March 15, 2012 - May 15, 2013 - A 1 year anniversary

QUESTION

What is it about some music directors/conductors which deludes them into thinking they know more about your instrument than you do?

With apologies to my friends, colleagues and fellow musicians

If you have toured my blog sometime in the last week or so, you will have noticed that many of my previous posts are no longer available for viewing on my blog. I know many of you use my blog search link to look up events and photos of you and your colleagues taken at various events or to check for upcoming orchestra and chamber concerts in our area along with ballet, opera and symphonic productions.


Unfortunately, due to some recent events in my professional life over which I had absolutely no control, I have found it necessary to remove from my blog certain orchestra events and photos I have posted over the past 3 years, a rather turbulent time in the history of the Shreveport Symphony. For me, wasted effort? I'm still weighing that one out. In fact, there are around 55 posts and several pages that are no longer included on my blog. Why? You may ask!

7-7-7 

My goal over the past three years in this blog has been to promote the arts and the musicians in our area, especially classical music of which I have been a part for almost 50 years as a Horn player, 32 of these years spent as the first full-time Personnel Manager of the SSO. I play in several other area orchestras which includes SSO work with the Shreveport Opera and the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet, all of which have been mentioned and promoted on my blog. I am a co-contributor for Robert Trudeau's Shreveport Arts Blog. 


I am a professional musician and have been since I was 9 years of age, (I was a professional singer in my family sister trio act, and BTW, my sisters were also talented Horn players), but my options have never been made more clear to me than a week ago when I determined that there were some who wished to have me removed from the SSO for what I think is no less and no more than what others have done before me. Surely, I thought, my transgressions (if there ever were any) cannot be more obtrusive than certain others around me . . . . . . . .  after all, we all have our bad days and good days as players. Surely a contract (supposedly issued in good faith) cannot be rescinded 2 months after it has been issued to and signed by a tenured player. 


Unfortunately, however, some VERY UNIQUE LANGUAGE "popped up" in the 2010-2012 MCBA (a copy of which has yet to be seen by most of our orchestra members, including me at that time), which allows a musician to be terminated even after an Individual Contract (or Letter of Intent in a negotiation year) has been signed by both parties. This language is new to me; I had never seen it until recently. How did it get there? Why? And who wrote it? This master contract was written during our "Summer of Discontent", 2010 and there were many versions of it, one of which apparently was signed by both negotiating parties.


This language regarding termination and appeals must be changed, corrected and clarified in our next Collective Bargaining Agreement to protect our musicians and the integrity of our symphony orchestra. 


As for me, I am currently COLLATERAL DAMAGE, caught in this vice grip of unintended LANGUAGE which is slowly squeezing and testing my artistic patience. 

SSO 2011 - 2012 season ends with the lyrical and the bombastic

The Shreveport Symphony ends its current season on Saturday April 28 and two orchestra members end their seasons with the SSO, Concertmaster Kermit Poling and Judy Kleinhans Causey, 4th Horn. SSO Music Director Michael Butterman chose well in this the final Masterworks concert of the 2011-2012 season. All sections of the orchestra will be featured in the four pieces to be presented.

Candide Overture .... Bernstein

Violin Concerto, Op. 14 .... S. Barber

Kermit Poling, violinist

Intermission

Symphony No. 2 in D-flat Major (“Romantic”).... Hanson

The Glory and the Grandeur .... R. Peck

with SSO percussionists Chandler Teague, 

Anthony Robinson and Douglas Parmelee

Saturday April 28, 2012

@ Riverview Theater

concert time 7:30 PM

for tickets 

318.222.tune

Kermit Poling - Concertmaster

Judy Kleinhans Causey - 4th Horn - 50 years in the SSO

Chan, Doug and Anthony - SSO Percussion Trio

Masterworks Series - April 2012

rehearsal party break for Judy and Kermit

Michael, Jon and Steve

Ah - Woodwinders - mmmmm . . . .  wine and cheese, so good for the reeds and pads

J Mark and Judy

Michael Butterman, Judy, Lois Robinson and Kermit

Anthony, Sandra, Art and Tom P.

Judy and Craig

Susan (moi) and Judy

Friends since Jr. High School at Lakeshore, Fair Park High School and Centenary College

Concert photos

SSO Trumpet section - Pr. Rick Rowell, Richard Watson, Michael Scarlato and Douglas Lockard

SSO Horn section - Craig Pratt, Pr. Thomas Hundemer, Kristine Coreil, Judy Causey, Susan W Rogers

SSO Lower Brass

Steve Curtis, Tuba; J.Mark Thompson, Jonathan Hinton, Pr Michael Davidson

SSO Assistant Concertmaster Elizabeth O'Bannon and Concertmaster Kermit Poling

after concert reception featuring cake and Champagne

My friend Galina

Laura and Ed Crawford and Dr. Morgan

Bassist Chris Allen and Dorothy Rivette

a few more photos to follow

Shreveport Symphony presents "Luck O' the Irish" with pianist John O' Conor March 17, 2012

Pianist John O'Coner will join the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra Saturday evening March 17, for the "Luck O' the Irish" - a concert featuring Concerto No. 6 by Irish composer John Field, Percy Grainger's Irish Tune from County Dairy (Danny Boy) and the magnificent Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A Major . . . . Ahhhhh, such glorious Horn parts! 

Vintage piston F Horn Melophone

Luck O' the Irish

@ Riverview Theater

Saturday March 17, 7:30 PM perf

pre-concert conversation at 6:30 PM 

 Tickets and info online

or

call 318.222.TUNE (8863)

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOE
you missed St Paddy's by one day

Shreveport Symphony Orchestra and the 3 Wideman Piano Competition finalists bring music to your Heart and Soul Saturday, February 25 at Riverview Theatre - 7:30 PM

Three Concerti, two by Rachmaninoff and a third by Prokofiev, are the choices for this year's Wideman Piano Competition Finalists - all-time favorites on anyone's list of classical piano music although the Prokofiev is less known.

Guest Conductor David In-Jae Cho will be on the podium to conduct the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra for the event which features three extremely talented young pianists. From what I heard and saw on-stage at last evening's first rehearsal from my position in the back of the orchestra in the Horn section, which BTW, has a marvelous view of  soloists and conductor, we are in for an audio and visual treat. An on-stage camera will highlight close-up views of each of the candidates' piano work and, (yes), on occasion orchestra members and conductor.

David In-Jae Cho - Newly appointed Music Director of the Lubbock Symphony

Finalists are:

Yejin Noh – RACHMANINOFF - Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 

(update) Bronze medal winner

 XiXi Zhou – PROKOFIEV - Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16

(update) Silver medal winner

Intermission

                         Yue Chu – RACHMANINOFF - Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30

(update) Gold medal winner

                                              Concert time 7:30 PM - Pre-concert talk at 6:30 PM


                                          Tickets are available at 318-222-TUNE

          --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Photos of the finalists

Kermit Poling interviews the finalists while the judges convene in the decision making process

Yue Chu,Yejin Noh, Xi Xi Zhou, Kermit Poling

                                                                                The judges have made their decision        

 

Guild members are ready to make the medal presentations

Lester Senter Wilson, Executive. Director of the Wideman Competition, and Carl Pendley of Pendley Piano Gallery will announce each winner and present the certificate

Bronze Medal Winner Yejin Noh

Silver Medal Winner Xi Xi Zhou with Lester Wilson

Gold Medal presented to Yue Chu by Margaret Shehee

Medal winners and judges with Lester Senter Wilson

Guest Conductor David In-Jae Cho and his wife

Great job, Maestro

Carl Pendley and Kermit Poling

Steinway Pianos furnished for the competition by Pendley Piano Gallery

The Shreveport Symphony presents Brahms and Brahms Jan. 21, 2012

From Norman Krieger website

**SSO Program update - the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Michael Butterman  in a tribute to our founding Music Director and Conductor, Maestro John Shenaut, who past away last month at the age of 95, will offer Movement IX from Elgar's Enigma Variations - "Nimrod".

Michael Butterman 

Brahms and Brahms together warms my heart and so they will again Saturday evening January 21 at downtown Riverview Theatre. World renown pianist Norman Krieger plays Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Music Director Michael Butterman and following intermission the orchestra sings with Brahms Symphony No. 2.



 
 7:30 PM performance

concert tickets at

Shreveport Symphony com 

or

318.222.TUNE



After the concert with my sister Laura and her friend Melinda who drove in from Ft Worth


















Brahms colleagues - ' cellists Claudia Sullivan, Belinda Viesca, Pam Martin and violist Shane Almenderez



Shreveport Symphony Orchestra blends music and acrobatics Saturday and Sunday November 12 and 13, 2011

This Saturday and Sunday for me brings visions of the distant past, a time when the Shreveport Symphony produced two masterwork performances in a single week-end, a Saturday night premiere and the Sunday afternoon repeat.

photo of Michael Butterman by sjwr Jan 2010

On Saturday November 12 and Sunday November 13 the SSO will present Cirque de la Simphonie, two performances of an act which sold out in the 2010-2011 season. If you missed it last season, you won't want want to miss it this time. And you can enjoy the show on Saturday or Sunday. Or better yet attend both performances. Bring the family, a friend, your neighbors!

SSO Music Director Michael Butterman will be on the podium once again conducting such favorites as Finlandia, Les Toreadors, Danse Macabre, Russian Sailor's Dance, Waltz from Sleeping Beauty and many more.

Riverview Theatre

Saturday performance Nov 12 @  7:30 PM

Sunday performance Nov 13 @  2:30 PM

for ticket info online

Shreveport Symphony Orchestra

or at the box office

318. 227.8863

The Shreveport Symphony takes the stage at Riverview Theatre Saturday night 9-24-2011

Your Shreveport Symphony takes the stage at Riverview Theatre this Saturday night at 7:30 PM, 9-24-2011 for an eclectic evening of jazz and classical music to begin its 2011-2012 season called Simply Classic.

'Cellist Zuill Bailey, who first impressed me  when he soloed with the TSO in November of 2009 will play the plaintiff Elgar Concerto (in which there are 4 movements, not the traditional 3) and composer/musician David Amram will play his own composition with the orchestra on various instruments in addition to the piano - penny whistle(s) and percussion. The finale piece after the intermission will be the wonderful Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4, with that famous, rousing  horn call in the beginning statement and the fast and furious ending in the 4th movement which will have everyone in the audience patting their feet and out of breath waiting for those final chords. That goes for the musicians as well. (The out of breath part.)

'Cellist Zuill Bailey

Photo taken from my seat in the TSO horn section - Nov 2009

 SSO members 2nd Horn Susan W Rogers, (me),  Bassist Chris Allen and David Amram

at the Jazz-In AmRap, Centenary College, Monday evening 9-19-2011

 www.shreveportsymphony.com

  for tickets

Back stage Photo requests to follow

David Amram autographing book for Sally and Tom Hundemer

David Amram autographing book for Arthur Williams

David Amram, Susan Rogers, Dr. Todd Gabriel,  Dr. Douglas Bakenhus

 'cellist Belinda Viesca with  guest artist 'cellist Zuill Bailey

'cellist Pam Martin with Zuill Bailey

photo provided by Pam Martin

SSO's Tom Philips and Dr. Rick Rowell w/ David Amram