Charleston Symphony

Charleston Symphony

I lobby.

>> event after event, from sports to fundraisers to concerts, all canceled.

You know what's not canceled?

People's spirits, and their ability to transcend anything we're facing, and this includes the charleston symphony thank you for joining us.

>> it's my pleasure, and really good to see you today.

>> i looked at my facebook page, and you see all of the wonderful events canceled and you have a wonderful program in place, and what are you doing to still get the music to the people that hunger for it?

>> it has been an interesting and challenging time as you can imagine for everybody, and we at first, we were quite concerned, and so the first thing was just to get the team together and talk about how we were going to get the board, the musician staff, and how we were going to get through this, and really, what we decided and everybody was onboard with this, this was a time for more content, more music, and not less.

Music is a thing that can lift our spirits up, and we need that more than ever right now.

So the musicians were really behind this in producing content and the staff, and getting it up, and what we have done is created the charleston symphony channel, and it's on our website, and it's a collection of various programming that the musicians are working on, whether it's concerts we have already performed or new content.

And some of it is educational and some is fun, and some a little bit more serious.

And we put it on the website and it pushes out to all of the social media channels but we recognize that not everybody is on social media, so we wanted to have a place that everybody has success to.

We have content already, all of these wonderful and creative ideas, and it has been terrific.

>> are you creating anything new?

Just from someone's living room?

I think it was the netherlands symphony orchestra, if i'm not mistaken, they took musicians each in their respective homes and apartments and all collaborated on one piece.

Do you have plans on doing anything like that.

>> we have done one quick test run where we did the charleston from five different rooms in their houses and that was fun, but one we have coming up is april 17th and 18th, it was supposed to be the launch of founder's day, and we're going to be performing charleston's new world symphony, one of the most amazing and classical works ever written, and we're going to be putting together the second movement, this horn solo.

And the orchestra and the staff are working to launch that in conjunction with the 150th anniversary in mid april.

>> i'm glad you're doing that.

This is such a monumental year for charleston, and we would all be remiss if we didn't celebrate it in some way with the charleston symphony.

Let's talk about music in general.

We have talked with other musicians who have been teaching or practicing or teaching these live concerts from their home.

And why is it that music is still so important for people to consume just as if they needed food or water?

>> that's a good question, and i can talk for me personally.

And it goes to a place in your brain or heart where nothing else sort of woks its way in there, and it really can lift you up, but it can bring you to a place that nothing else k so i think it's really important.

And it really feeds the soul in a way.

>> you just took the words out of my mouth.

And i wanted to ask you, because kids are home from school now, and slated to stay home until the end of the month, possibly longer, are you doing any educational programs, i know that the symphony does a lot of work getting music into the schools, and are you creating any online education for them?

>> that was disappointing, to miss the schools, and the youth symphony had to cancel their concerts z.

They have been meeting on zoom and talking about music, and oneof the sections of our channels is going to be in education.

So our principle, beth albert released one yesterday, talking about how they work and the mallets are designed, and we're trying to push out the educational content as well.

>> i was going to say that that's the one instrument that you could find something in your house, a bucket, we have all heard music banging on pots, right?

And you're creating a new generation of musicians out there.

>> people don't think about it, tiffany are quite large drums, and she wants them spread out in her home in charleston, she has large drums, and her whole house is filled with these large drums, and people don't think about it, but they're at her wow.

We could be seeing a whole new crop of musicians with the symphony in 15, 20 years time.

And thank you so much.

So if people want more information, go to your website or facebook page, and we'll get those quick.

>> charleston symphony, and.

[ audio difficulties ] >> thank you so much, michael, stay safe and heaty.

>> look forward to seeing you once we get through this mess.

>>