“One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.”
— JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE
One of the preeminent figures in German literature, he was a poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theater director, and critic — “the last true polymath to walk the earth.”
“Backed by a $700,000 Pew grant, the Philadelphia Public Orchestra ambitiously seeks to redefine just what an orchestra is — and what it plays.”
Pricey tickets. WASPy galas. The Philadelphia Public Orchestra is set to overturn all of those notions.
The Philadelphia Public Orchestra’s manifesto makes it quite clear that the musicians themselves will eventually and collectively steer the ship: “After the orchestra has been established for at least one season, the orchestra members ideally take control of all decision-making.”
“The orchestra should take over and let the musicians, the performers, think of who they might like to ask for a commission, what themes are interesting to them. We’re coming together to create a kind of work of art, and there is a radical power in that. Interesting things can happen.”
A GREAT SUGGESTION
FROM A SINGER-SONGWRITER
“One piece of advice I would give to anybody:
get a bad guitar. It’s almost like a blank slate and creates a sense of freedom.”
Who are your heroes?
I am a big fan of Elton John, if you haven’t noticed. Music helps get me and keep me moving.
MUSIC+WRITING
I love this Simon and Garfunkel song. Music is often inspiring to me. The score to Alfred Hitchcock‘s film North by Northwest helped me write what was supposed to be a short story for a college writing class. It ended up on the path to being a novel. The composer, Bernard Herrmann, was a pioneering genius with quirky, eccentric musical tastes, much like the fantastic Ennio Morricone. That novel is one of my unfinished projects, which I should resurrect and complete. Wish me luck.
Music is a big part of my well-being.
