Summertime - and the Living is Easy

Do you HATE being stuck indoors in the summertime? My current obligations, while often rewarding (for example, my wife and I just bought a house—very exciting!)

mean I hardly have much free time. Even when there is time to enjoy the great outdoors, what are the chances that’ll occur when it’s not overly humid or hot?

So it’s great when you can enjoy some music, AND do it outside in good weather. Tomorrow—Tuesday, July 20—GTCYS’ Summer Orchestras perform at the Como Park Pavilion in St. Paul at 7pm. I’m really looking forward to this because:

1)The kids have been working hard and are going to perform a great variety of music—from Beethoven’s 5th Symphony to Kool and the Gang.

2)The Pavilion is a perfect setting for summer music.


3)THEY’RE PREDICTING GOOD WEATHER! Highs Tuesday in the low 80s, with just a small chance of storms. Oh, and there’s a reception after the concert, so we continue the outdoors experience by coming together after the performance on the nearby lawn to enjoy some food and chat. What could be better?

Hope to see you there!

This time, it's YOUR turn!

I recently attended the League of American Orchestras annual conference, held in warm, sunny Atlanta. A lot of the talk concerned whether orchestras are still as relevant to today’s society as they used to be, and whether audiences feel like the orchestral experience is important or interesting. Rather than report much else, I’m just going to throw out a bunch of questions, and hope folks will respond openly.

Does it matter whether you hear music live or recorded? Why?

Do you go to orchestra concerts very often? Why or why not? What about other kinds of music?

What’s interesting about orchestra concerts? What do you find puzzling or frustrating?

Why do people have no problem buying tickets, food and parking for a Twins game, but not so for an orchestra concert?

When you go to concerts, do you feel connected to what’s happening on stage? Does it depend on the group you’re hearing?

If you’re a musician yourself, do you have a preference about playing vs. being in the audience? Why do you think that is?

Are orchestras going to matter in fifty years? Will they be around? What about theater, dance, museums, etc?

Send back those comments, folks! Let’s hear what you have to say. Don’t be shy!