Develop Your Audiencemanship (among other things!) Go to Concerts!

By Nancy England

Yes, you take music lessons, and you probably feel a big accomplishment when you practice and realize you're getting better. (And as ancient and experienced as I am, I never get over being amazed at what happens when I practice!). You might even play in your school's band or orchestra, or sing in the chorus. If you're really lucky (and talented, and work hard), you might be playing with the Knoxville Youth Symphony. Maybe you play piano for your church services every now and then. Or sing in a church choir. Performing is fun, once you decide not to scare yourself (yes, although it takes a little work, that's something you can control!). (More about that some other time!)

Listening to recordings is important, too, and hopefully you're getting better acquainted with composers like Beethoven, Prokofieff, Grieg, Schulhoff, Ravel, Bartok, Sibelius, Bach, … the list of possibilities is very long. Get busy!

But do you go to concerts? If you haven't been an audience member recently, you're missing a very important part of becoming a better musician. There's something about a live concert that is special.

There are many opportunities to hear good concerts if you live in the Oak Ridge area. There's the Oak Ridge Symphony, and if you're a student 18 and under, you can get in to concerts for free. The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra puts on some really exciting performances, and if you get a chance to go to one of them, don't pass it up! And how about the Knoxville Opera Company? Great music and a bunch of great costumes and scenery too! Like band music? Be sure to catch performances by the Oak Ridge Wind Ensemble (aka the Community Band). Don't miss the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra's occasional concerts, either. And forgive me for pointing it out: you can attend Music Arts recitals as an audience member!! I also need to mention a favorite of ours: the Oak Ridge Community Orchestra, which had its fall concert a couple of weeks ago.

The Oak Ridge Community Orchestra is a group of volunteer (professional, semi-professional, amateur, and students) players of all ages who get together every Saturday morning and have a bucket of fun working on music of all kinds. The recent concert ended with a rambunctious musical presentation playing on kitchen equipment - pots and pans, graters, a box of rice, various spoons and pot-lids. The audience, especially the younger members of the audience, loved it. It was obvious that everyone was having a great time.

One of the highlights of the concert was an appearance by Music Arts' very own French horn instructor, Marcay Dickens. She very capably played a horn concerto by Mozart, accompanied by the full orchestra. The audience (which was standing-room only!) loved her playing as well as her explanation of horn construction during Mozart's time.

The conductor of the Community Orchestra is Stacy Taylor, who is also a Music Arts instructor and an elected member of the Music Arts Advisory Board. Taylor is also assistant conductor of the Knoxville Opera Company, and assistant conductor of the Knoxville Symphony's Youth Orchestra.

In that concert, Taylor, who's also a violinist with the Knoxville Symphony in her spare time, joined four others (including me) for a performance of one movement of a Mozart Quintet. In fact, one of the "others" was John McKeever (the orchestra's concertmaster) who studies with Ilia Steinschneider, our very popular violin instructor.

Best of all, it was a free concert, as are all of the Community Orchestra events!

You might be eligible to play with the Community Orchestra. The orchestra welcomes new members who have at least four to five years of experience with their instrument. Call Music Arts (865-482-5614) if you're interested in learning more about joining, or if you know of someone who might be interested.

Nancy England, who has been recently inducted into the National Who's Who of American Executives, is the Executive Director of Music Arts. She's shown here (with a helper) working on "The Mediterranean Spy Caper," an original work performed by the Community Orchestra at the Pavilion this summer.