Rise & Shine

The best thing about being on the road at 5:30am? Nobody else is. Well, at least not as many as there are 2 hours later.

I spent the early part of my morning as a guest on the Jeff Olsen Morning Show on KOOL-108. We discussed preparing for Miss America (and whether or not I'll eat pie for Thanksgiving... the answer? Absolutely), the ridiculousness of music programs being the first eliminated in budget cuts despite providing the foundation for all other learning, the weather (unseasonably warm), and the news (I got to read the AP headlines of the day). Oh, and Elvis.

We also recorded a segment that will air on Twin Cities Insight - a public affairs program broadcast on all metro ClearChannel radio stations Sunday mornings at 6:30am. Tune in... if the tryptophan has worn off by then.

In the News

Over the past month or so, a variety of publications have included mention of the Miss Minnesota program or my platform:

(click on images for full-size)

an advertisement for Edina Eye Physicians & Surgeons, P.A.
my wonderful IntraLase (like LASIK, minus the blade) sponsors

the fall newsletter for the New York String Orchestra Seminar

I participated in 2004 - two concerts in Carnegie Hall, including one with Gil Shaham!

AAA Living's Nov/Dec issue

I don't know what I'd do without roadside assistance :)

The Schubert Club's Fall Newsletter
(I participated in Schubert Club competitions for several years and still perform at events they sponsor)

Northern Symphony Orchestra

This afternoon, I performed the J.C. Bach Viola Concerto with the Northern Symphony Orchestra. I said "the" J.C. Bach instead of attributing the work directly to him because there is some controversy as to who actually wrote the piece. It is a widely accepted theory that French composer Henri Casadesus composed the concerto in the style of J.C. Bach (one of the sons of J.S. Bach, the man we commonly call "Bach") and put Bach's name on it instead of his own, thinking that might increase its chances at notoriety.

Regardless, it's a great piece in the key of c minor... tragic and triumphant simultaneously.

with conductor Mike Halstenson

The orchestra was wonderfully sensitive, and the auditorium (at Champlin Park High School) was a great acoustical space.

At the post-concert reception, I met a 5-year-old named Libby who had just begun violin lessons. She told me it was okay that my dress was a little see-through, because at least "You can't see through all of it. That would be gross."

Thanks to Rodney Alfred for the gown, and many thanks to everybody who made this concert possible, particularly Ed Schaefle & Mike Halstenson!

Minnesota Public Radio

MPR has a fantastic building in downtown St. Paul, including an amazing recording studio - Studio M.

Today, I recorded a performance and interview with Steve Staruch. You can hear the full audio here.

MPR's lobby has these amazing space-age-looking soundpods. Amazingly comfortable... with MPR stations piped straight in.

Thanks to Craig Thorson (recording technician), Karl Gehrke (producer), Steve Staruch (host), and Leah Siltberg (pianist extraordinaire)!

from East to West

The Minnetonka School District has two middle schools, and I visited both of them this week. Yesterday morning I went to East, and this afternoon I visited West. Sarah Finn-Sommerfeld is the orchestra director at both schools, and she runs those classes with contagious energy!

It's always fun for me to ask, "Who likes to practice?" ..."Who doesn't like to practice?" ...pause... "Who decided not to answer that question?"

I encourage students not to see practice as drudgery, but as something FUN. Yes, the point of practice is to get better... but the point of getting better is that music is more fun to play (and to hear) when it sounds good and tells a story.

Practice doesn't make perfect. You can do something a hundred times... or a million times... but if you do it incorrectly every time, it'll never be perfect. Instead, practice makes permanent. This was a favorite saying of one of my former teachers, Alice Preves, who passed away on Wednesday. She was an amazing teacher, full of love, patience, and understanding. And her wisdom lives on.

Blaine & Anoka

The Anoka-Hennepin school district has a great music program. Ed Schaefle is the orchestra director at Blaine High School, and Mike Halstenson directs Anoka High School's orchestra. This weekend, I'm performing as a soloist with the Northern Symphony Orchestra - for which Ed serves as concertmaster and Mike as conductor. I visited both schools over the past two days to promote the concert, spark interest in practicing, and generate discussion using the question... "What's the point of music?"

Feel free to put in your two cents :)

A Star Spangled Evening

The Minnesota Masonic Charities held their 2nd annual Gala this evening. To honor Veterans' Day, the program was given a patriotic theme and proceeds benefited the National Anthem Project - one of the projects of the National Association for Music Education (MENC). I spoke about the project and music education in general, and performed a medley of Ashokan Farewell and Amazing Grace in honor of those who have served our country. The Metropolitan Boys Choir finished out the program with a variety of patriotic songs... including the cutest version of New York, New York I have ever seen.


Many thanks to Sara Beddow, Director of Communications for MN Masonic Charities, for coordinating the evening - and congratulations on a wonderful event!

Music is Instrumental in Winona

I returned today from a 4-day residency in Winona. On Monday and Tuesday, I visited all 6 elementary schools; Wednesday I was at the middle school; today was a full day at Winona High School. Winona has a great music program in place: 4th-graders have the option to start a stringed instrument, and there are several musical groups throughout the district.

When I visit elementary schools, my goal is to expose the students to the wide variety of instruments that exist - many have never heard of a bassoon or an oboe... and most don't know the difference between a violin and a viola. I also work their creativity and observational skills by playing a variety of music and asking for adjectives to describe that music.




Some observations:
-Kindergarteners haven't quite grasped the difference between a question and a statement. During Q&A time, I had many raised hands that resulted in statements of "My dad plays the trumpet" or "I have a new baby brother."
-To the youngest students, I was "Miss Winona"; the 2nd- and 3rd-graders got the title correct; and the oldest elementary students referred to me as "Miss America". I'm not a child psychologist, but it must have something to do with how they perceive their world at certain stages of mental & emotional development...

My day at Winona Middle School was spent entirely in the music wing. They have a beautiful, recently-built facility with separate rooms for band, choir, orchestra, and general music - all adjacent to the auditorium, which we used for the majority of the presentations. With these students, I discussed decision-making, how to make practicing fun, and how to tell stories with music.



Today, at Winona Senior High School, my activities varied. I presented to several music classes, joined the viola section for an orchestra rehearsal, played Revolutionary War Jeopardy with an American History class, and discussed the connection between music and foreign language in a Spanish class.

Thanks first and foremost to Mayor Jerry Miller, who made my visit to Winona possible. Other MVPs of the week include Vicki Andring in the district office, the principals at all 8 schools, and every music teacher with whom I worked. Keep up the great work!

P.S. Yes, I voted. Three cheers for absentee ballots :)

Minnesota Youth Symphonies

I spent 9 wonderful years as a violist in the Minnesota Youth Symphonies, and today I participated in a slightly different capacity - as the co-emcee! James Lileks and I introduced each of the orchestras (there are 4) and chatted about my platform and preparing for Miss America.

with Manny and Claudette Laureano, founders and conductors of MYS

Symphony (the highest of the 4 orchestras) performed part of Mahler's Symphony No. 3, which is a piece I had played as an MYS member several years ago. One of this organization's greatest strengths is its refusal to treat musicians 18 &under like children. On that stage, under that leadership, those students are adults. Professionals.

And they play like it, too.

Congratulations, MYS, on a great start to a new season!

South Washington County

South Washington County School District added a Strings program to their curriculum this year. It has achieved great success so far - over 250 fourth-grade students are participating, most of whom are beginners. This afternoon marked the celebratory first concert, and I was a featured speaker and performer.

with Music teachers Kristi Sullivan, Michael Sloane, and Nancy Wiessner

I remembered my early recitals - the excitement, anticipation, and butterflies. That same energy was present at this performance. Good luck to all the students, parents, and teachers who have undertaken this endeavor, and congratulations and thank you to the school board for your support of this program.

*click*

I've previously mentioned Isabella Collections, a women's clothing boutique in Lakeville, my hometown. This morning, I modeled for a photo shoot at the store. Here are a few of the images (courtesy of photographer Eric Olson from FAME Digest)...



Photos will be running in a variety of Twin Cities publications over the next few months! Thank you to Robyn at Isabella's and Eric & Brenda from FAME.

KTLK

I was an in-studio guest this morning on Andrew Colton's show The First Word on 100.3 KTLK. In a 10-minute interview, we discussed my platform (Music is Instrumental), the Miss America Pageant, and growing up in the Twin Cities as a violist. I also performed a few selections from Alexander Nagy's 6 Bagatelles for Solo Viola.



Thanks to Andrew Colton (a most excellent host) and Christopher Gabriel (the show's producer) for their hospitality and insight!

Around Town

Carla Beaurline and Mark DeJoy are co-hosts for Around Town, a show that features businesses in the Twin Cities area. Tonight, they recorded their stand-ups (the portions in between the larger segments) at the University of Minnesota's Weisman Art Museum... and I recorded one too! Watch for it on this month's edition of Around Town.