Yesterday the musicians of the Albany Symphony packed up their instruments and traveled south to Washington, D.C. to make their Kennedy Center debut.
DAY 1: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE
The tour began on Monday evening at EMPAC. Members of the Albany Symphony's Dogs of Desire rehearsed the Liederabend that they will bring to Blind Whino, an alternative arts space in SW, DC.
The Liederabend is a collection of 17 songs composer by members of Sleeping Giant. Vocalist Theo Bleckmann carefully programmed a voice synthesizer that will create sound effects using his natural voice.
DAY 2: ON THE ROAD
The day began at 9AM in Albany with morning coffee aboard the newest bus in the fleet. The new coach bus had less than 450 miles before we boarded and was equipped with state of the art WiFi internet technology.
Meet Steve! Steve is the Operations Manager at Brown Transportation and one of our drivers. Did we mention that Steve and his wife Marilyn are Albany Symphony subscribers? We also really love his Tuba tie!
We are happy to report that spring has arrived in the Hudson Valley and is making its way up the Hudson River to Albany. There is nothing like the smell of fresh flowers in the spring.
Six hours and three states. What do musicians do to pass the time?
Many of our musicians took time to enjoy the peace and quiet. Some read the newspaper, while others preferred to read a novel like Ackerman's "The Zookeepers Wife: A War Story." Several members of the orchestra also teach and used the time to grade exams. Also, a bus trip is a perfect time to catch up on all your favorite podcasts.
MUSICIAN PICKS!
Have you ever wondered what musicians listen to when they are on tour or driving to work?
Here is a curated playlist from our musicians for your next road trip.
Take a listen! You might be surprised by what you will hear next.