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Happy Holidays from your family at Music Compound. Thank you for rocking with us in 2019.
Check out our Jingle. Our staff collaborated on this jingle at our August staff retreat.
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| In this end-of-the year issue, we'd like to pay tribute to a true American legend - composer, arranger, conductor and, arguably most important, educator - Leonard Bernstein. And if you don't know much about him, check it out. The man had quite the life:
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The passion of Bernstein, eternal maestro
By Phil Colpas
Inspire
During his whirlwind lifetime, which spanned 72 years, Leonard Bernstein rose from obscurity to conduct several of the world’s finest orchestras. He was truly an American original - a tremendously talented flamboyant man; a dichotomy with the ambitions of a giant and the wide-eyed enthusiasm of a little boy.
His illustrious career spanned nearly a half-century and included many firsts:
- First American-born-and-trained musician to be named music director of the New York Philharmonic. He was the principal conductor of that organization from 1957 to 1970;
- Composed numerous choral and symphonic works, and was the first “long-haired” composer of classical music to write for Broadway. “West Side Story” (1957) still stands as his most famous work;
- Brought orchestras all the way into the deserts of the Middle East to entertain the Israeli troops during wartime; and
- In December 1989, East and West Germany invited Bernstein to conduct Beethoven's “Ninth Symphony” as the Berlin Wall was being dismantled, making him the first to perform on both sides of the Wall.
Collaborate
Born in Lawrence, Mass., Bernstein showed musical promise from a very young age. He took piano lessons as a boy, and his ability earned him admission to Harvard.
After graduation, he studied piano, conducting and
orchestration at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and then with famed conductor Serge Koussevitsky at the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s newly created Summer Institute at Tanglewood, Mass. - a place that would become second home to Bernstein for the rest of his life.
Bernstein was appointed assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in 1943. He achieved national acclaim on the eve of Nov. 13, 1944, when guest conductor Bruno Walter fell ill. As assistant conductor, the duty of conducting fell right on the twenty-six-year-old Bernstein's lap.
From that point forward, Bernstein lived most of his life in the limelight. He was the dynamic principal conductor of the New York Philharmonic, a highly sought-after guest conductor around the world, a composer, teacher, humanitarian, outspoken proponent of peace and - in his spare time - father and husband.
Educate
Despite his incredible accomplishments, Bernstein remained a classic overachiever. He refused to rest on his considerable laurels, and continued driving himself hard right through to his death in 1990.
During the span of his prolific career, Bernstein conducted more than 400 recorded performances (more than half with the New York Philharmonic), won 13 Grammys and nine Emmys.
In the wonderful 1998 documentary, “Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note,” Burton Bernstein tellingly described his brother: “He was omnivorous in his intellectuality and his love of everything. That, I suppose, is the key to Lenny.”
Footage of Bernstein rehearsing with an orchestra for series of guest conductor performances is a powerful testament to the man's unwavering
passion for music.
At the start, the musicians are stiff and visibly grumpy, growing increasingly uncomfortable. But by the end of the rehearsal segment, Bernstein - who by now is soaked through his clothes with sweat, dancing, yelling, jumping around like a madman, and stabbing invisible demons with his baton - has won them over.
His previously bored-looking musicians are now smiling, bouncing in their chairs and having a grand time. Like anyone who ever saw him perform, they are energized by Bernstein’s unadulterated enthusiasm - the pure joy and love for life he felt when the music coursed through his veins.
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Event Spotlight: Holiday Parade December 7th
Join your Music Compound family for a festive and fun-filled evening aboard our float (well....along side of it). Several students and instructors will be performing on our float.
Be sure to dress up, bring your inner tubes and dress in tacky tourist/beach attire! Meet us no later than 5:45 at G-25. Our float will be located on Main Street just east of US 301.
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| Student Spotlight: Dexter Day
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Dexter, 11, attends Booker Middle School. He's been taking voice lessons from Astara here at MC for almost two years. He also has a younger brother who takes music lessons at MC.
According to Dexter's mom, three weeks after starting at MC, he was already up on stage performing at an event. She credits the support, opportunity and collaboration at MC for this.
And what's more, "It's fun!" Derek says.
For more, click here.
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Listening Room Concerts:
December 5th - Jason Wilbur in Concert - For more info, click here.
December 18th - John McEuen in Concert - For more info, click here.
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For more information, visit Music Compound online, and call 941-379-9100.
Packages available. We also have MC earrings and tee shirts for sale. They make great stocking stuffers.
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December Events:
12/7 - Sarasota Holiday Parade, 7-8:30 p.m., downtown - We need EVERYONE to dress beach/tacky tourist style and come walk with us down Main Street!
12/7, 12/14, and 12/21 - Caroling Downtown, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., sing Christmas songs with Santa and pass out candy canes.12/13 - Kidz Rock, Junior Rockerz - Elementary Students Holiday Concert @MC
12/13 - Holiday Stroll (half the holiday show), 5:30-9 p.m., Southside Village
12/15 - Lemon Tree Kitchen Holiday Performance, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
12/20/2019 - Holiday Show featuring MC students, 6-8:30 p.m. @MC
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