SymphonyNotes
Welcome to the SymphonyNotes Blog!
Meet the Lexington Symphony – William Kirkley, Clarinet
This week, Lexington Symphony is proud to feature one of it’s own, founding member and principal clarinetist Bill Kirkley. In between practicing, teaching and rehearsing with the Symphony this week, Bill sat down with us for a little chat.
LS – Tell us a little about yourself; where are you from?
Bill – I grew up all around the country, but eventually settled in Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas for Middle School/High School.
LS – When did you start playing your instrument and was the clarinet your first choice?
Bill – I started playing clarinet in the 7th grade, but I originally started on trumpet in 6th to be like my brother. I switched to clarinet in 7th because I didn’t want be like him anymore! My older brother is a Texas band director, and my younger sister has been an oboist. My mother had been a concert pianist, and my father a tubist before he went to engineering school.
LS – What about you? Where did you go to school?
Bill – All three of us went to the University of Arkansas on music scholarships, I then went on to Northwestern University to study with Robert Marcellus.
LS – How long have you been playing with Lexington Symphony?
Bill – I have been playing with the Lexington Symphony from the first concert, 17 years ago. Wow, has it really been that long?!
LS – Besides performing with the Lexington Symphony, how else do you spend your time, musically speaking?
Bill – I am a full time musician, but try to divide up my time in three areas, I perform, I teach all ages on clarinet, and I also have a small WW instrument repair studio.
LS – What do you like to do when you are NOT playing music?
Bill – I love bicycling a lot! I got back into it after 25 years, and while I am not very good at it, I like it a lot! I also enjoy reading and spending time with family. I do have a soft spot for home improvement projects, as long as they are not of the emergency kind!
LS – What is so special about this weekend’s program and why should people attend?
Bill – This is another great program of music that is not often programmed together. All of the works are interesting and important, and speaking of the clarinet concerto, it is one of the most important, if not the most important clarinet work in the last 100 years. It stands with the Copland Concerto as a great example of the compositional influences of the twentieth century. It is a work that we as clarinetists approach with some aspect of dread because it is so hard, but also so beautiful. I hope people will want to attend to hear this great work, enjoy the other works on the program, and to hear and support the Lexington Symphony! And I hope people will come celebrate with us at Lexx Restaurant afterwards!
OKTC: Kids Say the Darndest Things Edition
As part of the Orchestrating Kids through ClassicsTM (OKTC) program, a quartet of musicians from Lexington Symphony visits each participating school in the weeks prior to the main concert at Cary Hall in Lexington Center. These are exciting visits; the musicians get to share their love of music with 2nd to 4th graders while educating them and creating anticipation for their upcoming field trip to Cary Hall, where they will experience the whole orchestra.
Each school has a distinct character and finds a unique venue for the visiting musicians. The “concert halls” include a school cafeteria with noisy fans and the inviting aroma of warming pizza, a classroom crammed full with several classes, and a beautiful space in a converted farm building in rural Beverly – all in a day’s work. Sometimes the musicians have an opportunity to reflect on a particular school visit over a cup of coffee, or if they’re lucky, amidst an array of egg dishes at a local diner. (Check out the Sunnyside Cafe if you’re ever in Ashland.) Remembering the questions that the kids asked during the Q&A portion of the presentation brings a dose of laughter to the tired musicians.
Here’s a light-hearted look at some of the questions you might hear were you a fly on the wall at one of these school visits, along with (some of) our answers.
“Why did you choose to play the ….(fill in the blank)?” reveals that some of us were following in the footsteps of older siblings, others were responding to an instrument demo in school, and that trying out different instruments is definitely a must!
Jobey and "Baby Bear"
“How heavy is the tuba?” not only allows Jobey to show off his upper body strength but also to issue a warning that “Mama Bear” is coming to Cary Hall, and that what the kids are seeing and hearing is only “Baby Bear.” They love that.
“Can you play your clarinet without a reed?” “Let’s see.” Bill removes said reed from mouthpiece, blows with all his might, turning a deep shade of crimson, and there is silence, except for the giggles of a room full of kids.
“Have you ever had a hamster in your tuba?” Jobey is quick with the answer to this one: “Of course not, silly. I take it into the shower with me to keep it squeaky clean”. Never a truer word spoken – Jobey does indeed hose down his tuba once in a while. Hands off the string instruments!
The violin vs. the viola
“Why do you all wear black?” Our resident lawyer comes in handy here. Rebecca explains how we want the music to take front seat and don’t want to draw attention to ourselves as individuals.
“What’s your favorite chocolate?” This question was in response to an inspired moment when Liz tried to explain what “Theme and Variations” are and used chocolate as the theme. (Cadbury is correct answer.)
“Can you play…..?” Fill in whatever is the latest popular kid’s movie. Bill is quick to note that this sounds more like a request than a question. But every now and then Jobey will acquiesce with a quick excerpt from Super Mario Bros.
“How much do you earn?” has to be the question that floored us all this time round. Bill, the MC, quickly looked around for someone else who was willing to answer the question. After the obligatory “not enough”, we went on to extol the joys of life as a performer and the fulfillment of teaching youngsters and steered clear of all the uncertainty associated with life as a free-lance musician.
“What does the conductor ACTUALLY do?” We’ll let the maestro answer that one!!
Bill Kirkley, Liz Whitfield, Jobey Wilson, and Rebecca Hawkins
Meet the Lexington Symphony – Rich Given, Trumpet
Welcome to our new blog series – Meet the Lexington Symphony! Over the coming months, we will be taking you behind the scenes at the orchestra to bring you interviews with the Lexington Symphony Playing Members. These personal profiles are a chance for you to get to know the people who bring you the music you love. Learn about their musical journey, their upbringing, their professional activities, and their interests outside of music. Even serious musicians often have fun (or funny) hobbies!
Recently, concertmaster Liz Whitfield sat down with principal trumpet player Richard Given and asked him about his love of the trumpet, his experiences with the Lexington Symphony, and his high school ski team.
Here’s what they talked about:
Liz: Was the trumpet the first instrument you played?
Rich: I grew up listening to my dad playing the piano. He was a jazz pianist. He started explaining to me what he did and it was so complicated, so I stayed away from the piano. My grandmother had suggested I take up the trumpet, and when there was an instrument demo in the fourth grade and I saw the trumpet I just fell in love with everything about it. I was lucky that I could make a good sound right away. I now realize after teaching for some time that this is not easy.
Liz: Did you always know you wanted to play the trumpet for a living?
Rich: When I was in the 9th grade, my parents paid $1.50 per lesson to someone who had played in the BSO in the 30′s. I decided at the end of that year that I wanted to be a trumpet player. I played with the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra and did many summer youth camps.
Liz: I know how much you love playing the trumpet, Rich, but I hear you love the outdoors, too.
Rich: I love the mountains, I love skiing, both cross-country and downhill, and biking. I’m not so much of a beach person, though I love to kayak. I also carry baseball gloves in my trunk in case there is anyone around to throw with.
Liz: I understand you ski competitively.
Rich: I do, mostly with myself. I guess I’m a competitive person. When I’m on my bike I’m always trying to beat my best speed. I’ve been skiing since I was two years old growing up in Vermont, and I got involved in racing and continued until my parents moved to Weston. When in high school, I started the Weston High School ski team and it still continues to this day. At college I taught skiing to help pay my way. I just love the exhilaration of feeling like you’re flying down a hill.
Liz: Where did you go to college?
Rich: I went to Eastman [School of Music at the University of Rochester] for one year then moved to NEC [New England Conservatory] because I really wanted to study with Roger Voisin. I had heard him play and wanted to make a sound like him. He took me through a lot of technical repertoire. In my senior year I won a job as principal trumpet in the Atlantic Symphony in Halifax. It was like utopia getting a job in an orchestra as a 22-year-old. After a short time there I came back to Boston and started free-lancing with the Boston Ballet, Boston Opera…I subbed with the BSO and Pops, and did many shows at the Schubert and Colonial.
Photo by Art Illman
Liz: You’ve played with Lexington Symphony for a number of years. What is it that you enjoy about it?
Rich: I’ve played with most of the New England orchestras over my years of free-lancing. Of all these orchestras Lexington Symphony is by far and away the most fun. There’s a spontaneity and excitement that I haven’t experienced in many others – it’s a rarity. It’s a great group of people and I get along with everyone. We are on the same page when it comes to music making and that’s impossible not to enjoy.
Liz: What’s the most frustrating thing about playing the trumpet?
Rich: The search for the right mouthpiece. Of course there is no perfect one, but you need different equipment for different music.
Liz: How many mouthpieces do you have?
Rich: 750.
Liz: 750?!
Rich: I think only Doc Severinsen has as many as I do. You’re always looking for something that makes it easier to play what you are playing.
Liz: How do you store them?
Rich: In plastic bags, to keep them from tarnishing. I was going to make boxes for them all, but never got around to it. I pretty much only use 20-30 mouthpieces but it’s great for my students to have so many to try out.
Liz: If you could choose one piece to play, what would it be?
Rich: Mahler 5. Every trumpet player’s dream!