Tag: director

South Bend Symphony plays annual family concert at Notre Dame

Posted on


SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) – Do you want to build a snowman? Well, how about listening to The Snowman?

The South Bend Symphony Orchestra played its annual family concert on Sunday at the University of Notre Dame’s DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.

“We’re at the South Bend Symphony’s annual family concert featuring The South Bend Symphony and Mark Doerries and the Notre Dame Children’s Choir,” said Justus Zimmerman, executive director of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra. “They’re doing The Snowman, which is this great, beautiful, animated short film about a boy discovering his best friend is a snowman, and they go meet Santa, and the music is just incredible.”

Based on the Raymond Briggs’ children’s book sharing the same name, the stage adaptation by Howard Blake showcases a full orchestra with its unforgettable soundtrack.

“The children’s choir, the symphony, it sounded like a fun experience, and these two sat still and paid attention the whole time, so that goes to show you how good it was and how entertaining,” said South Bend Resident Jessica Horvath.

Families and kids of all ages were welcomed to start the festive season off by hearing classic holiday music and a story of a boy who crosses paths with a friendly snowman.

“I kind of liked it because where the sad parts, the person that was reading he would like slow, and it was sad, and I actually cried at the end where the snowman melted,” said Emily, a young concert-goer who was excited to start the holiday season.

“They’re also going to do some traditional holiday tunes, including ones you may know and also some you may not know, so it’s going to be a really varied program of holiday music and themed music,” noted Zimmerman.

The Symphony Orchestra has played Ghostbusters, Día de los Muertos, and The Snowman in less than a month. Asking him how they could play such varying styles in such short succession, Zimmerman said, “Thankfully, our musicians are all incredible, they’re all professionals, and this is what they do day in and day out. They go from Hollywood to Mariachi music, to children’s Christmas music like that. It’s one of the most magical things about what we do.”

This is the beginning of the Symphony Orchestra’s winter schedule.

“Southold Dance Theater; we’re collaborating with on The Nutcracker for the first time, I think, in 20 years,” said Zimmerman. “So, we’ll be playing live while they dance to The Nutcracker. It’s one of the most popular traditions in town, and we’re so glad we can be back providing live music. It’s going to be a magical holiday season this year. There’s a lot to do.”

The South Bend Symphony Orchestra will play the Nutcracker with Southold Dance Theater at the Morris Performing Arts Center on December 9 through 11 and again at the Morris with Home for the Holidays on December 17 and 18.

“Home for the Holidays at the Morris Performing Arts Center, that’s the big Christmas extravaganza with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra, fun for the whole family,” added Zimmerman.

Mark Doerries, conductor, composer, and performance artist works for the University of Notre Dame as Mellon Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Music and Interdisciplinarity and Lilly Conductor for the Notre Dame Children’s Choir.

The University of Notre Dame’s Children’s Choir is in its 10th season and welcomes singers from birth to age 17.

“Well, you know, our music director Alastair Willis says this is the most important concert we do because he does a great job translating the music for the kids and becoming a really engaging presence on stage so that kids get exposed to this new form of classical music for them,” said Zimmerman. “Usually, classical music isn’t as popular as it used to be, and so the kids get to interact with it and get this grounding in some foundational music.”

The SBSO winter family concert is part of the Shein Trust community series.

The artists included:

The South Bend Symphony Orchestra

Alastair Willis, Music Director

Mark Doerries, Guest Conductor

Dallin Baldwin, Guest Conductor

Notre Dame Children’s Choir

The program included:

  1. Arr. Stephen Mager – DING DONG MERRILY ON HIGH
  2. Howard Blake – THE SNOWMAN feat. Mark Doerries, the narrator
  3. Stephenson – JINGLE BELLS FROM A HOLLY AND JOLLY SING-ALONG!
  4. Arr. Stephen Mager – KLING, GLOCKEN, KLING
  5. Olatunji/Whalum – BETELEHEMU
  6. Leonard Cohen – HALLELUJAH

Copyright 2022 WNDU. All rights reserved.



Source link

Westerly High Music HOF announces new slate of inductees | Daily-news-alerts

Posted on


WESTERLY — The Westerly High School Music Hall of Fame will induct 10 new members at a ceremony scheduled for April 2, according to Louis M. Toscano and Thomas J. Liguori, members of the selection committee.

The inductees include Angela (Lombardo) Bacari, George Bookataub, Marilyn Frechette Brockmann, Margaret Day, John Graham, Robert Guarino, Albert Norcia, Florence Soloveitzik, William Thorpe and the late David DeAngelis.

“It’s a great group,” said Toscano, who, like Liguori, is a member of the Westerly High School class of 1970. “The emphasis is on music educators.”

Members of the class of 1970 created and endowed the hall of fame as their 50th anniversary class gift in October of 2021. In November, they held an induction ceremony at Westerly’s United Theatre.

“We decided to move the ceremony to the spring so we could showcase the Westerly High School bands,” Toscano said.

Interestingly, Liguori said, three members of the Westerly High School class of 1966 are included on the list of 2023 nominees.

DeAngelis, the 2002-03 Westerly Teacher of the Year, taught music and theater at Westerly High School for 33 years. He also founded the high school’s Theater Scrapbook Company and served as music director at Our Lady of Victory Church from 1993 to 2014.

Bacari, a 1961 graduate of Westerly High School, has had a lifelong career in the music industry. A mentor to Liza Minnelli and Billy Gilman, she has made a number of hit records, toured with such celebrities as Don Rickles, Rodney Dangerfield and Norm Lewis, and has appeared on “The Merv Griffin Show,” “The Dinah Shore Show,” “The Virginia Graham Show” and many Jerry Lewis muscular dystrophy telethons.

Bookataub, also a 1961 graduate of the Westerly High School — where he was voted “Class Musician” — was a member of the first graduating class of Berklee College of Music in 1966, has served as a high school band director for 40 years, and was an instructor of percussion at the University of Maine, Portland.

Brockmann, a graduate of Westerly High School with the class of 1945, performed on Broadway in “All for Love” and road productions of “Blossom Time” and “Miss Liberty.” A regular performer at Fay’s Theater in Providence, she was the soloist at the 1948 Cherry Blossom Festival, performed at the Latin Quarter and has maintained a lifelong love of music.

Day, a 1955 graduate of Westerly High School, studied harp at Julliard School of Music, was the principal harpist for Providence Harp Ensemble and played with a number of local organizations, such as Pfizer Players, St. Pius Church Choir, Immaculate Conception Church Choir, Colonial Theatre and Mystic River Chorale.

Graham, a member of the Westerly High School class of 1966, toured Europe with School Band of America in 1966, taught music in the West Warwick schools from 1970 to 2000 and has performed with both the Rhode Island Philharmonic and Eastern Connecticut Symphony orchestras.

Guarino, also a member of the Westerly High School class of 1966, holds a master’s in voice from Manhattan School of Music and was a tenor soloist with symphony orchestras in Boston, San Antonio, Harrisburg Opera, Orchestra of New York, Princeton Pro Musica and New Haven Chorale. He has performed as lead with Michigan Opera, Atlanta Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera and Wolf Trap Opera. He is professor emeritus at The College of New Jersey and founder of Collegium Musicum, and currently directs Stonington Madrigal Singers. 

Norcia, a graduate of New England Conservatory of Music, taught for more than 20 years in the Westerly school system. He composed the Babcock Junior High School song, wrote and published “Voice,” an instructional guide to singing, judged many statewide student vocal competitions and served as an evaluator of music programs in public schools.  

Soloveitzik, a 1922 graduate of Westerly High School, studied at Julliard School of Music and Yale Conservatory and taught piano in Westerly for many years. Her pupils included hall of famers George Greeley and Al Copley.  

Thorpe, another member of the Westerly High class of 1966, earned degrees from Boston Conservatory of Music in piano and New England Conservatory in voice. A member of Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, he has performed in 32 states, was a soloist on the CBS-TV broadcast celebrating the Cole Porter Centennial, represented the United States at a United Nations concert in Shanghai, was soloist at the Bethlehem Music Festival, Missouri River Festival, Arizona Heritage Festival, Boston Lyric Orchestra, Boston Civic Symphony, and many other East Coast orchestras. He is also founder of Thorpe Music Publishing Company. 

More information about the April 2 induction ceremony will be released closer to the date.

nbfusaro@thewesterlysun.com



Source link

Tatum Music Co. owner talks serving East Texas since 1948 | Business

Posted on


The Tatum Music Company story began when its doors opened for business on Aug. 15, 1948, on East Tyler Street in Longview.

The store, which now has locations at 325 E. Front St. in Tyler and 1501A S. High St. in Longview, was opened by Alto Tatum, former director of the award-winning Gladewater High School band. The General, as Tatum was called by his colleagues, began to call on school band programs in East Texas, determined to use his own experience as a band director to help him meet the needs of area music educators.

The former site of West Melody Shop, which had been owned and operated by the former Longview High School band director Wellborn West, was the original location of Tatum Music Company. West’s main focus for the business transitioned to band instruments and repairs, and in January 1949, he hired G.A. Sailor to set up the repair department at Tatum Music Company.




A saxophone gets repaired at Tatum Music Company at the Tyler location.




At the time, the nearest shops offering such services were in Shreveport, Dallas or Houston.

In 1955 the company moved to North Center Street in Longview where it remained until 1981.

Neil Grant, former award-winning band director at Troup, Nacogdoches, White Oak and Longview, joined the music store as a partner with Tatum and it became Tatum Music Company, Inc. in 1969.

Due to Tatum’s knowledge and influence in the school band industry and growing success, he purchased the former May’s Music Company building to expand to the Tyler area. In 1980, the Tyler store moved to its current on East Front Street.

In 2000 Alto Tatum retired from the store leaving Neil Grant as sole proprietor and president of operations.

Grant’s eldest son, Doice Grant, a former band director from Carthage and Center, joined the store in 1992, as a school road representative. In 2004, Grant became part owner and vice president of Tatum Music Company, Inc. His father retired in 2010, leaving his son sole owner and president of Tatum Music Company, Inc.




Original owner and founder of Tatum Music Company Alto Tatum stands for a photo. Tatum opened the first store location in Longview in 1948 and later expanded to Tyler.




Grant said he knew from a young age he would go on to own and run the store.

“I knew since I was in the fifth grade that I would one day own and operate the store,” he said. “I am a former band director and had worked here from age 11 to 18 before going off to college and obtaining a music degree.”

Grant said from the beginning, Tatum wanted to focus on the area school bands, which is how Grant continues to run the business.

“Tatum Music has serviced mainly the school’s band programs in East Texas for the last 74 years. We sell musical, instruments, supplies, music, and repair musical instruments,” Grant said. “Our owners and sales representatives, for three quarters of a century, have performed band clinics free of charge to our school bands.”

“Alto Tatum had a great influence both as an educator and businessman. We have not changed the philosophy of the store that he founded. We operate on a very conservative business basis and give our time and talents free of charge to the schools to give back for their business,” he added.




Guitars hang on display at Tatum Music Company in Tyler. The company currently serves more than 100 school band programs.




Grant said the store has one of the largest and best repair shops in the country, serving more than 100 schools.

“Without these service techs, bands would have a hard time existing,” he said.

However, the service to community doesn’t stop there. The store continues to give back in the form of free clinics, scholarships, donations and more.

“We have given back to our community by performing free clinics as a ‘thank you’ for their business. We have also endowed a scholarship with (East Texas Communities Foundation) for an instrumental music major to be awarded each year,” Grant said. “We also are giving away $100 per rental purchase contract the beginning of next year to help underprivileged children to honor our 75th year in business.”




Music books for different band instruments are available at Tatum Music Company. The business has a location in both Tyler and Longview.




Grant said the giveaway is currently up to over $50,000.

“The total so far is about $51,000 and will be given out starting next year. My wife and I thought this would be a timely thing to do with the pandemic and inflation putting a great hardship on kids,” he said. “We have been lucky for 74 years to have been supported by families who had wonderful support networks. This is a way to get back to the ones you do not.”

Tatum Music Company, Inc. continues to have a positive influence on the school band program business by offering top-quality band instruments, accessories and repair service as well as complimentary band clinics by the knowledgeable Tatum Music Company staff.

Tatum Music Company, Inc. is located at 325 East Front Street and can be reached at 903-595-4341.

For more information, visit the Tatum Music Company, Inc. website.

Recent Stories You Might Have Missed



Source link