"Morning Sides" by Tim Jansa now available to view on YouTube!

Hello Friends and Supporters!

Happy New Year! With the new year comes new goals. . . one of them being MORE BLOG POSTS! For my first post of the year, I thought I'd share our newest YouTube video which features us performing Tim Jansa's "Morning Sides."

I met Tim during the Fall of 2009 where I was involved in the premiere of his "Prelude to a Serenade," a charming chamber piece written for winds and strings.  After the rehearsal and performance I was hooked on Tim's work.  Wonderfully "easy on the ears," as my Dad would say, it also has a complexity of harmony and melody that keeps both the performer and listener engaged.  

In the Spring of 2009 I approached Tim about composing a piece for Morningside Chamber Musicians.  Happily, he was amenable and we began discussing the project in detail.  I was interested in a piece that reflected the historical compositional style of woodwind trio music (mainly that of French composers from the 1930's through the 1950's) yet also had a fresh approach that remained accessible to the audience.  We also tossed around the idea of a piece that evoked images from different areas or sides of Atlanta.  Tim delivered! The final product is a three movement work that displays several "sides" of Atlanta: The City, The Arts and The Gardens.  

Here are the notes about "Morning Sides" from Tim: "The work's title plays on the name of the Morningside neighborhood in Atlanta--a green, cultured and rather affluent part of the inner city, and namesake of the commissioning ensemble.

Three compact movements attempt to capture the main aspects of the neighborhood: its location near Midtown Atlanta with all its hustle and bustle, restaurants, public spaces -- and traffic, as can easily be heard in the first movement; the cultured and, on occasion, somewhat highbrow arts scene portrayed in a fun, tongue-in-cheek way; and finally the beautiful and peaceful gardens and parks that surround many of the Morningside residences ... including birds chirping in the old trees."

We have truly enjoyed this work and hope that you do as well!  More information about Tim Jansa can be found at http://www.timjansa.com/   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfcXP92AuFw

Attracting and Retaining Our Audiences

My husband and I are concerned - the art form that we live and love, classical orchestral music, seems to be in trouble.  Well, okay the music itself is not in harm’s way; happily we will always have the musical treasures of our greatest composers on paper or safely locked away in PDF form on our computers.  Unfortunately, what good are these masterpieces tucked away on shelves or hard drives?  We need musicians, conductors, and great concert halls to bring these works to life!  Upon every orchestral musician, board member, artistic director, donor, and classical music lover the weighty question lies: “How do we continue to attract new audience members and donors, and retain the ones we have?”  Of course this inquiry is not unique to classical music; it is one repeatedly asked by every business. 

So what is the answer?  In my opinion, there are several – education, exposure, advertisement, and a superior product are just a few.  I could speak at length on this subject, but I’m going to attempt to keep it concise.  This may be quite a challenge as my genetic heritage has definitely encouraged my “gift of gab.”  In any case, I believe that exposure to an idea or product is the first step in piquing interest.  Of course the other elements are essential for success, but doesn’t it make sense that if we don’t see it or hear it, we won’t think about it? 

Let’s face it, many people just do not enjoy classical music and that is okay.  There are many things I don’t like, but can appreciate their value.  For those who have given classical music a chance and simply don’t like it, all the exposure in the world to different kinds of classical music genres will probably not win them over.  I believe there are many more who don’t like classical music in the same way I don’t like sardines – I’ve never tried them, but they creep me out!  For many people who have not had much musical education, classical music can be intimidating.  I believe there is a misconception and expectation that you have to know something about it before you go to an orchestral concert in order to enjoy and understand it.  This is simply not true, one can go and just let the music wash over them and enjoy it as much as the musicologist sitting next to him/her. 

It is my goal with Morningside Chamber Musicians to break down this false impression and barrier about classical music.  When we began discussing our goals as an ensemble, it became clear that we simply want to play great music together and share it with our community.  In order to make it attractive (oboe, clarinet, and bassoon can be a hard sell), the music had to be accessible and easy on the ears.  At the same time a constant barrage of “watered down” arrangements did not appeal to us as musicians and in all likelihood would not be sustainable and enjoyable product for the community.  Happily, a large majority of the works written for this combination are really charming, lively, and quite enjoyable to listen too.  These works also continually challenge us as individuals and as an ensemble.  A win win situation!

Many will disagree with me, but I believe the best way to expose our community to classical music is through live background music.  In my experience, many people appreciate what they are hearing much more when they actually see it being performed.  The reason I think live background music is the best course of action is because it takes the intimidation factor out of the equation.  If Morningside Chamber Musicians are playing at a social gathering or a restaurant, people are welcome to focus on us at their leisure.  If they like what they are hearing, they may approach us and ask some questions, give us a nice “kudos,” or say nothing at all.  Whether or not those who hear us during these performances like what they see and hear, at least they are thinking and building opinions about classical music (consciously or not) and this is a step in the right direction.    

Katie Curran