TAFTO

I consider myself fortunate to come across individuals like Frank Manheim during my lifetime.  Frank is the benchmark for a “knowledgeable nonprofessional classical music activist”.  His passion for the art moves him well beyond pontification into that realm of activism.

His personal research and effort into a variety of endeavors to benefit classical music in a number of mediums are simply too numerous to mention.  Frank’s contribution recounts a lifetime of personal experience and is filled with so much good material you’ll need to read it through a few times just to absorb everything.

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What can I say about Sam Bergman?  Well, the facts are he’s a violist in the Minnesota Orchestra, serves in a leadership position with the musician’s orchestra committee, the news editor for Arts Journal, mini-blogger extraordinaire, rabid baseball fan, and proprietor of Urtext v2.0.  Plus, he’s funny. 

Sam’s Take a Friend to Orchestra contribution utilizes that last expertise to give everyone a health dose of humor while simultaneously convincing those readers who have almost invited a friend to a concert to actually do so.  Sam calls his contribution "How to Be an Elitist Snob in 20 Easy Steps" but I call it "Everything You Wanted To Know About The Orchestra But Were Afraid to Ask". 

It may be long, but it’s also a quick read; you’ll be laughing out loud and wanting more by the time you’re through reading it.

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Who are these musician people anyway?  They’re usually seen dressed in black like some sort of formal super hero with a secret identity we never get to learn.  Today’s Take a Friend to Orchestra contribution comes from one of those formal super heroes, Charles Noble,  the Assistant Principal violist for the Oregon Symphony.  His contribution serves to strip away some of the mystery so you can see that they have alter egos just like everyone else.

If you’re fortunate enough to already know some of the musicians in your local orchestra, make sure you try to find an opportunity where you can meet up with them at some point in the concert event and introduce them to your friend.

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John Luther Adams once said of Kyle Gann "[He] is a force of nature. Composer, performer, author, critic, scholar, educator  Like the weather, he seems to be everywhere at once – a commanding presence in the landscape of American music." Add to that list; blogger.  I’m fortunate to be right next door to Kyle’s blog, PostClassic, here at Arts Journal. 

Once you start reading what Kyle writes you just can’t stop and his TAFTO contribution is no exception.  He espouses listener empowerment and encourages everyone to learn how to appreciate music on their own terms.  If you were stranded on a desert island without internet access and had to take a friend to a concert (just go with it), a hard copy of Kyle’s contribution could easily serve as your bible.

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