remember is that I was fortunate to have Samuel Applebaum's <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Way-They-Play-Book/dp/0876664370" target="_blank">The Way They Play</a> </i>series in front of me, and I read...and read...and read. Two violinists stood out during that time: Russian violinist <a href="https://www.mariinsky.ru/en/company/orchestra/violin/tatiana_grindenko" target="_blank">Tatiana Grindenko</a> and Polish violinist Wanda Wilkomirska. <br />
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For those not familiar: <i>The Way They Play </i>is a fourteen (correct me if I'm wrong, folks) volume series that contains interviews with the top classical string players of their times. It was in one of these books that I read a wonderful interview with Ms. Wilkomirska, and the thing that I remember most of all (besides the fantastic late 1960s- early 1970's photos) is something that she said about the bow. If memory serves me (and this means that it's time to invest in this series of books), she said that "the arm follows the bow". <br />
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In addition to being an important exponent of the violin, a tremendous advocate and performer of works by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWPHzGunNpA" target="_blank">Karol Szymanowski</a> (for the record: while I was blown away by <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Enescu-Bart%C3%B3k-Szymanowski-etc-Violin/dp/B0052MMMYI" target="_blank">Ida Haendel's</a> 1999 recording of the Mythes, this one makes me rethink <i>everything</i>) and the violinist who premiered the Pendericki <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLYY6Knc77w" target="_blank">Capriccio for Violin and Orchestra</a></i>, Ms. Wilkomirska was also a quietly strong political figure.<br />
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The very recent <i><a href="https://nyti.ms/2FK39Ni" target="_blank">New York Times</a> </i>obituary briefly chronicles Ms. Wilkomirska's activism during the Solidarity movement of the 1970s and 80s: "In 1976 she was among scores of artists and intellectuals who opposed restrictive constitutionl amendments, which was particularly noteworthy because she was married at the time to Mieczyslaw Rakowski, a member of the Communist Party's Central Committee and editor of its weekly newspaper (and later, prime minister). They divorced in 1977, but she was widely credited with introducing Mr. Rakowsky to artistic circles and helping to soften his views."<br />
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"In 1981 (and I actually remember this) the government, in a final effort to stifle Solidarity, declared martial law, and Ms. Wilkomirksa, on tour, chose to stay in the West, living and teaching in West Germany and Australia. In 1990, after change came to Poland, she returned to play a violin concerto written by Andrzej Paufnik, who had himself emigrated from Poland early in the Communist era."<br />
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What do you say to THAT, eh? Especially in this day and age? Many of us remember when <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1985-02-21/features/8501100668_1_vakhtang-jordania-viktoria-mullova-defect" target="_blank">violinist Viktoria Mullova defected from the Soviet Union in 1983</a>, eighteen months after sharing the First Prize in the Tchaikovsky Competition. How many stories are there that we don't know? While we do remember the phenomenon of Ms. Mullova, we have to acknowledge the quiet strength of Ms. Wilkomirska. <br />
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<i>...and of course, to sit now remembering the newscasts, first about the Solidarity movement and then about Ms. Mullova....</i><br />
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As I sit writing, with one of Ms. Wilkomirska's performances of the Bach <i>Chaconne</i> playing, I find a tear in my eye: not only was she a tremendously important musical figure, but she exemplified the sense of civic and national duty that we as artists should all espouse, especially in these fractious times.<br />
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Ms. Wilkomirska, thank you. Rest now, deservedly: and for those who have not heard her, here we are:<br />
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<a href="https://youtu.be/MZPAwkY2qfU" target="_blank">Szymanowski: Violin Concerto No. 1</a><br />
Sydney Symphony Orchestra<br />
Niklaus Wyss, conductor<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWPHzGunNpA" target="_blank">Szymanowski: Mythes</a><br />
Antonio Barbosa, Piano<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztv0_I3Bh7M" target="_blank">For the Love of Music</a><br />
David Dubal, host<br />
WNCN-FM, New York<br />
Originally broadcast on June 27, 1980<br />
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<br />nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-49359007404799918382018-02-12T17:55:00.001-08:002018-02-12T17:55:23.008-08:00There are times....So....after a day that included a bus driver getting lost TWICE and a huge, weather-related flight delay, I am home from <a href="http://www.sphinxmusic.org/sphinxconnect/" target="_blank">SphinxConnect</a>, an annual conference hosted by the Sphinx Organization that focuses on the issues of diversity, inclusion, entrepreneurship, creativity and equity in the arts. This being my second time attending SphinxConnect as a Fellowship recipient, I must say that I am still inspired by the fact that hundreds of people from all areas of the field (performance/education/arts administration) attended, and I so look forward to deepening the connections made both this year and last year.<br />
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SphinxConnect is held in tandem with the annual <a href="http://www.sphinxmusic.org/sphinx-competition/" target="_blank">Sphinx Competition for Black and Latino String Players</a>. As in previous years, this year's competition was truly exciting as it is always uplifting to see and hear truly talented and hard-working young people perform. <br />
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<i>This</i> year was certainly not an exception, however....we all have memories of sitting in concert halls and being totally BLOWN AWAY by levels of commitment, technical facility, and musical acuity. As I write this, I immediately think of Christian Tetzlaff's 1994 Houston Symphony debut, during which he performed the Dvorak <i>Violin Concerto</i>. <br />
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And that's all - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crEun0swGEo" target="_blank">watch the video</a> and listen for yourselves.<br />
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nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-84000921176257948352018-01-13T17:16:00.001-08:002018-01-13T17:16:21.440-08:00WGBH Music: Tai Murray plays Eugene Ysaye's Violin Sonata in E minor, Op...<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wx-yoeu1elA" width="480"></iframe><br /><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are times at which I cannot find the words to describe what I have heard.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Perhaps that means that I should become a bit more articulate, considering that my friend and colleague Brian J. Hong has written beautifully about <a href="http://www.taimurray.com/" target="_blank">Tai Murray's</a> playing, and that Ms. Murray exhibits extraordinary communication skills which can be read in recent interviews published at both online industry magazine <i><a href="http://www.violinist.com/blog/laurie/20125/13578/" target="_blank">violinist.com</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.ebony.com/entertainment-culture/Violinist-Tai-Murray-Classical-Musics-A-List-Sister" target="_blank">Ebony Magazine</a></i>.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The depth with which Tai speaks of the continuum of which she is a part - from studying at Indiana University and becoming a part of the direct link to Ysaÿe via Yuval Yaron, Josef Gingold and Franco Gulli to her words on the 1690 Giovanni Tononi violin on which she recorded the <i>Six Sonatas for Unaccompanied Violin, Op. 24</i> - parallels the very thorough, thoughtful, and convincing musicmaking displayed in this performance.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And THAT, dear friends, is all from here....</span></div>nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-76218065876922916022017-09-26T18:59:00.005-07:002017-09-26T18:59:52.959-07:00Not "Tapping Out"....<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Rather, I'm "leaning into" the right things.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So: grateful to see the enlightened, thorough, and well-measured discussions about the origins of "taking a knee", those discussions including historical context. Yes, I do have thoughts (would I NOT? *WINK*) - no, I'm not chiming in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Why not, you may ask?<br />1. I know myself, and I know that I can definitely be a "willow tree in the wind", that being that I can bend with every little breeze or large blast.<br />2. I have about seventy kids who deserve the best of me, and the<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">re's no way that I can serve them with the best of myself if I allow myself to get distracted and involved in everything.<br />3. I am now - hopefully - finding a real, substantive way to contribute to "the work" and need my mental faculties for that. Otherwise - well, in case y'all don't remember, there was a little blog post that I fired off in December 2015 titled "Tapping Out". That can't happen right now.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; letter-spacing: -0.12px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Today - tremendously impressed by my kids, and even moreso by one family in particular that is currently searching for an instrument. Glad to have been able to offer them direction and advice that was echoed by another teacher before they spent a considerable amount of money on an instrument at a shop that said "We have this for rental, and this one for sale." Needless to say, this family went to a shop that specializes in stringed instruments and found what they needed - as well as found out that what the general musical instrument shop offered was not the "standard offer".</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">While I'm not tryin' to tell anyone what to do: should you as an educator encounter a family that is in the market for an instrument, please make sure that you send them to a STRINGED INSTRUMENT shop as opposed to a "general musical equipment store". At a stringed instrument shop, your families will be shown all of the options afforded to them, including rent-to-own options, that general music stores may not share.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Why is this? A stringed instrument shop that is dealing from student instrument rentals to SCARAMPELLA and HILL sales will not cheat a family looking for an advanced student instrument. They simply don't have to.</span></div>
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<a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/energygoingthere?source=feed_text&story_id=10159356287970125" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="_5afx" style="direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_58cl _5afz" style="color: #4267b2; unicode-bidi: isolate;">#</span><span class="_58cm">energygoingTHERE</span></span></span></a></div>
nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-33869732956583403742017-08-19T21:20:00.001-07:002017-08-19T21:55:20.489-07:00"There's Somethin' Happening Here...."<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9ZKB-ZQTkO8" width="459"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Gathering my thoughts and words. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Today marks seven days since hearing <a href="http://www.jessiemontgomery.com/" target="_blank">Jessie Montgomery</a>'s "Records from a Vanishing City" at the <a href="http://gatewaysmusicfestival.org/" target="_blank">Gateways Music Festival</a> in a concert held at the <a href="http://hochstein.org/" target="_blank">Hochstein School of Music and Dance</a> in Rochester, New York. Incidentally, the Hochstein is housed in the repurposed church in which the funeral of Frederick Douglass took place.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">This concert took place on the day before the final concert of the Gateways Festival, a concert that included a stunning "familiar work with new ears" performance of Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto with S<a href="https://www.stewartgoodyearpiano.com/" target="_blank">tewart Goodyear</a> as soloist and an orchestral performance of Brahms' Second Symphony that, like in years past, I walked away from thinking "If I had to retire the violin after this, I would be okay because THIS was tremendous and I am grateful to have been a part of it."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">However, that weekend also included the horrors of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P54sP0Nlngg&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DP54sP0Nlngg&has_verified=1" target="_blank">Charlottesville, Virginia</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">What can I say, eh? I think it's safe to say this: while I am gathering my thoughts and references, we have to remember a few things. Do understand that this is NOT the time to become outraged at our current leader's statements in which he said that there were "good people" on both sides. Screw the words - look at the laws. THOSE are important, and THAT is where our energy needs to go from this - hell, from LAST week forward:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">1. Permits were granted. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">2. Virginia is an open carry state. "<span style="background-color: #f8f9fa;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Open carry is generally allowed without a permit for people 18 years of age and older. The following cities and counties have exceptions that disallow the open carry of "assault weapons" (any firearm that is equipped with a magazine that will hold more than 20 rounds of ammunition or is designed by the manufacturer to accommodate a silencer or equipped with a folding stock) or shotguns equipped with a magazine that holds more than 7 rounds: the Cities of Alexandria, Chesapeake, Fairfax, Falls Church, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond, and Virginia Beach and in the Counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Henrico, Loudoun, and Prince William. These restrictions do not apply to valid concealed carry permit holders. Stated differently, you may open carry an assault weapon/shotgun with more than 7 rounds with a permit in the aforementioned locations, but do not need a permit to do so in any other locality in Virginia."<br /><br />Notice: Albermarle County, the county in which Charlottesville is located, is not listed here. That means that those who came with assault weapons (which you shall clearly see in the linked video) were acting within the LETTER (as opposed to the SPIRIT) of the law. <i>Think about that</i>. If you're having a problem understanding this, talk to anyone who went to a public high school that took a course called "Civics".</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f8f9fa;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">3. From what I'm hearing from the ground, the police in Charlottesville were told to "stand down" while profound intimidation took place over two days. TWO DAYS.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br />Mind y'all, I think you all know that I'm hardly an advocate for this type of incendiary behavior. HARDLY. But think about it....we're talking about factions of people who have, for decades, been working out, storing food, purchasing guns and assault weapons, all while believing the ideology that "there will be a race war" and advocating for racial and ethnic cleansing of the United States.<br /><br />The police were told to "stand down" (I shall hopefully confirm this in a few days).<br /><br />"There's somethin' happenin' here....what it is..."</span><br />
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nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006825860435630076.post-5383976471798289342017-06-26T18:57:00.001-07:002017-06-26T19:02:34.272-07:00Lightning in a BottleThe phrase "lightning in a bottle" means "capturing something powerful and elusive and then being able to hold it and show it to the world".<br />
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Last night's opening of <a href="http://odinsviolin.com/river-house-concerts/" target="_blank">Riverhouse Concerts</a> in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania was definitely one of these beautiful and memorable moments.<br />
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Located in Fort Hunter Park on the banks of the Susquehanna River, The Riverhouse is the artistic creation of Gary Lysaght, who designed and built the house in 2014 with a handful of others. Upon stepping inside, one is met with the marvel of modernity as the house has tall ceilings, clean lines, and a wall of windows that face the Susquehanna.<br />
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It was in this space that violinist <a href="http://odinsviolin.com/bio/" target="_blank">Odin Rathnam</a> and pianist <a href="http://www.johnnaumanpianist.com/nauman_site_template_bio.html" target="_blank">John Nauman</a> - men who have both forged impressive and worthy reputations for their instrumental and musical prowess - performed works of Bach, Chopin and Strauss for an intimate and sold-out audience of seventy.<br />
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One particularly meaningful aspect of the evening was that both Mr. Rathnam and Mr. Nauman were featured as soloists in the first half before coming together after the intermission to share the violin sonata of Richard Strauss. It was beautiful to witness the honoring of their "class reunion" in this way: both John and Odin were students at the Juilliard School during what has been referred to as a "golden time" by those who were students during those years. This experience was heightened by the fact that programming was chosen to reflect the change of scenery as early evening turned into night.<br />
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This was just the first concert of what is turning into a series, and I do hope that everyone reading this pays attention and takes a moment to attend a concert.<br />
<br />nobilementehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00391470926337742808noreply@blogger.com0