Spoken Notes

This past week on my Midwest Tour, a lot of people came up to me to thank me or otherwise compliment the "spoken notes" between pieces at my concerts.

When I first started playing solo concerts, the notes were just a way to "cover" the re-setting of the bells between pieces. However, the more I researched the music I was playing, the more fascinating material I found. Being a total geek, I loved the trivia and other exciting information & decided to share it with everybody!

I mean, how many people know that one of the pavilions burnt down at the "Royal Fireworks"?? Or what "Greensleeves" has to do with potatoes??

I hear people say that "classical music is dead" - if it seems that way, then it's because performers haven't been doing their jobs. We seem to put music - and especially classical music - in a museum display. It's behind glass, in "white space", totally out of context, with no relation to our lives.

Through my spoken notes, I hope to break the display case glass & bring the music back to life. Every piece of music has a story; it was written for a reason, for real people and their activities.

William Congreve said, "Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast, To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak" and it's true! There's a reason we still play this music 200, 300, even 400 years later & I want to share that reason with my audience.

So far, judging from the comments I receive, it seems as if I'm doing a pretty good job of it. I'm happy for that because it means that my music touches people's hearts, which is all any performer can ask for.


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