An English Springtime with the RPO

An English Springtime - Leeds Castle

Gwen with Grace Wong

It was a privilege and an honor for Concentus to be invited to perform again with the RPO – this time on stage! And we weren't just singing a 4-minute vocal accompaniment (our other “appearance” was off-stage for Holst's The Planets), but several pieces, with actual lyrics. I was ambivalent about the concert, though, since it was some of my least favorite music (although I really liked the juicy Holst Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda). For example, I think of Morley's Now is the Month of Maying as a high school piece. Our conductor, Gwen Gassler, tried to negotiate a different song, but the RPO powers that be were determined – they obviously wanted something that would be familiar and appeal to the audience. Gwen wisely gave it some interesting nuances, though, that added some pizazz. And I never warmed to our centerpiece, Vaughn Williams' twee Folk Songs of the Four Seasons, with its “Summer is a-coming in, loudly sing cuckoo” and the like. Most of it was two-part, so the most challenging aspect seemed to be enunciating all of the lyrics in some of the faster-tempo movements.

Gwen & Daniel Meyer
conferring on the Holst

"Sing more horizontally!"

But it finally came together this week, starting with our rehearsal with the very talented and insightful guest conductor, Daniel Meyer. Gwen had prepared us well; we had very few musical issues, so he was able to focus on getting the tone and mood that he wanted. He instructed us to sing more horizontally, and less note-for note, in some passages. And in the "Hymn to the Waters" of the Rig Veda, he gave us the expressive image of singing bubbles on the water. Meyer himself has a beautiful voice; as Gwen commented, you could imagine him having performed in musical theatre at school. At our initial rehearsal with the orchestra, it quickly became clear that our 20 voices couldn't compete with the instruments, especially given our position behind them, so he downsized them to a more chamber-like group.

The most enjoyable aspect of this experience, for me, was the chorus' vantage point. From upstage, we could see Meyer's facial expressions and the way his eyes danced to match his body movements. It was also fascinating to watch the French horn players, who were closest to us, and to have a different perspective on the strings players. It might be interesting if the RPO, in its quest to make the orchestra experience more audience-friendly, would consider making performances more visual, by adding projections of conductor and musician close-ups (as you'd have on TV). 

The RPO was in its usual top form, and we received lots of post-concert compliments, even from our biggest critics - two of our members, hoarse from colds, who were sadly stuck in the audience!

eWaste

Remember back when there were TV repairmen, and before we considered almost all electronics disposable? Ever wonder what happens to all of the electronic waste we generate? Much of it ends up in landfills, where it is environmentally toxic, or shipped to developing countries, under the guise of recycling there. But there are companies that are making a business of collecting and reusing/recycling/reselling electronics. My friend Lea, whom I met at the Garden Club of America (GCA) National Affairs & Legislative Meeting in D.C. this winter, was curious, and she located a private e-waste facility right here in nearby Ontario County. On her recent visit to Rochester to attend the GCA Annual Meeting (which Rochester hadn't hosted in over 30 years!), she arranged a visit to Regional Computer Recycling & Recovery (rcr&r) for a few of us from the GCA. It was eye-opening.

Items on ebay

The 100,000 s.f. facility has various certifications, including for responsible recycling and hard drive destruction. They refer to themselves as a first level de-manufacturer, which takes in product from businesses, hospitals, schools and colleges, and some state agencies. Individuals may also drop off items at the site. There were bins of just keyboards, others of just circuit boards. Rcr&r tests their incoming electronics in case any can be immediately reused, but otherwise, they deconstruct them so that the parts can be reused, recycled, or refurbished and resold. In fact, there is an entire two-story section devoted to items that are either available on e-bay or directly to businesses looking for parts!

Our guide tried to explain the convoluted New York State regulations regarding electronics recycling, and I'm not sure I completely understood, but it seemed to involve businesses being required to recycle a certain percent of pounds relative to their in-state sales, and rcr&r providing, for a fee, documentation of that recycling. The bane of their business is the CRT TV – it has no resale/recycling value, and contains hazardous waste. But they still take them. Another product they take reluctantly is alkaline batteries, since they have to “pay to make them go away.” Otherwise, there are purchasers of most of their materials output – the plastics, metals, etc. Our guide said they're dealing in “nickels and dimes” but obviously they add up to a profit, since the building was well staffed, well organized, and as Lea remarked, surprisingly clean.

Shredded hard drives

We saw their data security system in action, as one of their employees in a locked cage fed hard drives into a shredder. And we did ask if any of their by-product ended up in China. The answer was “probably not,” since not only is rcr&r audited, in order to retain its certifications, but they apparently audit their downstream vendors.

Rcr&r is located on Victor-Mendon Road, just south of Route 90 and the Eastview Mall. But you don't have to visit the corporate headquarters to drop off your electronics – individuals can take their ewaste to any of their drop-off locations, found here: http://www.ewaste.com/partners.php?CTY=Select+A+County. Every little bit helps...

RocMusic

“Music can change the world because it can change people.” -- Bono

I had the pleasure of hearing Alexander Peña present to a group about RocMusic a year ago, and I've subsequently run into him here and there – when he played at Hurd Orchards last year for Violets and Violas, at the University of Rochester Leadership Retreat in Florida this winter, and at his recent concert with Sound ExChange at Artisan Works. He is an extremely engaging and talented young man, and his excitement and passion for music and education are contagious. So when I got an invitation to RocMusic's second annual fundraiser, at the Edgerton Stardust Ballroom (who knew that such a space even existed?), I had to go!

Edgerton Stardust Ballroom

RocMusic, based on El Sistema, a music instruction model begun in Venezuela, offers tuition-free music instruction, focusing on strings, to city kids. El Sistema is a “visionary global movement that transforms the lives of children,” as Alexander so eloquently described it, and RocMusic uses “music as an agent of social development and change in Rochester.” It is a collaboration among the Hochstein School of Music and Dance, Eastman School of Music (ESM), Eastman Community Music School, the City of Rochester, and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO). It began in 2012 with a grant from the Farash Foundation, in the David. F Gantt Community Center. 

Alexander Peña and one of
the RocMusic students

Alexander had remarked on the contrast between the cultural oasis surrounding the Eastman School and the cultural desert just a few blocks away, and he “wanted to give the gift of immersion in music to kids in the city.” The program has been so successful that next year, it is expanding to the Edgerton Community Center (bringing the total children to 100+), and several of the students have been accepted to the School of the Arts.

Ward Stare and Jamal Rossi

My friend and bridge partner Marie, visiting from Pittsburgh for the regional tournament, accompanied me to the event, where we saw the “who's who” of the Rochester music scene – Ward Stare, Charlie Owens, and Richard Decker, from the RPO, and Jamal Rossi from ESM. Maureen McGuire, from Channel 8 News, MC-ed the evening, and first up were the RocMusic kids. Marie and I both enjoyed their performance, and you could see how proud they and their parents were of their accomplishments. 

RocMusic students performing

The kids displayed poise, confidence, and a comfort with their instruments and being part of an ensemble. They played with real gusto, and received a very hearty round of applause. The program also included performances by musicians from the community, but Marie and I agreed that none was as touching as the simple songs performed by the kids. I would guess that the attention they receive from the RocMusic faculty benefits the children as much as the music lessons themselves, and that they are being nurtured both musically and personally. What a great program to have here in Rochester, and we are lucky to have Alexander Peña at the helm.

"Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" at Geva Theatre

Opening night toast with cast and crew

Charlie and I attended Geva Theatre's opening night of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, by playwright Christopher Durang, and were thoroughly entertained. In a pre-performance chat, Artistic Director Mark Cuddy let us in on some extra drama over the past week. Although you wouldn't guess it from his performance, John Scherer, the actor playing Vanya, had had an emergency appendectomy here in Rochester less than a week ago. Luckily, this has been the most performed play in regional theaters this year, with 27 productions, so Geva kicked into high gear and, through social media, found an actor who had just completed a run on Arena Stage! He quickly learned the new blocking, and was still on hand opening night just in case the recovered Scherer wasn't up to the task (which he was).

No, that's not Charlie!

You don't need to know, remember, or have seen any Checkhov to appreciate Durang's parody, because he drops constant not-so-subtle hints at the four plays he references: Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard, The Seagull, and of course, Uncle Vanya. And you can picture Sigourney Weaver in the role of Masha (wonderfully portrayed here by Margaret Reed), a part Durang wrote for her (perhaps to make up for the part she played in his dreadful Sex and Longing?). Everyone in the cast was great, and because this was a co-production with the Cleveland Playhouse (which got the production first), they were extremely confident in their roles.

The sets are beautiful and finely detailed – we've come to expect nothing less from Geva. I thought the final Durang harangue, I mean monologue, went on a bit too long, but other than that, the show was funny, fast-paced, and unlike attending a Checkhov play, I didn't leave regretting those 2½ hours I couldn't get back... The high point, for me, was the hysterical Danielle Lea Greaves, as Cassandra. I am looking forward to seeing the show again at the end of the month with my friend Jan.

Ride It: Art and Bicycles in Rochester – Part II

Bleu Cease

When I visited the Rochester Contemporary Art Center this week to view the exhibit, Bleu Cease, the Executive Director, informed me that he was organizing a “Bicycle Tour of Little Known Public Artworks” on Sunday afternoon. Spring has finally come to Rochester, and what better way to explore some of Rochester's public art than on a bike, with photographer Richard Margolis and Bleu as our guides? I'd never biked downtown, and figured there was at least safety in numbers (although often the reverse is true!).

"Liberty Pole"

My friend Bernie joined me on this very slow ride. Even the one person in wheelchair had no trouble keeping up, but it was fun. About 100 people assembled outside RoCo for the tour, whose first stop was James Johnson's “The Liberty Pole.” Margolis explained his rationale for what he does and does not consider public art on his website (www.rochesterpublicart.com); the art must be permanent and have attribution (so the various downtown murals are out).

Wendell Castle & Richard Margolis
with "Twist"

Our second stop included a view of the Paley “Main Street Bridge Railings,” commissioned by Bausch & Lomb for Rochester's centennial, and Wendell Castle's “Twist.” We were honored by the appearance of Castle himself, who explained the fabrication of the sculpture – fiberglass, sealed to protect it from the sun, and filled at its base with concrete, to keep it from...disappearing. He admitted that bronze is more ideal for an outdoor sculpture, but the competition that he won to develop art for the site didn't have the budget for bronze. And he agreed with one biker that the piece, including its orange color, is “of it's time – the 1970s.” He is of “two frames of mind on public art.” On the one hand, he likes it because it is there for the public to enjoy. On the other hand, he feels it is sometimes too “site specific” (his is definitely not).

After we crossed the Genesee River, we were confronted by Richard Fleischner's “Rochester Project.” which was controversial when installed in 1986. Apparently, it “cost a fortune,” and most people don't recognize it as public art. It is difficult to photograph in its entirety, and there is no vantage point from which the seemingly unrelated sculptures all come together. As we assembled for a group photo in the amphitheatre, overlooking the river, I couldn't help but think this might be a fun space for an outdoor summer (Fringe Festival?) Jacob's Pillow-like dance concert...

Bleu telling us not to take pictures of "Equilateral Twist"

When we arrived at Duayne Hatchett's “Equilateral Six,” in front of the Federal Building, Bleu warned us that a security guard had warned him that the taking of photos of the building is frowned upon. So I took several, because a) it's not illegal, and b) a wrongful arrest lawsuit might have been fun and profitable! Bleu then explained this sculpture as an example of “plop art,” which began as a derogatory term for art that could be “plopped into space anywhere.” The term came to define modernist and minimalist sculpture, reignited the debate about whether public art should be integrated into its site, and has recently witnessed a revival in public art funding.

We also viewed the Times Square Building's dramatic Art Deco “Wings of Progress,” and bas-relief sculptures on both that building and the Gannett Building. Finally, we rode past Paley's 1996 sculpture, “Genesee Passage,” outside the B&L building. According to Bleu, it is Paley's “largest sculpture to date. It is composed of abstract forms symbolizing the growth of Bausch & Lomb as a major international corporation along the banks of the Genesee River.” Bausch & Lomb is gone, but the tribute to the company, and its continued contribution to our community, remains.

Paley's "Main Street Bridge Railings"
 with Times Square Building
and "Wings of Progress" in background

Sadly, many of these public art pieces are, as Castle bemoaned of his piece, “out of the way,” because when they were installed, it was expected that there would be more pedestrian traffic than actually exists. Perhaps if downtown Rochester experiences a revitalization, more people will come to experience these pieces in person.

Ride It: Art and Bicycles in Rochester – Part I

Original artwork by Cordell Cordaro

“Ride It: Art and Bicycles in Rochester” is the name of the current exhibit at the Rochester Contemporary Art Center. I like art, and I like to bike, so the title certainly sounded intriguing. I'd only ever been to the RoCo before to see the 6x6 exhibits, so it was about time to see what went on the other 47 weeks of the year!

Image from U of R's Library

I was impressed by the extensive exhibit in this compact space. Executive Director and Curator Bleu Cease has thoughtfully put together a varied collection of fine art by Cordell Cordaro, photographs of random Rochesterian bikers, and reproductions of images from the University of Rochester's Rare Books and Special Collections Library (including one of women working on their bikes - something i still cannot do myself!).

Rochester cycling events calendar

There is also a marvelously creative cycling calendar of local biking events. And 10 short films, all of which I had to watch (and the beauty of a “short” is that if you don't like one, it isn't long before the next one). My absolute favorites were the delightful “The Man Who Lived on His Bike” (by Guillaume Blanchet), which I watched twice, and the Chaplinesque “Le Grand Tour” (by Russ Lamoureux). Some of the other shorts were less entertaining than they were powerful commentary on the transformational effect of bicycles on the lives of people in less developed countries.

Two of the great things about RoCo are its manageable size and its nominal admission charge. So you can pop in for 10 minutes before or after lunch downtown. Or you can make it a destination on its own and easily spend an hour. This exhibit only runs until May 15, unfortunately. But RoCo will need some downtime to get ready for their annual 6x6 exhibit. Bleu gave me a peek in the room where staff are busily opening boxes of submissions and cataloging them for the show. From the few pieces I spied, it looks like it's going to be another great exhibit, and the best thing is, every piece, regardless of creator, is a very affordable $20! (6x6x2015 opens June 6 and runs through July 12).