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Stanley Drucker

February 19, 2014

Six-Decade Gig Sixty of those years were spent playing with the New York Philharmonic, and 49 of them were spent in the principal clarinet chair—that is, when he wasn’t in front of the orchestra performing as a soloist. His solo work included about 60 performances of Aaron Copland’s Clarinet Concerto, just for starters. Naturally, it […]

Mark O’Connor

February 19, 2014

Musical Melting Pot Over the course of the string camps, O’Connor sees growth in the musicians as their different musical styles influence each other and meld together. This actually reflects O’Connor’s own compositions, through which he strives to finally define an American style of classical music. “All of us feel like American music should be […]

Kendel Carson

February 19, 2014

Canadian singer/fiddler roots herself in trucks and on the prairie. As a teenager, she got to sit in with one of her favorite bands, Canadian folk-rockers Spirit of the West, by simply asking, “so who’s playing fiddle tonight?” knowing full well that they’ve never had a fiddle in their lineup. Later that night, she joined […]

Dana Leong

February 19, 2014

Playing Cello, Trombone—and Laptop—Dana Leong Brings an Energetic Edge to His Melodic Lines In a sense, that career started when the San Francisco-raised musician first picked up the cello in third grade, and then the trombone a year later. “I tried to use my knowledge of both instruments to complete each other’s spectrums,” Leong says, […]

Six String Theory Competition

February 18, 2014

Lee Ritenour Local 47 (Los Angeles) is currently running his Six String Theory Competition.  Ritenour’s Six String Theory is a global, non-profit music competition in guitar, bass, piano/keys and drums offering winners professional opportunities in performing, recording, Berklee College of Music scholarships, Yamaha instruments and more. Along with Berklee, Yamaha, Monster, Montreux Jazz Festival and […]

Eliesha Nelson

February 17, 2014

Violist Eliesha Nelson Brings the Music of Quincy Porter Back to the Surface. Talking with Eliesha Nelson, her warm personality immediately comes across, thanks largely to her fantastic laugh. She laughs often, and the sound is full, rich, and hearty-interestingly, all words often used to describe the sound of the viola. Some people observe that […]

Edwin McCain

February 17, 2014

Edwin McCain found the perfect spot to watch. Tucked back stage, where no one could see him, he peered out at the audience from between two stage curtains. It was just after the turn of the millennium, and less than 15 feet away, center stage, Ray Charles played on a grand piano. As McCain soaked […]

Paul Jackson Jr.

February 17, 2014

In 1998, along the French Riviera in Monte Carlo, guitarist Paul Jackson Jr. of Local 47 (Los Angeles) sat and ate lunch at an outdoor café with percussionist Bashiri Johnson of Local 802 (New York City). They were taking in the sights during a break from playing on Whitney Houston’s European tour. “Bashiri looked around […]

Gordie Sampson

February 17, 2014

In 2006, Carrie Underwood’s song, “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” went platinum and spent six weeks at number one on the Billboard chart. Except it wasn’t exactly Underwood’s song. Underwood’s voice brought the song to life, but it was a songwriting trio made up of Gordie Sampson of Local 355 (Cape Breton, NS), as well as […]

Rachel Barton Pine

February 17, 2014

Violin Superstar Rachel Barton Pine Introduces Metalheads to Mozart Here, Rachel Barton Pine presents the image of a polished and proper classical violinist, and most of the time, that’s exactly what she is. On a typical day in the life of the 35-year-old member of Local 10-208 (Chicago, IL), Pine might take her place in […]