Why Not?

I admire musicians, especially fearless musicians: those who play with passion; are not afraid to play contemporary music; make mistakes; and those who are willing to provide a free musical experience in the streets of Brooklyn. This is what Alan Pierson has done with the Brooklyn Philharmonic.

I'm not from New York, and have never been to Brooklyn. But, from Zacherys review, I was able to detect the importance of this situation. The area in which this concert was held was obviously an urban neighborhood, where the culture is well diverse and the thunderous sounds of the T is a constant reminder that life is about moving from one destination to the next.

Playing there was a fine step. It has also been apparent that classical music has been hard to bring into some peoples lives -- and on Saturday, this orchestra decided to take the initiative and bring the music to those who are rarely exposed to a live orchestra performance. It gave those an opportunity to stop moving, listen, think, and experience something, ironically, new.

It's a step in the right direction – following ensembles like the Discovery Ensemble who champion performance in urban communities and educating children about the importance of contemporary music, performance, instrumental practice and music in general.

"...classical music is not for the elites." Antonio Berdugo (M.M. '12)

I presented this story to my friend, and that quote above was his response. He showed great enthusiasm because he was aware of the orchestras significant achievement. There is no doubt that many orchestras have been leaving the concert halls (i.e. boston pops playing at the Esplanade). Either playing in colleges, suburban neighborhoods, or a park – It has become living proof that the traditional way of listening to classical music has broken down throughout the years, especially with the advancement of technology, which is a completely different topic.

New Yorks Times Article: http://goo.gl/Uo511

Discovery Ensemble Website: http://goo.gl/eEHvU

Thank You for reading,

Kwaumane Brown

Longy School of Music

UD in Composition ('12)