Music and Love: an International Action Adventure
They wanted to know how long I’ve played, how many guitars I’ve played, what other instruments I’ve played, and how long it takes to “play guitar perfectly.” They were curious how much money one can make with the guitar, and if you can learn guitar in college. One girl was curious about our programs in the foster care system, and wanted to know if we had any programs in Ohio (the teacher introducing me had mentioned we work in foster homes).
One boy said he’d brought his guitar and wanted to know if I could stay and teach him something over recess. Another girl asked if I would pray for her grandmother who is ill. That caused another girl to remember being held in a sling by her grandmother, who is no longer living, when she was very small while her “gran” would play guitar for her. Another girl wanted to know if playing the guitar is soothing when you’re upset, because she’d heard that it is.
I had just finished performing for Cedar Elementary School in Canton, Ohio as part of the String Festival here. I knew I’d be playing for a group of fourth and fifth graders, and I woke up this morning wondering what I might play for them. These days I’ve been thinking a lot about the power of storytelling in music, and it occurred to me that it might be fun to play them a series of pieces and have them make up a story as we went along. I started with Evocación by Jose Luis Merlin—a slow, beautiful, and brief piece—and then I asked them who would like to start our story. Five hands went up, and one boy said it sounded sad, and another boy said it sounded like a guy had lost his true love, that she had left, and that he was sad.
And we were off! After each new part of the story, I asked them to tell me if the next section should be fast or slow, happy or sad, and I did my best to come up with selections matching their requests. Sometimes in the middle of a piece, when the students’ enthusiastically wiggling hands reached critical mass, I would pause to collect more parts of the emerging story.
Here is my best compilation of the story these students came up with. Along the way we got many divergent ideas, many of which I’m sure I won’t recall. But here’s my version!
Music and Love: an International Action Adventure
By the students of Cedar Elementary School in Canton, Ohio.
[Evocación, by Jose Luis Merlin]
They met and fell in love. Everything was great. But then she left. He didn’t know why, but he knew he was sad, and he knew he had to find her.
[Joropo, by Jose Luis Merlin]
He got the in car and started driving. He couldn’t find her anywhere. He asked people in town where she might be, and they were super helpful! They had seen her, and they pointed him in the right direction.
[Tango en Skai, by Roland Dyens]
Driving down a side street, he just got “one of those feelings,” and decided to stop. Before getting out of the car, he remembered he had her cell phone number! So he tried calling her up, but she didn’t’ answer. So instead he went to the door and found her waiting inside.
He was so excited! Until he learned that he’d found her twin sister instead. His twin sister explained that her sister, his girlfriend, had gone to Italy.
[Etude No. 1, by Giulio Regondi]
He and his girlfriend’s twin sister went to Italy. They were able to arrange this easily because he was, in fact, a secret agent with crazy skills and important connections. Ah Italy! In their search for his girlfriend, the beauty and romance of Italy almost caused a little spark between he and the twin. But that just didn’t seem right. Eventually, they found his girlfriend.
[Sunburst, by Andrew York]
He was reunited with his true love! But just as they were approaching one another, she was kidnapped. This was such a traumatic experience that the manner in which she was actually kidnapped became the source of quite a debate between he and the twin in later years. They cannot agree to this day if she was snatched and placed on a jet, if a helicopter came by and whisked her away from him, or if some nasty guy swung by on a vine like Tarzan and carried her away.
Their memory is totally unified, however, about other key details. There was definitely an evil mastermind behind the whole thing. She definitely ended up in a speeding car that flew over the edge of a cliff, and our hero most assuredly saved her from certain death in an airplane flying by at precisely the right time.
[Fantasia, by Silvius Leopold Weiss]
Bandits! Just when they thought they were out of the woods, they were accosted by evil bandits. He was fighting them off valiantly when he was surprised to learn that his girlfriend (we think the twin lingered back in Italy) had some mad fighting skills too. Together they were able to eliminate the enemy and decided to fly to…Texas! That’s right, Texas!
[Julia Florida, Agustín Barrios Mangoré]
Some baddies were still hanging around in Texas. As they continued to fight for their safety and their future together, it was revealed that she, too, was a secret agent.
They fell in love all over again, got married, and moved to an island where they admired the beautiful sunset every night happily ever after.
The End
###
My deepest thanks to the organizers of String, the incredible staff at Cedar Elementary School, and the amazing, brilliant, creative kids I met who took this wild journey with me for an hour or so this morning.
A New Year's Reflection from Matt
I've been reflecting lately on the power of listening.
Music is about listening, of course. But so too, I believe, is community service.
New Direction
Last week we gave performances for residents at Safe Haven, Corona House, and Next Step-homes for individuals with mental health struggles. In November we gave our first performance of many at Austin Public Library. In the coming year we're making a significant commitment to a whole new level of performance outreach.
In each of these cases we have responded to requests, and passed the needs presented to us through our sense of our capabilities, of our strengths, and of our mission. We were there because members of our community asked us to be there. The New Year will bring new direction, and the course will be charted together with you.
New Connections
Gardner Betts has asked us to double our service beginning this coming month so that all students in this juvenile justice facility will have the opportunity to take our guitar classes. Austin ISD has asked that we begin a brand new program in January at Garza High School, which employs a "solution-focused" alternative education model that's achieving outstanding results.
A dear friend of ACG introduced us to a maternity home for young women in challenging circumstances who are experiencing unplanned pregnancy. Young mothers live at the facility, which has an onsite UT Charter School, for up to two years after the birth of their children. Two weeks from tomorrow they will take their first music class, which we will offer as an ongoing education course combined with our collaborative Carnegie Hall Lullaby Project.
More and more I am convinced that we do our best work at ACG when we think first of who we serve, and second of how we'll serve them. We have found that the more carefully-constructed and flexible our programming is, the more deeply we are able to make a difference.
New Commitments
We have built, and now support, fifty thriving guitar programs in Austin schools. Our education team trained teachers in Houston last August and, next week, eight new Houston elementary and middle schools will begin classical guitar programs serving hundreds of diverse kids. We have even been helping raise funds in Houston to buy the instruments for some of the more challenged schools!
We traveled to St. Louis last July and worked with over 30 teachers there. Earlier this month we spent three intensive days in Austin with a talented and dedicated young teacher who will oversee the development of new St. Louis area programs, including two in the Ferguson School District that begin next week.
It's simple: Without you our education program would not exist. Your support at Guitars Under the Stars, throughout the year, at our concerts, and during our Changing Lives Fall Fund Drive, makes ACG Education possible. This is your program, it's a reflection of your values, and those of us privileged enough to work directly with it each day are thankful beyond words.
New Year
Austin Classical Guitar turns 25 in the New Year. For about ten years now we've been the largest classical guitar nonprofit organization in the United States. Colleagues elsewhere continually ask for advice to build their own organizations and services, and we help as much as we possibly can because we believe this:
The world is a better place with art and music.
On behalf of all of us at Austin Classical Guitar, I would like to thank you for placing your faith in us. I pledge that our team and I will work as hard as we know how in the coming year to make you proud of your commitment to us, and I pledge that we will listen.
With very best wishes for a bright and musical New Year,
Matt Hinsley, Executive Director
Support ACG
512-300-2247
Together we can change...
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Grgić & Chalifour Program
We are so excited for Saturday’s summer series finale with Mak Grgić and Martin Chalifour.
Martin is a violinist, originally from Canada, who has been the concertmaster of the LA Philharmonic since the mid-90’s! It doesn’t get any bigger than that! Mak is a fabulous young Slovenian talent with extraordinary abilities.
On Saturday’s concert we’ll get to hear them each play solo as well as in duo and the program looks stupendous!
Get tickets and information online here.
Mak Grgić & Martin Chalifour
Concert Program
Sonata in G minor for violin and guitar, BWV 1001 by J. S. Bach (arr. Chalifour/ Grgić)
Prelude
Fuga
Siciliano
Presto
Somewhere/Tonight by Leonard Bernstein (arr. A. Sedlar Bogoev)
Danza Espagnola No. 5 by Enrique Granados (arr. M. Llobet)
(Mak Grgić, Guitar)
History of the Tango, for violin and guitar (Part 1) by Astor Piazzolla
Bordel
Café 1930
Solo Violin Sonata op. 115 by Sergei Prokofiev
Moderato
Theme and Variations
(Martin Chalifour, Violin)
History of the Tango, for violin and guitar (Part 2) by Astor Piazzolla
Night Club 1960
Concert d’aujourd’hui
Selections for Violin and Guitar by Fritz Kreisler (arr. by Grgić)
Liebesleid
Schön Rosmarin
Spanish Dance from “La Vida Breve” by De Falla- Kreisler
Carl & Margaret
Our summer series closes Saturday with two simply stunning artists, Mak Grgic and Martin Chalifour, performing a recital of amazing music for violin and guitar.
Carl Caricari and Margaret Murray Miller are our sponsors for the evening. Carl has been on our Board of Directors for six years, serving during that time as - among other things - chair of our education committee and chair of our nominating and governance committee. Margaret has been deeply involved in ACG also, most recently as our lead volunteer for the Lullaby Project which we carried out in collaboration with Carnegie Hall this past spring.
So when they offered to sponsor Saturday night’s concert, I wanted to learn and share just a bit more about what has driven their passion for ACG and our mission of community service through music.
Matthew Hinsley: What do you love about live performances with ACG?
Carl Caricari: One of the most enjoyable parts of live performances is the respect the audience has for the artistry of the performer. A classical guitar concert audience is characterized by a lack of noise, coughing, and movement. Another aspect we find enjoyable is the connection the performers make with the audience. They usually give insight about the piece they are about to perform, describing not only what the composer was intending, but how they interpret the work. We always come away from a performance feeling enriched by the experience.
Margaret Murray Miller: Carl and I prefer to sit in the side seats of the concert hall. We always arrive early enough to attend the student portion of the evening. It is such a pleasure to view the concentration and rapture of the audience while we are all enveloped by the artist. When leaving a concert, last year, I overheard a young couple: “Thanks for texting me about this concert, this is the coolest guitar music I’ve ever heard.” And, Carl and I have become “fans” of some of these student artists, attending their recitals when we can.
MH: Carl, you've chaired our Education committee, Margaret, you were deeply involved with our Lullaby project. What strikes you about ACG community service?
CC: The extent of the community outreach aspect of ACG sets it apart in my mind from most fine art institutions. The effect of the education program in the Austin schools is a major contributor to the life of the children participating in the program. Ninety-percent of the participants in the school guitar programs would not be in any music program if ACG did not exist. It gives them an appreciation of great music while creating for them a sense of accomplishment. They are playing great music almost immediately with the innovative approach ACG has brought to music teaching.
MMM: I was honored to be involved in the Lullaby Project, initiated by Carnegie Hall, this spring. A small community of divergent people came together and created musical magic in less than a week. Two mothers from Any Baby Can joined local musicians in creating Lullabies for their children, one in English and one in Spanish. In the recording studio one mother told me, “We are all the same here.” She fashioned a phrase, “You are so bright, you are my light” for her children. We at ACG feel this way about all of the students in our education programs!
MH: What do wish everyone knew about ACG?
CC: It is much more that a provider of concert music. ACG is a leader of innovation bringing many different ways to enjoy music with Classical Cactus, the Salon series concerts in private homes, FlamencoAustin, collaborations from the Austin Symphony and Conspirare.
MMM: On our second date, six years ago, Carl asked me to an ACG concert. Well, it was a wonderful evening…the artist and Carl, of course! Ever since then, classical guitar has been part of our daily lives. We have met terrific people that we might not have crossed paths with. Classical guitar bring together an amazing variety of people. Standing in the lobby during intermission is rubbing elbows with a large part of Austin’s far ranging cultural community.
MH: Margaret, you volunteer for Dress For Success, I'd love to hear more about their work - or any other charities you're passionate about here in Austin.
MMM: Thank you for asking, Matt. Dress For Success Austin is dear to my heart. Six years ago I began volunteering at our affiliate on Tillery Street in East Austin. DFSA is a non-profit and part of the worldwide organization Dress For Success.
Women are sent to us from about eighty agencies in our community. Their challenges include domestic abuse, homelessness, lack of education, mental illness, wounded veterans, blindness, and deafness to select a few. We initially spend time dressing them in a beautiful, professional outfit, including the suit, shoes, handbag, jewelry, and cosmetics.
Often, our clients are touched and somewhat overwhelmed. There can be hugging and tears shared. Special attention is often lacking in their lives. All of our items are donated. We are beholden to the wonderful people who decide to drop by after cleaning out their closets. And, especially to those who have lost a loved one, and manage to think of DFSA.
We also offer career counseling, follow up programs such as financial literacy. We want to remain in these women’s lives, as they help themselves, then each other, and, amazingly when some of them become DFSA volunteers themselves!