Latest / WashCo Insider / Cassandra Muhr & Yugo Ikach
Transcript
- speaker-0: Welcome back to yet another episode of The Washco Insider. We've got a special episode for you today, because if you're in the region and haven't been to a Washington Symphony Orchestra performance yet, you're about to learn just how much you're sorely missing out from my guests today. Known for its high quality, accessible performances by professional musicians, Cassandra Muir and Hugo EyCatch are here to talk to me all about the Washington Symphony Orchestra, how it's celebrating twenty-five years of music right here in Washington County, and a few of its upcoming shows you're gonna want to grab tickets for. We'll get right into it when we come back. Well, Cassandra and Hugo, welcome in. I'm so excited for this episode. We've got a lot of insider information in this one as we were just talking about. So I'm ready to get into it. Tell us all about the Washington Symphony Orchestra and this year's big anniversary. speaker-1: Yes, this is twenty five years for us and we are very excited. So our organization started back in two thousand and two when Dave Owens thought thought that he would like to bring more live music to Washington County and he put a call out for musicians and they had a handful and we have grown so much since then. speaker-0: You have and you have performed at so many venues around the county over the years. You performed at the George Washington Hotel, the Washington Park Elementary School, Trinity High Schools, and you have outgrown all of your venues. Where are you now? speaker-1: We are at the Olin Fine Arts Center at Washington and Jefferson College. Okay. speaker-0: Right, and you are selling out shows there, but we'll get into that later. Talk to me a little bit about the anniversary. I know you've got a big celebration coming up. speaker-1: Yes, so we do have our twenty-fifth anniversary season. We have a lot of fun planned for that and we're very excited. But we are also very excited to announce that we are doing a twenty-fifth anniversary gala in April. So that'll be April 3rd and we're going to be celebrating twenty-five years. And we're really excited and you guys are the first to hear about that. speaker-0: I know, that's some real insider information there. Where is it going to be by the speaker-1: It's gonna be at the George Washington Hotel. speaker-0: Okay, sounds good. So for some listeners who may not know, the WSO is a professional orchestra, right? Can you talk to me a little bit about either one of you? how many people are in the orchestra, the breakdown, anything like that? speaker-2: Yes and no, in that yes, part of it is professional orchestra and the other half is volunteers. But most importantly, it's Washington homegrown. So you might go to your dentist and the dental hygienist is a flute player or perhaps an attorney. you seek the the advice of an attorney and they also play trombone. You just never know. many of our musicians are music teachers and this is how they get to scratch their music itch. in the evenings. so I would say we have probably about sixty-five musicians for a concert, half of which would be volunteers, and half would be professionals, or maybe a third would be f professionals. All of our section leader leaders are. And we have fifteen to twenty volunteer string players, but we bring in an an additional supplemental professional players to join, so we have forty string players because the repertoire we want to play requires those numbers and many of them play with the Pittsburgh Opera or the Wheeling Symphony or Butler Symphony. And we see them time after time after time. And we really have a family of people that played with us for a number of years, many of our players fifteen years, ten years or more. And I think that's because they're having fun and our product is is pretty good. speaker-0: Good. Wow. So anyone coming from Washington County might see a couple of familiar faces in your orchestra. That is a large orchestra, is it not? speaker-2: well, I mean that's the a full symphony orchestra size and we have grown, I think because the programming we have really hits home with a lot of people. It's interesting, it's accessible. You don't have to be a classical music aficionado to really enjoy our concerts. We work very hard on the programming so that it is accessible and we have fun while we do it. speaker-0: yes, I definitely wanna remember this point about your mission and accessibility 'cause we'll definitely get into that later. but what do you typically I'm curious, like what do you typically look for in musicians when you do auditions or things like that for new players? speaker-2: Well, they have to have a certain level of expertise, we hope. Now, a lot of our volunteers will come at maybe a good or base amateur level of proficiency. The beautiful thing is after three years, four years, five years, you could see the the the tide rising and the orchestra gets better and better. So those amateur musicians have grown considerably over the years, and that's one of the things I think that's very gratifying being a part of the orchestra because We are trying to educate, entertain and inspire, and they just slip that right in there. That's our mission is to entertain, educate and inspire, not necessarily in that order. speaker-0: I love that and I imagine as a conductor it must be so satisfying to see those musicians grow in confidence and skill and all of that. speaker-2: Absolutely. And I I think they really have to be a family member and they have to have a a drive to be a part of that family. We're not just after a hired gun who plays well because they don't necessarily get along well with others. We want people who care about the community, who care about the orchestra, and want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. So I think that weighs pretty heavily on when we bring new musicians in. And it's one of the reasons why so many musicians have stayed over the years. speaker-0: Yeah, and I'm sure they can feel that impact. Do you have anyone that's been with the orchestra since the very beginning? speaker-1: I don't think at this point we do, but we have some folks who have been there for definitely over twenty years. Wow. And Hugo has been there so for a number of years as well. speaker-2: We have a couple of of musicians who I've been there for twenty three years out of the twenty-five. And we have fr Ken Courtney I know has been there for at least that longer, a little l longer. Karen Rogers, our principal, second violin has been there as long as I have, if not a little longer. So we have some musicians that have been there pretty much from the very beginning. Maybe they the third concert they joined the orchestra and they've just stayed and I think because it's a wonderful environment, it's fun. And we get to do something that other people only dream of. speaker-0: Yeah, and it's something bigger than yourself. Like you said, it's community, it's family. That's so nice to see. And I'm sure audience members can really feel that when they walk in and they see a performance. So, okay, I know it's a special year for you guys. How many performances do you typically have in a year? And are they all at the Olin Fine Arts Center? speaker-1: So for us, our annual concert series is October, December, March, and May. And so for October, March, and May, that's gonna be two performances each, and then in December we have three, just because it is our most popular concert being Christmas time. So that's our annual concert series. Those are all at Olin Fine Art Center. And then we do go out into the community and do performances. So we have been performing at the Whiskey Rebellion, I think, since two thousand and eleven now. So that is something we look forward to every year. And then we have other community performances that we do from time to time. This past summer we were at Washington Wild Things for a Fourth of July celebration and we've begun touring into Maryland as well. That was a new development this year. That's speaker-0: It's exciting. L let's talk about the Wild Things performance for a second 'cause I know that was a big deal 'cause of America two fifty and we were talking about that a little bit before we recorded. What was that like for both you? speaker-1: I think from what I was hearing, this was a a dream concert. It was it was something that was a while in the making, and I'll let you go talk about that. But we had some challenges going into it because outdoor venues present challenges that we don't typically face in a concert hall. You know, you have a lot of environmental factors that you have to compete with. So we had some challenges going into it, but it was a lot of fun. We had a lot of fun with it. It was cool for me to be on the field watching them perform. So it was a really neat performance, but I'll talk to Hugo a little bit about how that came together. He he has some insight on that. speaker-2: Well, Chris Blaine of the Washington Wild Things, who's wonderful and has been there for a number of years, we have been trying to put it together for at least fifteen years, and we never were able to get all of the ducks in a row to make it happen. This year we did, and as Cassandra points out, there's a lot of issues because obviously rain and probably heat is even more of a problem because the stringed instruments are thin wooden instruments that are very temperamental and can go out of tune very easy. And if you've invested a good amount of money in one of those instruments, sometimes you're not so wanting to put it out into the elements. But having said that, we got a tent, We got a floor, we logistically set everything up. We had to work very closely with the sound people so that the balance was good, which it turned out really good. And I want to thank them for that and all the people at the Wild Things organization. It was a blast. I'm so glad we did it. I don't think we can do it every year. It's a lot of logistics to get all of that equipment. Because if you think about it, every single percussion toy and gong and bass drum and everything has to be moved. And w we don't have a crew necessarily that does that. So Cassandra and I are hoisting things up and and we have every job to get it out there. And then when the performance comes, I don't know, people probably think, they probably have a crew to do all that. No, it's it's us. but it but it was it was great fun and a great experience and the fireworks was a great way to end the evening. speaker-0: what a great venue. In the wild things are great. I saw pictures online. I was so sorry I couldn't make it because I really wanted to, but I heard so many good things. I saw so many awesome comments of like we loved this. We we can't wait for it to happen again. I saw a lot of comments about that, so might be a future thing. But going back to the mission, I want you guys to talk me through the mission of the WSO, to educate, to inspire. What is your interpretation of what it means to provide accessible music? to our community here in Washington County. speaker-1: So this is something that the WSO was really founded upon. And from what I was told coming into the organization, Dave Owens really wanted to make orchestral music accessible in Washington. Because typically when you think of an orchestra, you think of the city and having to drive downtown, fight with parking, things of that nature. But for us, we take all of those barriers away. We also make sure that we stay affordable. You're not gonna pay the prices that you are in the big city when you're coming to the WSO. But something that's also important to us is making sure that we have repertoire for everybody. So you can come in and you may hear a classical piece that's going to expose you to that, but you're gonna hear something fun, like maybe YMCA or something from your favorite movie as well. So we have a different take on the way we handle things and each concert has something for everybody and you're gonna probably learn while you're there, but you're gonna have fun doing it. Absolutely. speaker-0: Absolutely. It's so when I've gone to see orchestras and I've played in an orchestra myself, you know, you spend all your time looking at all the different instruments and watching people play in in the technique. And some people even have the music memorized, which is crazy for, you know, four sheet pieces of music, which is just incredible to watch. So it really is captivating. But Hugo, I want to turn to you, what is kind of your interpretation of the mission, you know, providing that accessibility. speaker-2: Well, as Cassandra said, we have very accessible music and we also have a a good bit of variety. One of the things I I learned from Dave Owens, our founder, was that no matter how good the music is, they've done studies on this that even even if it's really good, after about seven minutes, people start checking their watches. Our attention span is only so long. So we program music that tends to be seven minutes or shorter, not always. And at the time the technology was such He would see what was trending on, you know, music downloads, you know, the crossover things, and he would program based upon what people were buying at the time, which makes perfect sense. I I liken our show to almost a variety show, you know, like like a vaudeville show of old. Because if you don't like the the the the the the singer that comes out, well maybe the the dogs that come out and do dog tricks you'll like that come next. And And we provide a lot of those fun elements. I like to think of our concerts as shows and not concerts. I fronted a big band for years where I would go to casinos and have to work an audience and have fun. I bring that environment to our concerts. So I freely talk with the audiences, I have a lot of fun with the audience. I don't want them to take it too seriously. We take our music very seriously in that we want to put out a really good product, but By the time we get to a a concert performance, we're having fun. I mean, we are having fun, and I think that's catching, and I think the audiences pick up on that, and they are fully a part of that performance. we we've had some great, great success because of that, the programming. speaker-0: I love what you just said, a variety show, because that's really what it is at the end of the day. You're there to connect with people, to have people connect with you in turn. So that's so important. I love that. Cassandra, I want to talk about you for a little bit because you have a pretty strong background in music. You've worked, and I want to make sure I'm reading this correctly, for the River City Brass, the Mon Hills Music Group, the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, WJ, more. What has brought you to the WSO after all of your experience? So speaker-1: So I didn't really plan to end up at the WSO. I I I landed here by happenstance. I was a WNJ grad and I worked there a lot throughout my schooling. And I went into college with the intention of going into music producing and I very quickly learned that A, I hated it, and B, I sucked at it. So I had to very quickly pivot. And during that time I was hosting radio at WNJR, which is the college radio station. And I started working with guest artists on my show, bringing in musicians, talking to them about their craft and what they do and why they do it. And during that time I really learned that I loved working with musicians and I loved the passion that they had for what they did. So through that I decided I was going into management and that led me to my graduate degree from West Virginia University and music business. And that's where Mon Hills comes into play. So that is a student run record label. So I spent some time there doing management work, doing podcasting work, and helping all of these student musicians kind of navigate their journey. during that time I started working at River City Brass Band. I was their marketing director. I was there for about two years. And I learned a lot about what it meant to be in a nonprofit and things like development. I had no idea they were a nonprofit going in, and I knew nothing about running a nonprofit. So I learned a lot in that time that I was there. And I was looking for a new opportunity and just happened to find out that the WSO was hiring. I didn't even know at the time that they had a paid employee, so that was really eye-opening to me. But I was very familiar with the organization because my music advisor in college was actually the concert master at the time. wow. So I was very familiar with the organization and I said, Well, I'm gonna give it a shot. I'm not gonna get it, but I'm going to apply anyways. And I was told there were thirty applicants. There were fifteen that were interviewed and I was the youngest. So it has been a wild journey, but I'm so happy to be here. speaker-2: What a good decision it was. speaker-0: Absolutely. You've worn so many hats over the years that nonprofit marketing is hard. but you guys are absolutely killing it. I hear you're selling out shows. So you're doing an amazing job. you've been in this role for what, two years now? Okay. speaker-1: Two and a half years. speaker-0: What are the biggest things you've learned? I know you've learned that you like to work with musicians, but what are some other things that you've learned in your role so far? speaker-1: I think the biggest thing I learned is I have to be adaptable. And a lot of others in our organization have to be adaptable as well. I am our sole employee, so I my famous joke is I'm wearing all the hats and hurting all the cats. And I am always on the go doing something different. And there are no two days that are ever the same. So adaptability is a big thing in this role, but I've also learned a lot about communicating and what it means to kind of be present. And how important that is. And I've also learned a lot about myself too and having to ask for help. And it's not always easy, but sometimes it's really necessary. speaker-0: Definitely not easy, especially in a time where, you know, we're asked to be flexible so many times in our careers, in our personal lives, especially in kind of like a nonprofit educational space. So I'm sure that's been kind of a process for you. But something else in your bio caught my attention, and this is also an area of interest for me. Tell me more about your research about women in the music industry, because I'm dying to know. speaker-1: Yes, so this is something that started in college, and a little fact that people don't know about me is my heart actually lies with country music. That's where my heart and soul is, and that's where a lot of my research has come from, is women specifically in the country music industry. But this started when I was hosting that radio show at W and J and at the time there was what they called the Tomato Gate scandal, and this was when a Radio DJ in another state had made the comment that women in country music should be like the tomatoes on a salad. They should only be sprinkled on the top. They should not be the main mixture. And something about that really hit me. And I started doing research, and it led to me doing a capstone project on it at WJ. My master's project for graduation was a podcast talking to women working in the country music industry. And I'm currently in the process of applying for a PhD and it will be in music and arts management. And the one thing I'm looking at is women in the music industry. So it has been a very interesting journey and I've learned a lot through it. I've talked to a lot of wonderful women in their careers, and not even just in country music, but other organizations. There's a wonderful organization in downtown Pittsburgh called The Women Who Rock. They do a lot with promoting women in the music industry, but they also donate their proceeds to cancer research for women. And they do incredible work. So I'm always watching to see what they're doing and keeping an eye on it. Absolutely. But it's something we really have to be cognizant of because even though, you know, this is twenty twenty six, there still is a lot of disparity with women working in these kinds of industries. speaker-0: Absolutely. And I would argue that you are a a woman in the music industry. What's kind of been your experience and I also kinda want to get into that. Like w what victories have happened in your time and what battles do you think those there still are to fight for women in this industry? speaker-1: I've been very lucky because everybody has been so receptive of having me in my roles. And so I have not faced a lot of challenges myself and I'm very grateful for that. But I've listened to others and a lot of women, especially those who are a little bit older, struggle a lot with the family life versus work life balance. And that's something that I have yet to go through. I don't have a family of my own yet, but I know when that time comes it will be a challenge. So I think that's one thing that we have to be aware of is, you know, women do have and men too. They do have families at home to take care of. And I think sometimes we forget that when we're demanding a lot of somebody in the moment. So for me it's been a wonderful journey and I'm glad I haven't faced those challenges like others have, but I wanna make sure that they have that space to share that. But I think for me the biggest victory in this role has been selling out the concert series for two years. I I remember coming into this job and a family member of mine said, What would be like the biggest goal? What's the biggest thing you could imagine? And I said, Well, I would love to not only sell out a concert, but sell out a whole season. I can't imagine what that would be like. And we sold out the first concert and then we sold out the whole season and then the second season. So it's it's been truly incredible. speaker-0: my goodness. Well I wanna pivot to that for a second because how that is such a big accomplishment for both of you. How has that felt? Let's start with you, Hugo on speaker-2: It it's huge. I mean, I believe we always had a good product, but if no one knows you exist, and there are still some people in Washington County that don't even know there's a symphony orchestra here. And Cassandra has done such a wonderful job at at getting our name out there and inviting new people. And it's it's electrifying when you play to a full audience and you can take the temperature of the room and hear the breaths and the gasps or whatever i i it it there's it there's an interaction with an audience and when it's a full audience I think the audience members Are more likely to get involved because they don't feel like there's a spotlight on them. There's only like a few people in this row or whatever. But the musicians pick up on that. So I think the the environment of the concerts w with the sellout crowd, when all the seats are filled, it is fantastic. It it just I can't tell you what a difference it makes. So I'm grateful for that. It has changed the dynamic. We've always had good attendance, but we used to be at Trinity High School and it seats 1200 people. So if you get 800 people, you still see a lot of empty seats. Now in a smaller, more intimate theater, which is beautiful by the way, and the acoustics are wonderful, and we have 480 seats or something thereabouts, and you have 470 people out there or whatever, because some people pay and don't come, but but it's it's filled. that's wonderful. And I think it's better to do two concerts of 480 that's filled than you know one concert and have a bunch of seats empty. i it really has been wonderful the last couple years. speaker-1: Absolutely. speaker-0: Absolutely. And you stole my next question is like to if the musicians pick up on that or not, if they play with a little more vigor when you know, I don't know if you guys have a curtain, but like you open that and you see all those people there and you know that they're for you and they're there as a result of all of your efforts. speaker-2: Absolutely, absolutely. y you pick up on that. And afterwards I always run out to the lobby and thank people for coming because I truly am grateful that they come. And some of the comments I get that I love, and these are for the new people, the new patrons, the new fans of the WSO or whatever, a gentleman will say, You know, my wife made me come, but I'm so glad I did, or someone else says, I never knew I liked classical music, right? and it's not it doesn't have to be stuffy, it's wonderful, it's funny, it's i i i it's in inspirational. and we do mix it. So you're just as likely to hear, you know, Beethoven as Pee-Wee Herman. I mean, we really have a lot of fun and we throw things in and we base things on a theme that don't necessarily follow the the norm of what a symphony orchestra has thought of. And I think that's been a lot of our success, that recipe of variety and hitting things that are trending. you mentioned women in music. You know, we're gonna do like a little mini dolly part and you know speaker-0: Yes. speaker-2: you know, just a little nod to this wonderful woman in so many ways at our Christmas concert. And Cassandra's gonna get her way in May as we do a concert called Kickin' It Country. So I'm sure we're gonna have some marvelous performers there as well. speaker-0: I saw that one on your schedule. I'm really excited for that. And absolutely Dolly Pardon. That's speaking of sell out shows, that would be a great one. So you go I know we covered earlier that you have been with WSO for a long time now. Over twenty years. Yes, yes. my goodness. You've had a long career in the music industry. You have a three degrees in music. speaker-2: I just kept going to school until there was nothing else to do or get. And I said, get out of here. I turned into a music nerd, whatever. And it was a long journey. I started in computer science. I don't know, my dad did it, so I did it. and it never dawned on me to do what I loved. And a little light went off, and someone said, Why don't you go into music? And I thought, people actually do what they like? And I went into music and I went to a very good I went to some very good music schools and I just threw myself into it, hook line and singer. And I did everything I could in music. I I was predominantly a singer, and I did a lot of music theater and big band and opera. I thought I was gonna be the next biggest opera singer, and I ended up getting more jobs in music theater and operetta than opera. so the market kind of dictated what I was gonna do, and I got opportunities to conduct. And I took them and I conducted it a number of places and that has changed my life obviously for the better. And I just kept doing it. So at some point a a a a switch flipped and I just did it and did it and did it and did it. And I keep doing it and God willing I'll do it for a number of, you know, more years. speaker-0: See, I don't have a musical bone in my body. I really don't. So the people like you that live and breathe music always I just have a high level of respect for me. I absolutely love it because music is so important in so many ways. Even if you don't think you like classical music, I think most people think they do. but you know, music is just such an important way for all of us to connect. And connection, even right now with everything going on. is more important than ever. So I love what you're doing. Please also tell me about performing for two popes. Well speaker-2: yes. speaker-0: I saw that in your bio and I was like, I have to ask about this. speaker-2: That's wonderful experience. I was the music director of Immaculate Conception Church in Washington here for 29 and a half years. It would have been 30 or more, but the this thing happened called COVID. I don't know if you've heard of it. But so we went to Italy, I think, the first time in 2009, and so that was for Saint Benedict, and we were able to have an audience and sing. And then in 2015-16, meaning we were there over the the January first, imagine being outside of the Coliseum and fireworks going off and it was magical, wonderful. And we got to sing at Mass with Pope Francis. So that was that was a wonderful experience for the choir, especially those, you know, bucket list places to go if you're a Catholic, you know, to go to the Vatican and sing. So we sang in the Vatican twice. we sang a mass the first time. the Pope wasn't the celebrant at that one, although we did sing for the Pope at another venue. and the second time we celebrated Mass with Pope Pope Francis, you know, we were able to sing, which was really great in the Vatican. So that that was fantastic. Talk about a bucket list thing. Yeah, we performed for the Pope. No big deal. We did it twice. speaker-0: Yeah, no big deal. I was just with the Vatican in May and it is an incredible place. You really f feel all of that emotion there. You also I congratulations are in order. You recently retired. speaker-2: I did. I had twenty three twenty three wonderful years at California University of Pennsylvania, now Penn West University California campus. we started a commercial music technology major there. We had a Grammy Award winner just honored a a year ago, who was a graduate of that program. We were very proud of what we'd done there with the music and I directed the choir there for I don't know Eleven, twelve, fifteen years. I don't even remember how many years I did the choir there. we performed at the White House and we did some exciting performances we recorded in Nashville. So yeah, a lot of wonderful memories and I have music to thank for all of them. speaker-0: My goodness. So after all you've done, what kind of finally led you to the WSO? What led you to take on, you know, this twenty year career at the WSO? speaker-2: I had been conducting at the McKee Sports Symphony Orchestra. I was the assistant conductor there, and that was a marvelous experience. And I had already been a a c music director at a church for a number of years, and I would conduct a a piece with orchestra once a year with the choir, that type of thing, and I started doing that in McKee Sport. And then Dave Owens gave me a call and said, Hey, we need a tenor to sing Mario Lonzo drinking song for our October concert. They did just they were a new organization. So I went and I performed as a a singer, just a hired gun or whatever, to sing a couple drinking song well, a drinking song and and a few other things I think I sang at that concert. And then Dave and I started to talk and he we hit it off and we talked about programming and music and and he said, Will you conduct? I says, Yeah. He said, You know what, I'm gonna talk to the board. And I met with the board and they said, We want you to be the conductor. You know, Dave Dave is an amateur musician, but we need a quote, real conductor to come in with some degrees and that kind of a th kind of thing. And it it was just wonderful from the start. We we we performed as you mentioned earlier at the Washington Hotel, which seated two hundred, two fifty. We grew out of that. We had to get a bit of a bigger venue. So we went to the Washington Park School that maybe seats four hundred. Well, we had to push people away from there. We did a concert that had over well over four hundred people in it. set up chairs in the aisles and and probably break all kinds of fire codes. Then we went to the high school, Trinity High School, and that's tough to sell out because like I say, twelve hundred seats. We did. At one of our Christmas concerts, we had to tell seventy five people to go home. Sorry. Yeah, speaker-0: Really? speaker-2: I I felt I felt terrible. It's Christmas time and like Scrooge we're saying, blah hum, go away. so then we had to add two Christmas shows at Trinity. so yeah, a number of years you know with different venues and I'm grateful to Dave and the board for having the confidence in me and letting me have the reins of programming and fun. And we do have an artistic advisory group. So it's not just me. I come up with all these great ideas. I wish I were that smart. We have a committee and we come up with themes and we try to fit music to different themes that are relevant maybe to the times. I an easy one would be every few years we'll like a Halloween show in October. Well that makes sense, you know, scary music and whatnot. But for instance, our concert in March is Adventures on the High Seas. So you get everything from classical music like The Flying Dutchman, Ricard Wagner, to Johnny Depp and you know Pirates of the Caribbean. speaker-0: Great soundtrack. speaker-2: it's fantastic. And there's a lot of pieces that were inspired by the sea or seafaring folk or maritime movies. We we draw a lot from movies because I think some of the best music written, classical type of music, orchestral music, is written for movies and actually video games now. And we focus quite a bit on movies and as of late, video games. speaker-0: Yeah, 'cause video games actually they have great soundtracks these days. That's so funny you say that. I actually got the opportunity to play Pirates of the Caribbean in high school and that was one of the one shows that we noticed like some parents were just going nuts in the crowd for Pirates of the Caribbean. I was like, we might have to play it again next year. It's a fun soundtrack to play. So actually, now that we're on that topic, is there a dream concert or score that you either of you would like to play that you haven't yet? I know country was was kinda your dream, Cassandra. So that's coming through this year for you. speaker-1: That concert is definitely a a big one for me. Like y that's that's where my heart is, like I mentioned, and so I'm very excited and the title Kicking It Country is actually the title that was my radio show. And so I have I have lent that to the symphony. I'm very excited about it. I would love one day to have like a large popular music person come in and for them to sing with us. I feel like that would be so cool. You see that all the time with like the large symphonies. And I think that would be so neat to have a community orchestra like ours present something big like speaker-2: So I'm going to look right at the camera and say if there's a donor out there who would like to foot the bill for a very large popular artist, we are all ears. speaker-1: Yes, very much so. speaker-2: That would be wonderful. You know, we did it we did a rock concert last year. When you think what symphony, rock concert. Well, we did classical music like Stravinsky, who was like rebellious, kind of like rock music at the time. But then we did Led Zeppelin. Who does w orchestras do Led Zeppelin? It was wonderful, marvelous stuff. Wouldn't it have been nice to bring in, say, Metallica to play with the Washington Symphony Orchestra? I'm sure that's a pretty heavy price tag though, so that's why I looked at the camera and asked. speaker-0: Make my tourism part happy though, I'll tell you that. So moving back kinda, I know you go usually have your back to the audience, but for both of you, what is the most gratifying thing for you two to see at a concert besides a sellout show? I know we love to see that, but is it kids attending, people bringing new audience, you know, season ticket holders that you see all of the time? What's kind of like your thing where you're like, yes. speaker-1: I think for me it's just seeing how captivated the audience is. Typically by the end of the show, I'm in the back of the house, just kind of watching everyone. And I remember a recent performance we did the Great Outdoors and we had a large group of ukulele players that joined us and they were lined all in front of the stage and they were playing Country Roads. And of course, that's a bit emotional for me, as I know it is for Hugo, because WVU is our alma mater for both of us. And I was in tears because just listening to this music, this was something that nobody expected us to put together. You know, no one expected 50 ukulele players playing with the Washington Symphony. And the audience was just completely enthralled by it. They were in the moment, they were loving it, they were singing along. Everyone was paying attention and I was in the back of the house just in tears because it was just incredible to watch so many people connecting with something that we put together and we produced. And that was a very proud moment for me was watching so many people connect with something that has meaning to me and to others as well. speaker-0: Absolutely. 'Cause also how could you not love country roads? Absolutely. That makes me cry too. speaker-2: a sing along everyone got to enjoy. I I similarly, I think I believe music changes lives. I really believe that. Now maybe that's naive, but for me the most gratifying thing is after a concert, someone saying, my gosh, you you made me cry or you made me remember my grandmother and it just brought tears to my eyes and it was so meaningful. I I think if we can touch the audience on a very personal level, at at at least maybe have them forget about their troubles for an hour and a half or whatever, and just be in in a safe space that's a a musical bubble bath, we'll call it, right? but at best case scenario is, my gosh, this really inspired me to do whatever or in some way I'm you know, I'm gonna reach out to that old friend of mine that reminded me. So I think if we touch people emotionally, that is the most gratifying thing for me. speaker-1: Absolutely. speaker-0: It it really is an emotional experience. Speaking of that, in kind of an age of technology and where some people might even be calling for less of a need of the arts, which is terrible to even think about, why do you think it's more important than ever for people to attend a WSO performance? speaker-1: think for me it is about that connection that Hugo mentioned. You know, we're living in this digital age and everyone's in their smartphone all the time. And even though you can connect with anyone across the world, you're not getting that in person experience and you're not sharing something in the moment with somebody. And I think that's really important. And kind of going back to what we just talked about, I wanted to share a story that I actually shared at a donor event this year. We had A woman who approached me at our office and our co-working space and she said, I wanted to share a very personal story. She was a victim of domestic violence and was leaving her situation. And right after she left her situation, she had just moved back to Washington. She said she felt a little lost, but she saw that we were having a concert. She came and watched the performance and she said that it inspired her to begin helping others. To get out of their domestic violence situation. And it also inspired her to start working with folks through art therapy. And so hearing that left me very much so in tears. And I cry almost every time I share that story. But it really emphasizes the power of connection. And for us, I think that's that's why we do what we do is is sharing that moment and sharing these memories and these experiences. Sharing pain and happiness. And so I think that's something you get in live performances that you're not gonna get if you're watching through your phone. Absolutely. speaker-0: Hugo, anything to add there? speaker-2: Yeah, I'm I'm right in line with what you're saying. I mentioned earlier a certain electricity between the performers and the audience. When you're at a live performance face to face in person, you are a part of it. And when you can hear the musicians breathe and the musicians picks up on on the excitement of the audience, there there is a relationship there that you don't get through like a television screen or a monitor. You just don't. And when the orchestra opens up and you could feel the sound against you, you can actually feel it. That's different than watching something on a a tablet or a or a phone. And I think live performances, as long as humans still f still feel and care, there will be a place for us and all of the arts face to face. speaker-1: I will. speaker-0: of your answers. How would you both like to see the orchestra evolve in the future? speaker-1: There are so many things I think that we have left to do. So many fun ideas that we have. And I know for me, getting on the road, I mentioned going to Maryland this year. That was a big moment, I think, for all of us and one that none of us expected. And so I would love to be able to start venturing out there a little more and expanding our reach and reaching out to new audiences. So even though we're the Washington Symphony Orchestra, we're still mobile. And we can still reach more people. So that's I think my biggest thing as well was expanding our educational program. Right now we mainly gear towards high schoolers. And I'm excited in the next couple of years to start focusing on the younger kids a little bit more. And we just introduced a brand new program this year called the Instrument Petting Zoo that allows kids to get their hands on instruments and explore them and touch them and play them. So I'm really excited to begin expanding into those types of adventures. speaker-0: That's such a good idea. Alright, you go you got twenty more years left in ya? speaker-2: boy, absolutely. for me, it is reaching those people that don't know that they like classical music, and all of a sudden you convince them that it's wonderful. And it is wonderful. And they don't know it's wonderful because maybe it was it was put forth in a very boring or you know academic way. We have fun at every concert. No matter what we're doing, we have something. That is going to be relevant to you. It's going to have variety, as we mentioned earlier, and the format is one of interaction and fun. We think of it as shows. So for me, one of the most meaningful things I'd like to continue or grow over the next 20 years is to reach those people who haven't been turned on yet. I I think of myself as a classical music player. Pusher, like a like a drug pusher. You know, you start off on a little drug. Let's start them on marijuana and then they'll grow to something else. Well I am. I'm like a dealer for classical music. So you start on some kernel of thing some classical music that they're familiar with. Maybe it's a Bugs Bunny cartoon, I have no idea. But then they grow and they think, my gosh, I had no idea that I liked it this much, or that it it could affect me. This greatly. So for me, it's spreading to the masses how wonderful some of this music is and timeless. And people fell in love in the 17th century, and people were betrayed in the 18th century. And in the 19th century, all the problems that we have, relationship or otherwise, existed in the past. And it breathes through all of these pieces of music. And of course, we do lots of music that's written today by people that are actually. Still alive. You know, our Dragons and Destiny concert. We're gonna do some classical music from the past, but we're also gonna do the Legend of Zelda. So for those, you know, I I I ha forgive me if I call them nerds, but that I that I would I'd say I am as well, you know, a video game nerd. But we have something for everyone. speaker-0: Wow. Okay. S I I'm having so much fun. I could sit here all day with you too. But I know we're running short on time. So give me a quick overview on your n next, what is it, two shows, Dragons and Destiny. And let's talk about Ho Ho Ho with the WSO, because I know that is such a big one. Give me the quick overview on where people can find tickets there. speaker-1: Yes, so Dragons and Destiny is October seventeenth at seven thirty PM and October eighteenth at three PM and those are ac of course at Olin Fine Arts Center. And then we have Ho Ho Ho with the WSO, which is our annual Christmas favorite. That's gonna be in December. And that will be three performances. You'll catch three PM and seven thirty PM on that Saturday, and then Sunday at three P.M. Tickets are available at washsim dot org, and of course that's W A S H S Y dot org. You can also give us a call, four one two five one two, one six six two. You will get me, and I apologize in advance for that. But I am happy to help folks order their tickets that way as well. speaker-0: And are you guys on social media too where people can kinda follow your journey and get updated on new shows and everything? speaker-1: Of course. Would we be an organization right now if we weren't on social media? Yes, you can find us on Facebook and Instagram and we try to keep everyone updated and we also have an email newsletter as where as well where you can get all of your updates about upcoming concerts and other events. Love it. speaker-0: Well, both of you, thank you so much for coming on. This has been such a fun episode. I've loved every minute of it, and I hope that people get their tickets A S A P for those shows. So just a reminder, make sure to grab your tickets for Dragons and Destiny. Those shows are right around the corner on October seventeenth and eighteenth. That is all for this episode of The Washcoat Insider. As always, thank you so much for watching and listening and we will see you next week.