JoAnn Falletta

Wow, Can I say I just love this woman. She is so impressive and kind.

She recently had a chat with Scott Dowd who had the where-with-all to record it for WUOL. You can hear it here.

I particularly like the part where she's talking about the balance of her life and work and she says:

"Sometimes I think my life IS my work of making music, but I really can't complain. Making music is not work, it's a privilege. It's unbelievable to be in the middle of beauty every day of my life. To stand on the podium in the middle of an orchestra is the most unbelievable privilege and honor and pleasure."

Her passion for her work is arresting.

Andrew Adler had a phone interview and wrote a lovely story here.

I was fortunate enough to listen to a little of the rehearsal with the Louisville Orchestra, and wow. She is a compelling conductor.

With JoAnn Faletta on the podium and Robert Thies on piano its going to be a magnificent concert. If you have a chance to see the LO this Saturday 11/8 at the Kentucky Center... do. 502.584.7777 or louisvilleorchestra.org

Keith Cook Making a Difference with music

Louisville Orchestra violinist Keith Cook had a great feature on WHAS 11, he is making the most of a terrible incident :

Music center for underprivileged children continues operation after burglary

10:46 PM EDT on Sunday, October 19, 2008

WHAS11 coverage

(WHAS11) -Windstorm 2008 brought out the best of Kentuckiana, but apparently it also brought out the worst.

The West Louisville Talent Education Center was burglarized during the power outage.

The center strives to use music as the vehicle to create Metro Louisville’s community leaders of tomorrow.

Violins, computers, and CD players, were all stolen from the center.

Sunday a fundraiser was held to replace the musical instruments.

Louisville Orchestra violinist Keith Cook founded the center 11 years ago to provide first rate instruction for little or no charge.

Cook is a hero to many budding musicians, and he’s not stopping despite burglars cleaning him out.

Cook says, “I was determined that no matter what happened I was going to do this…even if it had to come out of my own pocket, which I’ve had to do to start and operate this.”

Cook has taught violin to more than 200 kids from the Russell, Parkland, California, and Shawnee neighborhoods.

He says learning music helps in the students’ education.

Cook holds the position of first violin with the Louisville Orchestra, and Sunday his students and their parents had the chance to hear him play for a change.

To get involved in the West Louisville Talent Education Center, it is possible to sponsor a Student Scholarship for one year at the following levels:

Young Master- $375

Victory Violin- $300

Suzuki Strings- $200

To learn more about the center and scholarship levels, send an email to louisvillewestec@netzero.net.

Ben Folds with the Louisville Orchestra

It was a very cool experience to be a part of a sell out night at Whitney Hall. The Louisville Orchestra had a standing ovation after the first part, before Ben came out. That's impressive.

They had a series naming contest and the new name of the series is "Strings Attached". I like it. Ben Folds with Strings Attached...

Here are some links to reviews:

Jeffery Lee Puckett from the CJ
Louisville Magazine
Kentucky Kernel
Magic Mike Nilsson on myspace
I thought this one was very sweet

A great Saturday

I had a wonderful day with my friend TTT. After K's folks went home, I met TTT at the condo and we took her step-fathers borrowed mustang convertable to the Smoketown USA chili cookoff. I had been past this place many times, and wondered what it was about, and now I know. Good people and down home cooking. We wanted to make the most with the top down so we drove down River Rd. via downtown. We stopped at the Captians Quarters regalla, and there was an "art show" going on. really it was a bunch of beaded jewelry and a couple of mediocre painters. There were a couple of women who had a huge booth with beautiful alpaca wool sweaters, but $150 was out of my range.

There was a festival downtown that we hit on the way back and that was fun. Got a Christmas present for Mom that I think she will love. Since we were in the neighborhood, we wanted to stop by the NuLu gallery grand opening. We found first the Green gallery which is the brain child of Bill Green with the art of Five O Two party - nine months with nine artists with one love. The space was inspired. workable sized rooms with indoor and outdoor options and easy parking.

TTT and I agreed it would be a great location for the VIVA VOCE at some point.

We did manage to find the NuLu gallery. It was fun, but we were late and they were closing up to go to the FiveOTwo party. Its worth a second look.

On our way back to the car, we walked by Chuck Swanson's gallery and shockingly saw the owners own work in the windows. Its about time! We ran into Chuck who said that he had a last minute cancellation, and this was the first time his work hung in his own gallery. Amazing. He was on his way to the LVAA art auction. Sorry I missed it, but I am spread too thin right now to have volunteered for my dear friends at the water tower. Maybe next year.

I met up with K and we went to his friend's house to sample the band who left their equiptment in the basement from the party last weekend. It was a great little set of figuring out songs, and trying to remember words and revisiting pieces they hadn't done in a long time. The lead singer, Tracy is a school teacher with an amazing voice, a little Janice Joplin with a bit of Jewel as well. She has an impressive range and great expression.

All in all it was a great day! The opera last night went well enough, and though I wished I could have gone to my cousins wedding in North Carolina, I think I really needed a day of new experiences and thats what I got.

Fanfara

I have to work the LO's Fanfara tonight. I guess it may be a good time. I am escorting O'Neil, the photographer to the black tie dinner at the Humana building then across the street to the Kentucky Center to capture the magic of the Suzuki String Institute, then outside on the steps where the UofL Marching Band will play while the folks at the dinner cross the street.

Yesterday afternoon a couple of the LO ladies went to the rehearsal with bassist Edgar Meyer. They said it was amazing. Too bad I won't be able to listen tonight. We are going to sell out so that's a good problem to have.

Translations / Transitions

I am looking forward to an Artist's Reception tomorrow at Zephyr Gallery. Deborah Thomas is one of my favorite local artists, the image is one of her pieces that I happen to own. Granted its probably the smallest size she actually sells, but it's one of my favorite things.

I learned about her through the first LVAA Art Auction I worked. The colors were so strong and vibrant and the lines were so passionate, the work was undeniable. I was immediately drawn to her as an artist. Her work could be classified as abstract landscapes. At that point her work had this very interesting box within the paintings, which I later found out was a representation of a photograph. The box was placed as if the photograph was being held up to the actual landscape which continued beyond the paper. I was initially drawn to that box. To me, it was an expression of emotion that cannot be contained.

Alas, her newer work has lost the box, which she feels is liberating. Good for her. Her palate has also mellowed and has gotten deeper. Her passion is still expressed through her brush work and I cannot wait to see what she's been up to lately.

If you go - The Zepher gallery is located at 610 East Market Street and is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 11:00am to 6:00pm

Deborah Thomas and Mitch Eckert exhibit will be up from August 22nd - September 27th.



The First Friday gallery hop will be on September 5.

Basquiat at KMAC

KMAC (Kentucky Museum of Art & Craft) will be showing the film Basquiat on Tuesday, September 8 at 8pm. Tickets are only $5 and free for museum members.

I saw this film perhaps a decade ago, and it still resonates with me. It's about a young artist who gains the attention on Andy Warhol during his "factory"days.

Jean-Michel Basquiat struggled as an artist, attempting to sell his small postcard sized pieces on the streets of New York with little success. His encounter with Warhol changed every thing. Not only did Andy purchase every postcard the young artist had with him that day, he also brought the seemingly flea bitten cur into his fold where Jean-Michel found acceptance, adoration and fame. These elements were a bit too much for him and led to his destruction, but his work lives on. Sotheby's says the current auction record for a Basquiat work stands at $14.6m.

If you haven't, see this film!