Notes From a Curious Listener

INTERVIEW WITH ANTHONY NEWMAN PART 1

I got lucky with this, my premier blog interview. Anthony Newman was the first SummerFest musician to agree to be interviewed; so what choice did I have? He's a baroque music aficionado. Baroque music (1600 - 1750's), to me, is safe and conventional; so I was a little worried about being bored. I love baroque music; it makes my soul soar. But emotions fall flat when being discussed; so what is there to talk about with Anthony Newman? Well, read on!

You have received congratulatory letters from rock and roll artist, Billy Joel, as well as cellist, Yo-Yo Ma. Which were you more excited about?

Which SummerFest concert am I most excited to hear? It is a tough question; but, beside Opening and Closing Nights, I choose Wednesday, August 25th, An Evening with Vladimir Feltsman. Being a child of the 60’s and 70’s, I’m fascinated by anyone that grew up behind the infamous “Iron Curtain”. Feltsman was a piano sensation in Moscow starting at age 11 when he debuted with the Moscow Philharmonic. In 1979 he applied for an exit visa and was, sadly, rewarded with, according to Feltsman himself, 8 years of "virtual musical exile". He was banned from playing in public and his recordings were suppressed.

He was finally allowed to leave eight years later. He is now an American citizen, and enjoys a career spanning the globe. He performed in Moscow in April 2008. How sad that politics cut short Feltsman’s artistic work; but it does show that eight years is, in the grand scheme of things, a short period of time. Feltsman’s life story provides me with perspective.

Back to the concert, I’m also excited about this particular performance because I listened to the Recommended Recordings suggested by LJMS.   They found a recording from 1994 of the second piece to be played at the Feltsman concert. It was written by Anton Stepanovich Arensky, a late 19th century Russian composer.

Haochen Zhang, piano prodigy, was invited to America to attend the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia in 2005. He was chosen from 115 outstanding candidates; but this was not enough to convince our government to allow his mother to stay and take care of him after her 6 month visa expired. What I found touching is that Haochen, 16, ate nothing but Kentucky Fried Chicken and $5 Chinese food after she left. The Woo family, including La Jollans Dolly and Victor Woo, unofficially adopted him when they discovered his plight. Haochen won the prestigious and nerve-wracking Van Cliburn piano competition last summer. I was there with Dolly and Victor and saw the pride in their eyes. Haochen is now 19; but Victor still babied him at the awards gala celebrating the winners. Haochen was the hit of the evening; but Victor made him leave the gorgeous, google-eyed girls, sit with us and eat dinner.

Remember that guy who comes onstage before each performance? That guy who, when he first arrived, unknowingly fell into the war of the children versus the seals at Children’s Beach by naively saying on-stage how unique it is to have seals so close by? Four and a half years later, he’s fully schooled in the pros and cons of all-things seals; and, as the guy who raises nearly $4 million each year, he never brings up the subject! That doesn’t mean I can’t. Oh how far we’ve all come!

This blog will surely have many anecdotes about and from Christopher Beach, the charismatic, fascinating man with the iron grip on our organization. We could not find a better fit for this job, which requires unsurpassed knowledge of the arts, the ability to negotiate with the most powerful agents around the world (or the musician’s mother), in-depth knowledge of finances, and a genuine caring for the rest of us who love this community and would donate anyway, but might find a bit more in our pocket if we discover that our President really cares.

As board chair, I met with Christopher every week for two years; and me, being from a blue collar family and an engineer at heart, and him, being from an aristocratic family and an artist at heart, have difficulty communicating. Our discussions, even now as old friends, teeter on miscommunication. But, he had to put up with me to keep the job; and I had to keep him if La Jolla Music Society was going to survive and thrive; so we made it work.

Why am I starting this blog? I’ve asked myself three times now as I force myself to sit and write. First, I love the music. And despite the gorgeous beach, San Diego would be a dull place to live without the arts, especially La Jolla Music Society. Being an electrical engineer, I like complicated problems. I discovered that the music world is just as complicated as the telecommunication world but infused with gorgeous music. Artistically, there is the balance between music that will sell and that which pushes the envelope and could make history. Financially, there is the tussle between musicians wanting privacy and donors wanting access. And, of course, there are the normal difficulties that every business and non-profit faces like predicting revenues and expenses. Thus, I found my mind stimulated in several ways when serving on the Board of Directors of the La Jolla Music Society and ultimately became Chair of the Board from 2007 - 2009.

Second, I love marketing, and social media is an exciting revolution. I want to learn about it and how it can further my passions. I asked several blogging experts for advice. They told me: Be yourself, be real. After some questions to understand exactly what “yourself” and “real” means, I find that I may inadvertently hurt a musician’s feelings or reveal an intimate detail about a friend or my own life. The few details that I’ve provided above already make me uncomfortable. My friends may also be squirming.

Third, if I’m being “real”, I am starting this blog because there is good gossip behind the scenes at La Jolla Music Society which could actually be helpful to people instead of hurtful. They might learn something that entices them to a concert which enriches their life. Hope you enjoy!