Yahoo Finance Symphonic Band’s ‘Liberty Fanfare’ on July 4 will cap its virtual performances
We have all missed live music concerts this past year, but the Greater Miami Symphonic Band did not stop performing.
It has been a true labor of love for the 42-year-old community group.
The final piece in the band’s Virtual Performance Series will be “Liberty Fanfare” by John Williams. It will be available on the Fourth of July, for free, for all to enjoy.
When everything shut down in March 2020, Susie Blank Wolfe and her husband Alan, members of the band, began the virtual performance project with the help of the group’s librarian.
Gary Heath tediously scanned and sent all the music parts pages, and the band embarked on a journey of nine virtual pieces—six for concert band, two for jazz band, and one for flute choir — all from members and friends of the GMSB.
“This is not something you can do on Zoom altogether. That’s impossible due to individual differences in Internet speeds,” said Thom Proctor, president and Principal F Horn of the GMSB.
“Each part had to be videoed by each player (mine took about 20 takes each piece to get audio and video right) then uploaded to the cloud, and Susie then downloads to edit all of them together,” he said.
“Sometimes, some of us had to do multiple parts to fill in the instrumentation needed.”
To prepare for members to make their recordings, Susie Blank Wolfe spent about 20 hours creating mini-performances, for each title, for the musicians to play along with.
“It’s not just entering the music notes, but to make technical adjustments for built-in tempo changes—slower, faster, holds—and other nuances,” she said.
Then came the many hours of editing and lining up all 60 players for each performance.
It takes “about 130 hours of editing them together,” she said of the work done alone in an editing suite at home. Her husband Alan lent a helpful ear, suggestions, and other technical necessities.
The band is extremely careful to respect the intellectual property rights for composers, Proctor said. “We contact music publishers who own the copyrights to make sure we have permission to perform these pieces. We report and pay fees to BMI and ASCAP for our live performances.”
The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation for the rededication of the Statue of Liberty, at its 100th anniversary in 1986, commissioned John Williams’ “Liberty Fanfare.”
It was performed on July 4th that year by the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra and conducted by the composer himself.
“Each time we perform this piece, I look around the band and see players’ eyes — as well as mine —welling up with tears. This is such a powerful piece,” Bruce Alexander said.
To enjoy “Liberty Fanfare” on July 4th and all the free virtual performances, go to www.gmsb.org or www.Facebook.com/Greatermiamisymphonicband .
Writing awards presented to eighth-graders
“How Has Nature Helped Me in This Time of Pandemic?” was the theme for the 33rd annual Junior Orange Bowl Creative Writing Awards hosted by the Junior Orange Bowl in partnership with South Florida Writers Association.
There were 271 essays submitted from 31 schools in South Florida this year. The awards ceremony was held in-person, and live-streamed, at the Coral Gables Museum with 10 eighth-grade student finalists and their teachers.
Devorah Benveniste from Hebrew Academy won first place, Amberlito Campbell from Miami Arts Charter School won second place, and Victoria Navarro from Miami Arts Charter School won third place.
Jennifer Ohana from Hebrew Academy, Luis Rosales from Miami Arts Charter School, and Victoria Castells from Miami Arts Charter School are their teachers.
After winning the annual competition, Devorah read her inspiring essay to the audience.
The students were awarded $750, $500, and $350, and the winning teachers received $350, $250, and $150 in cash and prizes. The students and their teachers also received the Golden Quill pin to honor their outstanding achievement in writing.
The essays will be published in the South Florida Writers Association newsletter, Author’s Voice.
Trey Knight, assistant director of the Outdoor Adventures, Wellness & Recreation Department at the University of Miami, was the guest speaker who shared stories of his love of the outdoors.
The ceremony also included a special recognition of John Allen, executive director of the Coral Gables Museum, for his dedication and service to the Junior Orange Bowl.
Co-chairs Anthony Broad and Jennifer Forbes lead the Junior Orange Bowl Creative Writing Contest with director Connie Goodman-Milone. The essays can be found on the Creative Writing page under Our Events at www.juniororangebowl.org .
Youth can learn ‘Acro Arts’ with Cathy Rigby
At the all-inclusive LCA Performing Arts in North Miami, students practice self-confidence and discipline to become multi-talented performers through dancing, singing, yoga, martial arts and more.
The drama and performing arts school, founded by entrepreneur and CEO Luciana Caplan, will host Tom McCoy and Cathy Rigby at its Entertainment Industry Summer Camp on July 12-23 for youth ages 9 and older.
Rigby, the former award-winning gymnast and theater and film actress, will mentor students in acrobatic arts. McCoy, a veteran theater and television producer, will lead a one-day audition workshop on July 17 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The husband-and-wife team has more than 30 years of experience in the theater and entertainment industry.
Developed by Rigby and other performing arts and sports professionals, the “Acro Arts” program teaches youngsters the safe and effective progressions of Acro Dance, an art form that combines flexibility, strength, balancing, limbering and tumbling.
McCoy will share his expertise on how to prepare for a successful audition, from selecting the best song and outfit to how to get noticed and selected.
There are a few spots left for the camp. To reserve a spot, visit the school at 901 NE 125th St., email info@lcapa.com or call 305-456-4491.
Write to ChristinaMMayo@gmail.com with news for this column.
