Holiday Children's Concerts: Moguls to Mozart

Strings Music Festival has presented a holiday children’s concert since 1991. The first concert was held at the Sheraton in Steamboat Springs and was called “Moguls to Mozart.” In 1994, Katherine Collier, our music director at the time, developed an educational story about Mozart. The performance was called “Mozart’s Magical Life in Music” and was later adapted for the internet, where teachers around the country used it as a classroom tool. You can find the complete presentation by clicking here.

Top Female Artists of 2011

For hit music, 2011 was the year of girl power. In the Billboard year end charts, seven of the Top 10 albums were from female artists and female artists took the majority of Grammy nominees in the categories record of the year, album of the year, and best solo pop performance, among others. From MTV to Billboard to Grammy nominees to our own office, here’s the consensus on the best ladies of 2011.

Adele

The most listened to song this year is “Rolling in the Deep” from 21. The song’s fierce lyrics give women all the power while the man is left burning in despair. “Someone Like You” also tells girls that once they’ve said goodbye to one man it’s time to move on and find another.

- Seven Grammy nominations, including record of the year, album of the year, and song of the year
- #1 on Billboard’s Top 10 Songs
- #1 on Billboard’s Top 10 Albums
- #1 on MTV’s Best Songs

My Favorite Memory of Strings is Ken Greene

Ken Greene

“Ken Greene - Always lucid information about music and composers, clearly spoken and concise.”

“Ken Greene’s commentary, which always added an extra dimension.”

“The knowledge and presentations by Ken Greene…always inspiring!”

“Ken Greene makes every piece so much more meaningful with his commentary. I love his sense of humor and funny anecdotes about composers. It cracks me up to think of Mozart throwing pages of manuscripts out the window before the ink was even dry. I think what Mozart could have done with a computer. Thanks Ken for making the composers into real people.”


Ken Greene has been the Strings Music Festival commentator since 1988. His witty notes and historical facts presented before classical pieces let the audience’s imagination roam while listening to the music. Thank you, Ken for your many years at Strings.

The Nutcracker - A Holiday Favorite

Last week I explored the newest holiday hits, but one classical work has been on the top of the holiday hit list since its premiere on December 18, 1892: The Nutcracker, composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

The Story

The Nutcracker tells the story of Clara, a young girl, who is given a nutcracker as a Christmas gift from her godfather. Enamored by the figurine, she falls asleep under the Christmas tree with him in her arms. She then enters into a fantasy land with toys larger than life and embarks on a journey full of battles, snow, and sweets. The most famous rendition of the story is The Nutcracker and the King of Mice written by E.T.A. Hoffman.

Strings Music Festival has History in Miami, Florida

The Miami String Quartet

Would you like to go to Florida for a Strings Music Festival concert? Well, in the early 90’s you could have!

1990: Strings had its first concert in Miami, Florida on a cruise ship. At the time, many people from Florida were visiting Steamboat Springs. Newcomers were invited to attend the concert to get interested in Steamboat and Strings.

1991: Strings presented its second Miami concert: The Miami String Quartet performed at the Howard Hughes Plantation in Coral Gables. At this time the Guild also had two branches: one in Steamboat Springs chaired by Gloria Smith and one in Miami chaired by Susan Fields.

We eventually moved all operations back to Steamboat, but The Miami String Quartet has remained one of the regular favorites, returning for concerts in 2000 and 2007.

Holiday Hits

Most people admit there’s nothing like a little Christmas music to get into the holiday mood. Whether it’s the Christmas Classics by Bing Crosby, Mannheim Steamroller’s many arrangements, or traditional Christmas songs by your favorite orchestra, everyone has a guilty pleasure. And each year there’s more music to choose from. Pop artists love releasing holiday albums, and some of this year’s include Michael Bublé’s Christmas, Lady Gaga’s A Very Gaga Holiday, and don’t forget the Cast of Glee’s Christmas Album, Volume 2.

Perhaps the most popular Christmas album this year is Justin Bieber’s Under the Mistletoe. It has already reached #1 on Billboard’s Top 200 and remains in the #3 spot this week. While some of my friends expressed concern that I had listened to the album on Spotify, I admit that I caught a little Bieber Fever. For the most part Bieber’s musical collaborations and mix of new songs with classics hit the holiday spot. But his slow tempos and relaxed jazzy sound brought me back to an older holiday album.

Leonard Slatkin Conducts at Strings - 1992

Conductor Leonard Slatkin with the Strings Music Festival Orchestra

"My favorite memory of Strings is Slatkin conducting our first orchestra."

Leonard Slatkin, Stings Music Festival

In the beginning, Strings Music Festival only presented a few chamber music concerts each summer. It wasn’t until 1992 that we held our first orchestra concert. Leonard Slatkin, conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, was the first Strings guest conductor. CBS Sunday morning came to Strings to film a segment and we made national news that September. This year marked the transition of Strings from a small community organization to a nationally known music festival.

Many Opportunities for Young Musicians in Steamboat Springs

Simon Boyar with students at the Strings Music Pavilion

Even though Steamboat Springs isn’t the center of an arts and culture hub, our young music students have the same opportunities as students from a big city.

In the early part of November, the best music students of the region gathered together in Aspen as part of the Northwest Honor Band. This year, 13 Steamboat Springs High School students were represented as part of the 100-piece hand-picked band. High school band director Jim Knapp says the students he nominated “are all very committed and dedicated, and it showed in how they achieved: they all ranked very high in their sections.”

The Northwest Honor Band lets the best music students perform together, expanding their repertoire to more challenging music than they typically play at school. “It’s inspiring to see all these different music students come together and put something together like that,” said Honor Band student Samantha Trahan.

Windy Nights at Strings

The Strings Tent in 2007

In case you missed it, we had 75 mph winds with gusts up to 123 mph in Steamboat Springs yesterday. Extreme weather is not uncommon up here in Northwest Colorado and some of our patron's most unforgettable Strings memories involve the wind.

"The wind blowing through the old tent and everyone wondering if the tent was going.”
"Sheet music blowing on the Gallery deck."
"Holding the music stands on windy nights at Storm Meadows.” -Ted G
“Clothespins holding the music."
"On the deck at Storm Meadows and the wind blowing the music stands.”

It was always exciting with concerts outside dealing with music blowing away and tent sides flapping. Fortunately the new Pavilion decreases influences from the weather and we sustained no major damage in this most recent storm.

More Love than Hate in A Cappella Music

A cappella music, which seems like a new fad right now, actually started in the 15^th century as a type of church music sung without accompaniment. Recently, it has grown in popularity at high schools and colleges where a cappella groups arrange pop songs. Using only their voices, the group creates a background of music, mimicking the sounds made by drums, guitar, piano, etc., while one person sings the lead.

NBC’s show The Sing-Off has moved a cappella a little bit higher into the mainstream by hosting a competition where the winning group takes home $200,000 and scores a recording contract with Sony. On Monday night The Pentatonix took home the season three championship title, and I have to admit they were my favorite from the beginning.

Singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles was a judge on the show, and she shared some insight on a cappella music with New York Magazine. When asked why people are either obsessed with a cappella music or hate it and she replied, “I don't know why it’s such a hot bed of dispute; it’s interesting. My sister did it when I was growing up, so it was always something I sort of revered and couldn’t wait to be a part of. I love that in the a cappella community, we’re all sort of self-professed nerds and we wear that badge with pride. Like, ‘Yeah, we’re music nerds, get over it!’”

After a quick trip through the blogosphere it seems like New York Magazine is right when they say people either love it or hate it. Here’s what others say.

Spotify Makes Sharing Legal

As I mentioned last week, Spotify has paid all the royalty rights to broadcast songs to its listeners. So if the service is free and Spotify has to pay to stream songs, then how does it operate?

The free Spotify service takes advantage of advertising to cover some of its costs. Every now and then the music is interrupted for a radio ad. Some ads also pop up on the Spotify interface while the music is playing. As far as I can tell, there is no way to minimize or close these ads before their allotted screen time is over. In this way, the advertising is less like the banners you see on websites and more like TV commercials where you have to wait the five minutes to get back to the show.

Spotify also offers a premium service. For $4.99 a month users can access the service ad free, and for $9.99 a month they can use Spotify on a mobile device. As smartphones are becoming more and more popular, this option will probably appeal to more consumers. Those who want to have all the latest music at the gym, in the car, and other places iPods are commonly seen, may switch over to using a cell phone and Spotify.

So these two ways are partly how Spotify hopes to make a profit, but what about the artists?

Thank You Gloria Gossard

My favorite memory of Strings is, “The Persuasions singing Happy Birthday to Gloria Gossard.”

The Persuasians at the Strings Tent - 1995

Gloria Gossard

With Thanksgiving less than a week away, we want to say “thank you” to Gloria Gossard. This remarkable woman had a contagious sense of humor, a love of the community, and a generous spirit. Gloria Gossard began her work with Strings Music Festival in the late 1980s and went on to become a board member from 1993 to 2000. She loved attending Strings concerts and set the record for the most concerts ever attended.

In the community she is remembered as the 1998 Philanthropist of the Year, the 2000 winner of the Hazie Werner Award for Excellence, the 2008 winner of the biennial Steamboat Springs Heritage Award, and for the Gloria Gossard Park on Emerald Mountain. From history, to the arts, to the environment, Steamboat Springs would not be what it is today without her.

Spotify: A Blend of Music Software

On a snowy Steamboat weekend with the mountain not yet open, I decided to get myself up to date on the newest music software: Spotify.

After navigating to Spotify and clicking sign up, my Facebook account information was automatically entered and all I had to do was accept the terms of agreement. No new username, no new password, no new endless pages of information, and I was in. After a quick software download I had a whole new music library at the tip of my fingers. Or should I say libraries.

My Favorite Memory of Strings is...

...the Music Directors.

John Sant’Ambrogio

Andrés Cárdenes is the best music director ever.
-Kathy and Keith

Andrés Cárdenes Rocks!

Andrés leading and conducting the orchestra in the fabulous Pavilion.
-Cheryl Kutscher

Mom and Dad, thank you music family! We love piano!
-Isabel and Tino Cárdenes

Andrés Cárdenes and Monique Mead

Did you know that our Music Directors help out with Strings all year round? When they're not in Steamboat they are lining up musicians for the next summer and choosing music for the program.  Our past Music Directors have been John Sant'Ambrogio (1988-1993), Yizhak Schotten and Katherine Collier (1994-2008), and Andrés Cárdenes and Monique Mead (2009-present).

Music Therapy Helps Our Veterans

Amazing Grace. Taps. America the Beautiful. These and other patriotic songs and hymns are playing around the nation this week at memorial services and parades honoring and remembering our veterans.

In 1919 President Wilson first proclaimed November 11 as Armistice Day: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…" The day originally honored veterans and remembered soldiers lost in World War I.

Today we still celebrate Armistice Day, now known as Veterans Day, on November 11. But for some veterans, the music associated with Veterans Day strikes a deeper chord. 

The Guild: 22 Years of Strings Support

Strings Music Festival Guild 1990

“I remember the first Guild. I was there when we coined ‘Noteworthy Affairs.’”

My favorite memory of Strings is… “the many years I volunteered for Strings and my years with the Guild. I have many wonderful music friends and memories from those days.” -Ann Perry


The Guild of Strings Music Festival has been around almost as long as the festival itself. The Guild began in 1990 and was started by Gloria Smith, Molly Cox, Criss Fetcher, Lynn Greco, Ja Hanson, and Carol Ryan. Nine of the original Guild members are still involved with Strings today. Back then their goal was to organize and help Strings with fundraising events.

And they are still at it today. This year, they raised $25,000 for Strings Music Festival through events such as the Kitchen and Garden Tour and the Silent Auction. They are also a critical part of our concerts, providing leadership for the other community volunteers. To get involved with the Guild, email chloe@steamboatvillagebrokers.com.

What is your favorite Guild memory?

The Glass Castle: A Look at Poverty in America

“I’m worried about you,” I said. “Tell me what I can do to help.”

“You want to help me change my life?” Mom asked. “I’m fine. You’re the one who needs help. Your values are all confused.” – The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

On Wednesday, Strings Music Festival will present a one-hour theatrical adaptation of Jeannette Walls’ best-selling memoir, The Glass Castle. This performance strays from our typical music concert and I thought it appropriate to address one of the themes of the book. If you haven’t read it, perhaps my editorial below will entice you to read the book, attend the performance, or both.

Poverty continues to exist in America and countless organizations across the nation are devoted to providing food, shelter, and clothing to the poor. But before we try to solve the poverty problem, first we must look at why it exists. Some say there aren’t enough jobs or that wages are too low. Others say the government’s definition of poverty is inaccurate. The list goes on, but most agree that external factors, such as unemployment rates and welfare, may contribute to some of the poverty problem. However, we also must take into consideration the internal factors, individual psychological make-up, that may lead to poverty.

Llamas on the Strings Stage

“My fondest Strings memory is the llama kids concert with a llama on stage. And the front page of the Steamboat Today with a picture of the orchestra and our current music director with the llama.” Mary Ann Duffey – Strings Music Festival Board of Directors

Can you guess which Strings affiliate appeared with the llama in this picture?

Hint: the photo was taken in 1996. Post your answer below!

Classical Music Enters the Playing Field

Many argue that Americans place more emphasis on professional sports than on professional music. Athletes make millions of dollars a year, while musicians are lucky to make a hundred thousand. Sports arenas constantly get makeovers, while theatres and performance halls look the same as they did when they were first built. Yet professional athletes might not be as good as they are today without the help of classical music.

Since the 1970’s when professional football player Lynn Swann first announced that he took ballet lessons to help improve his agility on the playing field, ballet has become a staple of American football. And professional football players aren’t the only ones to dance. NBA player Clyde Austin Drexler, Olympic Track and Field Star Maurice Green, and professional snowboarder Louis Vito all have history with dance. Even here, the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club has started a dance program to help with pre-season training. Not to mention the hit television series, Dancing with the Stars, that puts pro athletes up on stage with pro dancers.

So what are the benefits for athletes taking dance lessons?

Even Famous Musicians Eat PB&J

Quirky musicians are as much a part of Strings Music Festival as the music that they play.

We try to prepare for everyone’s needs with our abundance of supplies backstage. We have bobby pins, lint rollers, band-aids, make-up, and anything else you could think of to help beautify before a concert. We also know that mysterious holes develop in bags and socks, jackets, and ties disappear, so we’ve got extras of those too. For our musicians who forget to eat before they come, we’ve also got chocolate, nuts, trail mix, mints, and other snacks. But sometimes we just can’t guess what our artists will want.

Pam Geppert’s favorite Strings Memory is when the Avett Brothers requested peanut butter, jelly, and milk for their backstage food. I guess Moms know what’s up when they send their kids off to school with the PB&J lunch. If it’s good enough for the Avett Brothers, it’s good enough for you!

What else do you remember about our musicians? Post it here on our blog or email it to cristin@stringsmusicfestival.com.

Strings 25th Anniversary: Leave Your Memories...

“For the first season of Strings in the Mountains, we planned a series of eight concerts to run throughout July 1988; four short Wednesday concerts on the deck of the Steamboat Athletic Club and four regular length chamber music concerts on Saturday nights in the conference room of the Athletic Club. We hoped for a total of 200 people to attend all eight concerts. An hour before the first concert was to begin on Wednesday evening, hoping that someone would attend, we walked out the front doors and were startled by a what seemed to be an endless line of people waiting to get in. In a panic we quickly scavenged the entire building, grabbing every chair or stool in every room to accommodate all the enthusiastic people who had come to experience the first concert of Strings in the Mountains! When we ran out of seating on the deck, we expanded into the conference room and restaurant and even removed windows to let the audience seated inside hear the music. The weather was spectacular, the concert was wonderful and Strings was launched.” Betse Grassby - Strings Music Festival Operations and Programming Director

Who knew that this first concert 25 years ago would evolve into a staple of summertime in Steamboat Springs. To celebrate Strings Music Festival’s 25th birthday, we’re going to bring you fun facts and memories of Strings every Friday. Have a memory you’d like to share? Post it here on our blog or email it to cristin@stringsmusicfestival.com.

Michael Jackson Still Hits #1

Numerous Guinness World Records and Hall of Fame inductions, 26 American Music Awards, 13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles and now a number one cell phone application. More than two years after his death, Michael Jackson is still in the limelight, but this time for more than one million downloads of “The Michael Jackson Doctor Trial App.” Even with no new music, The King of Pop still hits the top of the charts.

With the help of the new phone app, the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray has dominated internet news, and blogs are brimming with discussion over what really happened on June 25, 2009. Only 18 days before he was set to launch the This Is It Tour, Michael Jackson was pronounced dead due to an overdose of propofol, a sleep aid drug. With a tour that would go down as “The biggest audience ever to see an artist in one city,” “The most amount of people to attend a series of arena shows,” and “The fastest ticket sales in history" looming, it’s no surprise that Jackson was nervous. Millions of fans anxiously awaiting the return of a pop star, who had supposedly hung up his touring career more than ten years ago, would undeniably cause sleepless nights. Everyone seems to have an individual theory on the death, including one woman who insists that Jackson is still alive, according to Huff Post blogger Tanya Young Williams. Certainly with theories like that the court has a difficult task in finding who’s to blame for the overdose.

Yet how ironic that a tour titled This Is It really was it for Michael Jackson. With apparent health issues long before he decided to go on tour, the grueling schedule of a concert nearly every day for six months could have led to doubts if he really had it in him. Perhaps the title was meant to tell the world that this tour really would be the last, similar to Michael Jordan’s third retirement speech. Or maybe he knew that merely launching the tour would be the last thing he ever did for his music career.

Thanks for a Great Season

It’s hard to believe that Strings Music Festival’s 24th Season has already come to a close. The summer has flown by and we’ve enjoyed seeing every performance with all 14,500 of you! Special thanks to all of our sponsors, donors, contributors and supporters. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Here are a few final pictures from the summer.

The World Premiere of Eagle Girl, an original story inspired by Native American folk tales, brought many audience members back to the magic of their childhood.

Head for the Hills Meets USA Pro Cycling Challenge

It’s the last summer weekend before Labor Day and Steamboat Springs is once again going to be packed with visitors. On Friday afternoon the USA Pro Cycling Challenge arrives in town. After an 83-mile bike ride from Avon, the cyclists will roll in around 3:30pm.

As usual, Steamboat has pulled out all the stops for the tour, hosting events all day Friday and Saturday. Along with expos, award ceremonies and factory tours, there’s a variety of live music. Here’s where you can find it:
11:00am-1:00pm – Lifestyle Expo
1:00pm-3:00pm –Lifestyle Expo, featuring Loose Change
5:00pm-7:00pm – Ciao Gelato
5:30pm – Howelsen Hill, featuring 3 Twins Broadband with members of the Subdudes


Don’t forget to add Strings’ final concert of the season, Head for the Hills, to your to-do list. Cool bluegrass with a blend of traditional harmonies, a myriad of music styles, and sonic landscapes, is a perfect end to a hot summer day. The show is on Saturday night at 8:00pm. Tickets are $25 in advance and $28 the day of. You can purchase tickets online at www.stringsmusicfestival.com, by calling the box office at (970) 879-5056 x 105, or in the Strings office.

Mid-Summer Highlights

August has arrived, which means we’re halfway through our summer season here at Strings Music Festival. Here are some more memorable moments from July. If you want to see more pictures, visit our Facebook page and our Picasa photo albums.

Two pianos and two piano players are better than one!

July 13 ~ Piano Duo

Great Big Sea rocked the ‘Boat with a wild show!

July 16 ~ Great Big Sea

July 17 ~ Free Community Matinee

Strings School Days favorites Simon Boyar and Alpin Hong returned with Jessica Tivens for our 2nd Free Community Matinee: Bach to Broadway.

Banana Slug String Band brought out some awesome animal hats and had the kids up on stage doing animal dances.

July 26 ~ Banana Slug String Band

Everyone raved about the Encore Concert with Mark Masri and Anne Cochran. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful evening.

Thank you John and Carrie Hayden for hosting the event at your gorgeous home.

And thanks to all our donors for supporting all we do here at Strings!

Modern Storytelling

It’s not very often that we have the opportunity to hear a World Premiere. And it’s even less often that we have the chance to talk with the composers of a World Premiere.  But this week Strings Music Festival brings you two World Premieres, plus another new performance and the chance to talk with the composers. 

Modern Storytelling week presents two nights of music, multimedia, dance, traditional folksongs, folklore and popular tales, all of which tell a story through music. With an original Native American inspired folk tale and a new take on Alice in Wonderland, you’re sure to be captivated by each story. Before the concert, hear the inspiration behind the compositions by attending our free Meet the Composer talks at the Bud Werner Memorial Library.

 The Elements

Meet the Composer – Tuesday August 2, 12:15pm at the Bud Werner Memorial Library

World Premiere – Saturday, August 6, 8:00pm at the Strings Music Pavilion

Marilyn Taft Thomas’s The Elements are five short sound poems representing the elements Fire, Earth, Water, Air and Space Time. Featuring strings, winds and percussion, the musical blend of instruments combined with tempo changes and dynamics depict important resources on our planet.

Eagle Girl

Meet the Composer – Wednesday August 3, 12:15pm at the Bud Werner Memorial Library

World Premiere – Wednesday August 3, 7:00pm at the Strings Music Pavilion

David Stock’s Eagle Girl is an original story inspired by Native American folktales. A small ensemble plays music similar to the haunting sounds of the Native American flute and drums. Behind the ensemble, images flip on a projector screen to bring the story to life. Throughout the piece, a narrator tells the story in the traditional folktale manner. The combination of illustration, music and narration will leave you wanting to find out what happens next.

 Alice: Reimagining Wonderland

Meet the Composer – Friday August 5, 12:15pm at the Bud Werner Memorial Library

Performance – Saturday August 6, 8:00pm at the Strings Music Pavilion

Joseph Hallman’s Alice: Reimagining Wonderland is the biggest production ever held on the Strings stage. Complete with music, dance, song and narration, fifteen dancers and musicians tell a variation on Lewis Carroll’s famous tale of Alice in Wonderland. This performance will feel like a Broadway play as well as a chamber music concert.

Spotlight: Shawn Colvin

“I consider myself as a singer first, but something that really helped me come into my own is that there's not a separation between me singing and me playing the guitar. The two fed off the other.” -Shawn Colvin

 

About Shawn:

3 Time Grammy Award Winner

8 Albums Released

2.5 Million Albums Sold

50-60 Shows Performed Yearly

 

Starting her career at the relatively late age of 33, Shawn Colvin has proven herself as a singer, songwriter and guitarist for over 20 years. She still tours nationally and internationally and has appeared in films, on television and the radio. Movie soundtracks featuring Shawn Colvin include Serendipity, Runaway Bride and The Emperor’s New Groove.

Shawn Colvin’s album, These Four Walls is a storyline of her life covering her childhood in South Dakota, the success of her first #1 song and her personal struggle as she turned 50. Public Radio Exchange’s special follows her writing and recording process in 2006 as Shawn writes her experiences in music. 

"Colvin's breathy voice conveys the emotion, yearning, sadness, and even the occasional joy and hope behind the melodies." -Amazon.com

As part of her summer 2011 tour, Shawn Colvin visits Steamboat Springs this Friday to perform at Strings Music Festival. For tickets call the box office at (970) 879-5056 x 105.

Modern Music Appreciation

With NPR’s classical blog buzz of the week about the Brooklyn Rider String Quartet recording of composer Philip Glass, our very own Meridian Quartet’s “Modern Masterpieces” theme is well-timed.

Perhaps the most well-known working composer, Glass’ music consists of evolving rhythmic patterns and complex themes. His music tends to place more emphasis on highlighting the melody, rather than focusing on timing, as in traditional classical pieces. As a modern composer, his work is respected and generally well-appreciated.

Glass also strives to bridge many genres with his music, including cinema and fine art. His String Quartet Number 4, nick-named “Buczak,” commemorates Brian Buczak’s life as an artist. Buczak lost his life to AIDS, and Glass captures in music the many emotions we feel just after the loss of a loved one. The long chords, high-reaching notes and circular variations, all in minor modes, mimic the mourning cycle of denial, anger, bargaining and depression. The quartet ends by settling into the peaceful, major mode where after a long struggle we finally accept the loss. The Meridian Quartet will perform the first and third movements of the quartet at today’s Music on the Green performance.

Also included in “Modern Masterpieces” are compositions that push the boundary of “music.”  Pieces that explore realms of tonality and noises rather than melody and rhythm often give people the impression that the music is weird or unpleasant or not even music at all. Prospect Blog writer David Stubbs challenges people to think of John Cage’s “4:33” (also part of today’s program) as “sound art.”  This way, as we listen, we will bring a new set of cognitive schemes to the experience, rather than our prior expectation of how music should sound.  Thus modern classical music must be listened to in a different way than traditional classical music, just as we listen and enjoy jazz, rock, and rap differently.

Guardian Blog writer Alex Ross writes, “All music is an acquired taste; no music is everywhere beloved.” We hope that today’s concert will give you a little taste of modern music. You may find parts you love, you may find parts you hate, but hopefully you will take away another cognitive layer to add to your definition of music appreciation.

The Meridian Quartet

The Meridian Quartet will perform the next two Thursdays starting at 12:15pm at the Yampa River Botanic Park. The program on Thursday July 21 is “From Russia with Love,” featuring Russian composers Borodin, Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky. On Thursday July 28, “How Does It Make You Feel?” presents emotional music from Mozart and Schubert, among others.

The Meridian Quartet is Strings Music Festival’s 2011 Young-Artists-in-Resident quartet. Founded in 2008 when the members were all Fellows in the New World Symphony, they have been with Strings for three seasons. The members are Anastasia Storer on violin, Claude Halter on violin, Karl Pedersen on viola and Anne Lee on cello.