FALL 2020
ISSUE 14
Contributors
JENNIFER HUTCHINSON DELGADILLO is a MexicanAmerican artist and writer living on the Near Eastside of Indianapolis. CRYSTAL HAMMON is a freelance writer and an ardent fan of classical music and opera. She loves playing “the airline bump game” to earn free travel vouchers and blogs at CrystalHammon.com.
CLASSICAL MUSIC HISTORY
AMY LYNCH is an Indianapolisbased freelance writer and active vice president of the Midwest Travel Journalists Association. She enjoys live music and breakfast any time of day.
NICHOLAS JOHNSON, PH.D. is an assistant professor of musicology at Butler University, the musicology director of the Vienna Summer Music Festival and a local musician.
CORRIN GODLEVSKE is a senior marketing and strategic communication major at Butler University. She enjoys exploring the Indianapolis community and supporting local small businesses.
Americans have sequestered at home during the COVID-19 epidemic, but we have manifold ways to work, connect and entertain ourselves. Our 1918 ancestors weren’t so lucky during the Spanish flu pandemic. Movie theatres were one of their few modes of escape, and judging from an ad in the Indianapolis Star, attendance was down. Indianapolis theatres made a shocking effort to tout their safety and even urged audiences to try “the laugh cure.” “Cheer up,” read a headline in an ad for a dozen local theatres. “Theatres Are Open. You can safely attend the following theatres. They are properly ventilated and constantly maintained in perfect sanitary condition.” The fine print is less enthusiastic. “Flu Masks Must Be Donned on Entering the Theatre and Worn Continuously During the Performance by Order of the Board of Public Health.” Source: Indianapolis Star, November 1918
Access more Indianapolis music history in the free digital version of NOTE beginning October 1. More info at www.classicalmusicindy.org
KYLE LONG is host of Cultural Manifesto on 90.1 WFYI Public Radio and performs as a DJ at a variety of clubs and cultural events around Indianapolis.
MICHAEL TOULOUSE has worked in broadcasting for nearly three decades, sharing classical music with radio audiences throughout Indiana. As an experienced interviewer and program host, he is known for immersing himself in a subject to highlight the fascinating details that often go unnoticed.
T B I
The Bicentennial Issue
02 Editor’s Note
SPECIAL THANKS TO NOTE MAGAZINE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD AND CONTRIBUTING STAFF:
Crystal Hammon
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Amy McAdams-Gonzales DESIGNER
Lisa Brooks, D.M.A. Lillian Crabb Rob Funkhouser Corrin Godlevske Auboni Hart Gregory Heinle Lindsey Henry Kyle Long Stephania Pfeiffer Eric Salazar Michael Toulouse Julian Winborn
04 A One-Woman Dynamo
06 Jazz on the Avenue 08 Music of the Elders
To purchase or to subscribe, visit www.classicalmusicindy.org. For more information contact us at info@classicalmusicindy.org.
RECLAIMING INDY’S NATIVE MUSIC
10 Rhythm & Blues 12 Mister Everything
REGGIE GRIFFIN
14 Vicious Circle
PAUL MAHERN EXPLAINS WHY PUNK
HAS SUCH STAYING POWER.
18 The Micro
Composition Project
24 My Music. My Story.
NOTE magazine is a publication of Classical Music Indy, Inc.
ONA B. TALBOT
MAYOR JOE HOGSETT
26 Music Unites Artist
STEPHANIE HALL
28 Classical Pairings
THE RATHSKELLER RESTAURANT
32 On Air
Dear Classical Music Fans and Friends, Happy Birthday, Indianapolis! In this issue of NOTE, we celebrate the Indianapolis Bicentennial with a special edition that explores our city’s music history from first peoples to today. Explore how Indianapolis has been shaped by Classical music, plus five other genres: Jazz, Native Peoples, R&B, Hip-Hop and Punk. As a lifelong resident of our great city, I can assure you there are surprises in these pages. I would like to thank Mayor Joe Hogsett for joining our bicentennial celebration by sharing his My Music. My Story. on page 24. Classical Music Indy is proud to announce the 2020 Micro Composition Project, made possible through the generous support of the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation. The Micro Composition Project commissions six short, new works designed to disrupt your normal classical music listening experience. Meet these amazing local artists on page 18, then tune in for their world premieres this October at the Music in Bloom Festival. Learn more by following the Music in Bloom Festival on Facebook. This is our first issue of NOTE since the COVID-19 pandemic transformed how we experience the arts and connect to our community. I am honored to work with such an exceptional staff, board of directors and classical music artists who have reimagined how we will serve audiences moving forward in safe, equitable and innovative ways. Our path forward, called CMI ReStart, has been generously supported by the Indy Arts and Culture Restart & Resilience Fund: An Arts Council of Indianapolis program made possible by Lilly Endowment Inc. We sincerely thank them for their strategic investment in our future. I can’t wait to share more about this work in future issues of NOTE. Speaking of new ways to connect with audiences, this special edition of NOTE is free and available in digital format on Classical Music Indy’s website. The digital version of NOTE is designed to enrich your reading experience by connecting to additional information about artists and enhancing your classical music listening experience. Special thanks to the Indianapolis Bicentennial Commission for endorsing this special edition of NOTE as an Official Bicentennial Community Project, and to our friends at Indy Music Strategy for supporting our bicentennial efforts. Thanks also to The Penrod Society, whose generous support has made this free special edition possible. Classically yours,
02
Jenny Burch President & CEO
As birthdays go, the
200TH
ANNIVERSARY OF INDIANAPOLIS is as big a reason to celebrate as you can get.
BUT WHAT’S A BIRTHDAY PARTY WITHOUT
MUSIC? In our bicentennial issue,
Classical Music Indy takes you on a musical journey through the people and places that have rocked, rolled, moved and grooved this city from the get-go.
ONA B. TALBOT’S PATIENT CULTIVATION OF INDY’S CLASSICAL MUSIC AUDIENCE. ____ by Crystal Hammon
Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Gift of Mrs. Wallace Richards, 60.2 © Wayman Adams
A OneWoman Dynamo
Swimming against the tide of jazz, blues and ragtime that permeated Indianapolis during the late 19th and early 20th century was the audacious Ona. B. Talbot, a whirling dervish who imported the world’s greatest soloists, ballets and orchestras through a subscription concert series that bore her name. Her work was one of the major turning points in the city’s classical music history. Talbot was raised in a family that appreciated music. The family’s friends included Franz Xavier Arens, conductor of the Indianapolis May Musical Festival from 1892 to 1896. He was president of the Metropolitan School of Music in Indianapolis and worked to develop Indy’s classical music scene.
Metropolitan Opera or the Italian Orchestra. Talbot also brought ballets such as Ballet Russe, and renowned artists such as Serge Rachmaninoff and American soprano Geraldine Farrar. Talbot’s success in importing classical musicians — and the public’s ability to engage in cultural tourism in nearby cities like Cincinnati, where classical music had taken root — was supported by the growing railroad system, according to James Briscoe, Ph.D., professor emeritus of historical musicology at Butler University. At the start of World War I, some speculated that economic strife and the diversion of global musicians who were pressed into military service might diminish classical music subscriptions throughout the United States. Talbot joined a choir of optimistic American arts leaders when she shared this opinion in the August 22, 1914 issue of Musical America:
Arens moved to New York in 1897. His most lasting influence on Indy may have been the inspiration he Franz X. Arens, Vocalist gave Talbot. Thereafter, she dedicated Used with permission from the her life to promoting classical music Indiana Historical Society in Indianapolis as well as Louisville, Chicago, Philadelphia and smaller cities scattered “…Since music is the universal language, greater across the Midwest. Before starting her series, audiences than ever before will gather under these Talbot had been involved in an attempt to build a conditions, to hear the finer thoughts as they symphony in 1898. By 1905, that effort sputtered are expressed by the great composers. The time and died. She was well aware of the arduous task was when we could live without it. Today, it is a before her when she started the Ona B. Talbot necessity.” ■ Concert Series with regional soloists in the 280seat Das Deutsche House. Classical Music Indy gratefully acknowledges the following Talbot quickly upped her game with blockbuster stars such as Madame Schumann Heink and Irish tenor John McCormack. Anyone who could afford a $1 seat could hear live performances of the Philharmonic Orchestra of New York, the
sources for this story: James Briscoe, Ph.D., Charles Conrad, Ph.D., Nicholas Johnson, Ph.D., Sheridan Stormes, The Indiana Historical Society, The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, The Insider’s Guide to Indianapolis and several historical periodicals, books and newspaper articles. The Bicentennial Issue
32nd National Sangerfest, Indianapolis, Indiana, June 17, 1908, Bretzman Collection, Indiana Historical Society
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JAZZ ON THE AVENUE INDY’S EARLY JAZZ HISTORY SHAPED THE GENRE ON A NATIONAL SCALE. ____ by Kyle Long
Montgomery Brothers and Willis Kirk perform on Indiana Avenue, O. James Fox Collection, Indiana Historical Society.
If there’s one genre of music associated with Indianapolis history, it has to be jazz. The bulk of Indianapolis’ celebrated jazz legacy emanated from Indiana Avenue. During the era of segregation, Blacks in Indianapolis were forced to live and work within the confines of the neighborhood’s borders. In the face of this ugly oppression, one of the greatest artistic movements in Indianapolis history was born. The Avenue produced jazz icons like Wes Montgomery, Freddie Hubbard, J.J. Johnson and dozens of other lesser-known musicians who created important work in both the local and national jazz scene. In many ways, the history of Indianapolis jazz mirrors the history of jazz itself. The early 20th century saw the rise of ragtime and boogie-woogie pianists on Indiana Avenue. Some of the scene’s early stars recorded tunes celebrating the Avenue’s rich culture, like Herve Duerson’s 1929 release Avenue Strut, or Montana Taylor’s Indiana Avenue Stomp, also issued in 1929. One of the first major jazz stars to emerge from Indianapolis was band leader, composer and vocalist Noble Sissle. After leaving Indianapolis, Sissle’s greatest achievement was co-authoring the 1921 musical Shuffle Along. Featuring an all-Black cast of performers and producers, Shuffle Along helped bring jazz culture to Broadway.
During the ’50s and ’60s, Indianapolis jazz players were shaping the sound of both West Coast and East Coast jazz. In California, Naptown musicians like Leroy Vinnegar, Carl Perkins and Benny Barth contributed to key West Coast jazz recordings. While in New York, players like Larry Ridley,
Many music fans have asked why this jazz renaissance formed in Indianapolis. The answer can be found in the Avenue’s unique mix of highquality education and easy commerce. Avenue institutions like Crispus Attucks High School and the McArthur Conservatory of Music produced a generation of skilled jazz musicians and academics. The wide variety of nightclubs that lined the Avenue provided ample opportunities for working musicians and the ability to observe touring jazz groups up close.
Sunset Terrace, Indiana Historical Society
The Ferguson brothers were among the Avenue’s most important entrepreneurs. Their Sunset Terrace nightclub regularly featured the most important names in jazz, from Duke Ellington to Miles Davis. Friendly competition among Avenue players drove innovation and greatness in the Indianapolis jazz scene. The legacy of this golden era lives on, thanks in part to the work of the late great Indiana Avenue jazz academic and former Indiana University Professor David Baker (1931-2016). On any given night you can hear former Baker students like Rob Dixon, Joel Tucker, Nick Tucker, Sophie Fought, Charlie Ballantine and Marlin McKay holding down sets at the Chatterbox or Jazz Kitchen. These players help carry Indianapolis jazz forward, adding their own ideas and style to the city’s evolving sound. ■
The Bicentennial Issue
Indianapolis jazz exploded in the mid-1900s. During this time, Indiana Avenue was like a jazz factory, pumping out dozens of important players whose work overlapped with almost every major jazz musician of the 20th century.
James Spaulding and Virgil Jones performed on many classic recordings for the Blue Note and Prestige labels.
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MUSIC OF THE ELDERS
by Crystal Hammon
Bequest of Judge Paul H. Buchanan, Jr., George Winter (American, born English, 1810—1876), Scene on the Wabash, about 1848
A group of Potawatomi Indians gathered next to the Wabash River. This piece exemplifies the type of work that established Winter’s reputation as an artist.
RECLAIMING INDY’S NATIVE MUSIC. ____
European settlers officially claimed Indianapolis in 1820 and named it by combining Indiana — land of Indians (as Native Americans were known at the time) — with “polis,” the Greek word for city. Indy’s first people may have their name buried in ours, but we rarely acknowledge the dozen or so tribes that hunted, farmed and made homes here before the French explorer Robert de La Salle began wandering the territory in 1679. Native Americans were gradually driven out of central Indiana by a series of treaties, starting with the Delaware tribe in 1818. That was followed by removal of the Potawatomi in 1838 and the Miami in 1846. By the middle of the 19th century, all but a few Native Americans — mostly the Miami tribe — had been sent to live in other places.
Some of his ancestors lived on reserved land in Indiana’s Grant, Wabash and Miami counties until the turn of the 20th century. Others moved to Kansas and Oklahoma. “The fragmentation of our people had a huge impact on our music in terms of how it was part of our daily lives,” Shoemaker says. The last of the Miami tribe’s fluent speakers died
A few things survived to help reclaim it. “When I was growing up, there was an elder who remembered a lullaby that her mom sang to her, and another elder who remembered a song that her mom created to help her not be afraid when she was sent to get wood from the wood pile,” he says. Shoemaker recalls Eugene Brown, a respected elder who made Native American flutes. “He created beautiful flutes that had a lot of narrative carved into them,” Shoemaker says. “He was always giving them as gifts to people. When I think of a native elder, he’s the person that I strive to be. He used music to be a really generous person.” The Miami tribe began revitalizing their language in the early 1990s, guided in part by 300-year-old Jesuit sources that documented language up to the last fluent speakers. Those discoveries stimulated new songs and innovation in tribal culture. Families educated themselves about their ancestors at community camps that sprung up around that time. Strong relationships between the Miami and the Potawatomi also helped rebuild culture in ways that seem relevant to contemporary Native Americans. The two tribes have always been intricately tied to one another and often met to share songs and social dances. Artist George Winter lived among the Miami and Potawatomi in the 1830s in northern Indiana, and his drawings illustrate their historical kinship. “The culture in the present is just as authentic as it was in the past,” Shoemaker says. “It’s just changed and different.” Hundreds of people from different tribes gather each year in Oklahoma for social stomp dances. “Song, music and dance were always part of social gatherings, and we’re working to actively finding ways to reintroduce that back into our community lives,” he says. “You’ll hear songs in many different languages at these dances.” ■
The Bicentennial Issue
As tribes scattered, their language, music and culture disintegrated, according to Scott Shoemaker, Ph.D., a member of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and curator of Native American art, history and culture at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis. “Music is a central part of who we are as people,” says Shoemaker, whose family received removal exemptions in 1846.
in the 1960s, leaving behind little direct knowledge of the language or the songs that were native to Miami culture.
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RHYTHM AND BLUES INDY’S GREAT R&B MUSICIANS INFLUENCED AMERICAN POP MUSIC. ____ by Kyle Long
The Indianapolis R&B scene may be overshadowed by Midwest cities like Chicago and Detroit, but there’s an important history here that deserves to be told. Many R&B historians trace the genre back to an Indiana Avenue blues singer named Leroy Carr. During the late 1920s and early 1930s, Carr recorded a series of influential singles spotlighting his deeply soulful and unique vocal style. Carr’s work has been identified as an influence on iconic R&B stars like Ray Charles and Nat King Cole. During segregation, Indiana Avenue was the hub of Black culture in Indianapolis. The network of clubs and dance halls on Indiana Avenue produced multiple generations of performers that helped shape American popular music. Among these pioneering Avenue performers was vocalist Jerry Daniels. In the early 1930s, Daniels co-founded the Ink Spots, a wildly popular vocal group that laid the foundation for the development of R&B vocal groups. The Ink Spots’ influence on R&B has been widely documented, and in 1989 they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
By the mid-1960s, R&B began to outpace jazz as the dominant form of music on Indiana Avenue. R&B bands like The Moonlighters, The Presidents and Billy Ball’s Upsetters packed dance floors at Avenue clubs like The Place to Play and Blue Eagle.
Lamp helped launch the careers of Billboard charting artists like The Vanguards and the Ebony Rhythm Band. The Vanguards’ 1969 hit Somebody Please remains one of the most enduring Indianapolis R&B recordings. The arrival of the 1970s saw the rise of funk bands like Amnesty and Rhythm Machine as the R&B scene moved outside the Indiana Avenue neighborhood to clubs like the Zodiac, Night Flight and Mark IV. Perhaps the most important Indianapolis funk band of the 1970s was Manchild, featuring a gifted young vocalist and songwriter named Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds. Babyface would go on to become the most successful American songwriter of the late 20th century, collaborating with a stunning array of artists including Barbara Streisand, Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson and Madonna. In many ways, Babyface represents the culmination of Indianapolis R&B music. He credits the Indianapolis R&B scene with providing the tools for success. “I don’t know if I would’ve found myself without having the opportunity of growing up in Indianapolis,” Babyface said during a 2017 interview. “There was so much music in Indianapolis, and everyone was striving to be a really great musician. It’s a very rich history to come from.” ■
The Bicentennial The Vinyl Revival Issue
The Ink Spots inspired scores of Avenue teens to form their own singing groups. One of those young vocalists was Thurston Harris, the most famous solo R&B performer to emerge from the Avenue. After years of singing with groups like the Lamplighters, Harris struck gold as a solo artist with the 1957 Billboard Top 10 hit Little Bitty Pretty One.
The unprecedented success of Berry Gordy’s Motown label in the 1960s inspired a generation of Black entrepreneurs, including a young Indianapolis firefighter named Herb Miller. Miller formed Lamp Records with the goal of putting the Indianapolis R&B scene on the map and immediately began recording some of the best funk and soul acts in Indianapolis.
11
MISTER EVERYTHING INDY’S FIRST HIP-HOP RECORD RELEASE LED A
WAVE OF COMMERCIAL SUCCESS FOR THE GENRE. ____ by Kyle Long
New York’s Bronx borough is the undisputed birthplace of hip-hop, so you might be surprised to learn that a relatively unsung Indianapolis funk musician played a large role in crafting the sound of early hip-hop music. Reggie Griffin earned the nickname “Mr. Everything” for his uncanny proficiency with every musical instrument he touched. Griffin rose to prominence in the 1970s with Manchild, a powerful funk group featuring future soul superstar Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds. Industry insiders predicted big things for Manchild, but the group quickly disintegrated after releasing their second album in 1977. At the dawn of the ’80s, Griffin was looking for a fresh start. When the opportunity to serve as an in-house musician and arranger for New Jersey’s Sugar Hill Records came up, Griffin jumped. During the early ’80s, Sugar Hill Records held a near-monopoly on rap music. The label’s marquee group, the Sugarhill Gang, charted rap’s first hit with their 1979 release Rapper’s Delight. For Griffin’s first assignment at Sugar Hill, he was asked to add some musical embellishments to the Gang’s follow-up single Apache.
The link between Indianapolis and Sugar Hill was the East Coast producer George Kerr. In the 1960s, Kerr worked as a vocalist with Little Anthony and the Imperials, but he later ventured into production for labels like All Platinum, a division of Sugar Hill. “One of George’s daughters lived in Indianapolis, and he had a residence here. So George would leave New York on a weekend and come hang out with his daughter in Indianapolis,” WTLC radio personality Rickie Clark recalled during a 2018 interview. During Kerr’s excursions to Indianapolis, he networked with local music industry players like Clark and Griffin. That’s how Clark came to record the first rap record ever released in Indianapolis, Ladies Rights, issued on the Indy 5 label in 1980. “That recording was done in New Jersey at the Sugar Hill Records studio. In fact, the track was done by the same musicians who played on the Sugarhill Gang’s Rapper’s Delight,” Clark said. Ladies Rights was not only the first rap record released in Indianapolis; it was among the first wave of rap records released anywhere. From these roots, the Indianapolis rap scene grew exponentially during the late ’80s and ’90s, with acts like the Tibbs Street Posse and N.A.P. establishing a local identity for the music. Prior to the pandemic, hip-hop filled Indianapolis clubs and concert halls seven days a week, reflecting the genre’s popularity as a form of expression. ■
The Bicentennial Issue
Griffin’s knowledge of drum machines and synthesizers was a huge asset at Sugar Hill. “I sat down and got my Prophet 5 synthesizer out, and I just started putting in all these different filter sweeps and synth parts on the track,” Griffin shared during a 2018 interview. “The rest is history.”
During his time at Sugar Hill, Griffin created some of the most iconic rap music of the 1980s, including Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s 1982 single The Message, selected by Rolling Stone magazine as the greatest hip-hop song of all time.
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VICIOUS CIRCLE A PUNK ROCK PIONEER IN THE ’70S,
PAUL MAHERN EXPLAINS WHY THE GENRE HAS SUCH STAYING POWER. ____ by Kyle Long
The Zero Boys cast a large shadow over the history of punk music in Indianapolis. The group’s 1982 debut Vicious Circle is celebrated by punk fans worldwide. Music from Vicious Circle has been covered by Metallica and The Hives, and the album has been cited as a formative influence on ’90s punk band Green Day. The Zero Boys are widely acknowledged to be the most important Indianapolis punk band, but the group’s vocalist Paul Mahern says they never managed to attract a large audience in their hometown. Mahern was just a teenager when the group formed in the late ’70s. There were only two Indianapolis venues that regularly featured punk rock in the late ’70s, according to Mahern. “There was Crazy Al’s at 54th and College, and a place Downtown near St. Elmo’s called The Third Base,” Mahern says. “You had to be 21 to get into places like that, but I had a pretty bad fake I.D. when I was 16.” Beyond his work in punk rock, Mahern is a highly regarded producer, recording projects for a wide range of artists, from Lily & Madeleine to John Mellencamp. Mahern also teaches the History of Punk Rock at Indiana University. NOTE caught up with Mahern to get his thoughts on the development of punk music and its enduring appeal in Indianapolis.
Paul: Absolutely. Punk was created from the
same energy that was driving those minimalist composers. There was a need for space to
At that time, in the ’70s everything was getting overblown, and capitalism seemed to be crumbling. New York was crumbling. There had been this whole buildup from the ’50s and ’60s promoting this excessive lifestyle. You know, ‘bigger is better, bigger cars, more canned foods!’ The artists retreated and said, ‘We need less, not more.’ Punk rock is often a highly politicized form of expression. You were engaging in social commentary with the songs you wrote for the Zero Boys. Do you view political expression as an important aspect of punk? Paul: I’ve always seen punk through the lens
of acceptance. There are obviously instances when this is not happening, but punk is mostly infused with a left-leaning, more liberal message. That can be really varied from mildly liberal to a band like Crass that promoted true anarchism. Punk rock to me was always about tribalism, being in a tribe of people that I was like on some level.
Why has punk rock continued to speak to new generations of listeners? Paul: Because it’s exciting, it’s real and it’s
honest. We can draw all these lines and say, ‘This is when rock and roll became punk, and this is when punk became hardcore.’ It’s all just a continuation of the same tribal energy. It’s beating on rocks and dancing around the fire, blended with the cynical philosophy of Diogenes. Teenagers love that. ■
The Bicentennial Issue
NOTE is a classical music magazine, so I want to ask you about the relationship between punk and minimalism. At the time the punk scene was developing in New York during the 1970s, the minimalist movement in classical music was in full swing. Do you see a connection between the minimalism of punk bands like the Ramones and the minimalism of composers like Philip Glass?
think and to exist. Minimalism leaves space for everyone to exist and experience their own version of what’s going on.
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old national centre
The Vogue
The Vogue Theater in Indianapolis is one of the most popular and storied venues in the Midwest. The Vogue opened as a movie theater on June 18, 1938. Through the next three decades, The Vogue was one of the premier movie houses in the Midwest. On December 31, 1977, The Vogue opened as a nightclub and has since been considered a top nightspot in Indianapolis.
FORMERLY MURAT CEN
CHA JAZZ
athenaeum Crazy Al's In the 1970s and '80s, several storefronts were rented by businesses seeking a younger demographic. On the corner was Crazy Al’s, a pizza restaurant and bar known for alternative, punk and new wave music. It began in the mid-1970s in a space diagonal from this building, but moved by the late 1970s and remained here until it closed in 1982.
MADAM WALKER legacy center
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Famous for being self-made, Madame C. J. Walker was the daughter of a former slave who worked her way from the bottom, earning just $1.50 a day to running an empire that made her one of the wealthiest, successful women in the 20th century. The Walker Manufacturing plant is now the Madam Walker Theatre Center, which commemorates her zeal and drive to success. The theater is last of the iconic buildings that lined Indiana Avenue and still has much of its 1927 architecture.
The Athenae landmark to founders thr communities
ENGLISH OPER
Formally opening on September 27, 1880, English’s Opera House quickly bec but drama, musical comedy, ballet, concerts, minstrel shows, lectures, vau English, businessman and 1880 Democratic vice-presidential candidate, and
THE
jazz kitchen The Jazz Kitchen opened its doors in 1994 as Indy’s premier destination for jazz and beyond. Recognized as one of the “Top 100 Jazz Clubs in the World” by Downbeat Magazine, The Jazz Kitchen presents a wide variety of local, regional and international jazz artists in an intimate 140-seat supper club style venue.
MELODY IN
Y THE NTRE
Since constructed in 1909, the Old National Centre has been a significant architectural and historical landmark in the city of Indianapolis. From the luxurious Grand Lobby to the unique Middle Eastern stylings of the Egyptian Room, the Old National Centre is a venue unlike any other.
ATTERBOX CLUB
Indy Star said it best: Dusty decorations, checkeredflag pennants and colorful Christmas lights adorn this local jazz bar that oozes diveyness.
eum preserves and enhances its historic German-American o advance the Sound Mind in a Sound Body values of its rough programming that lifts spirits and engages in diverse s.
Locals Only Long before it closed in 2019, Laura Callender of NUVO described Locals Only as hodgepodge decor of '70s couches, a pool table, arcade and darts that made her reminisce of college days gone by, when people went to bars to drink and listen to music. The venue’s Open Mic night attracted original and fresh talent that you could hear on the radio the next day.
CLOWES MEMORIAL HALL
RA THEATER
came Indianapolis’ leading theater presenting not only opera udeville and film. The theatre was built by William Hayden occupied the entire northwest quadrant of Monument Circle.
Clowes Memorial Hall is the anchor of the Butler Arts Center. With 2,123 seats and a more than 53-year history, the venue remains Indiana’s most versatile and professional performance space, having welcomed the world’s greatest talent and personalities—a starstudded list that includes Maya Angelou, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Itzhak Perlman, Wynton Marsalis and Sir Elton John.
H I L B E R T
CIRCLE
SLIPPERY NOODLE
T H E A T R E
The Slippery Noodle Inn was originally founded in 1850 as the Tremont House. It is Indiana's oldest, continuallyoperated bar in the original building. The Noodle is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Originally it was a roadhouse (predecessor to the Holiday Inn) and a bar. It has traditionally been owned by people of German decent and it was one of the first German clubs in Indianapolis.
In 1916, several local businessmen set out to finance the construction of a theater on Monument Circle, on a site occupied by a livery stable for much of the 19th century. Designed by Indianapolis architects Rubus & Hunter, the theater was built in a Neo-Classical Revival style— marked by symmetry, bright colors and simplicity and inspired by the arts of ancient Greece and Rome. Its interior was designed in the style of 18th-century architect Robert Adam, who employed motifs from Greek, Etruscan and Pompeian artists.
NN
Tucked away at 38th and Illinois Streets in the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood, the Melody Inn is one of the oldest bars in Indianapolis (est. 1935). Classical Music Indy artists performed at Tuesday Night Mashups at the venue, in partnership with Musical Family Tree from 2016-2017.
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The
Micro Composition Project
MEET THE LOCAL COMPOSERS CREATING DYNAMIC NEW WORKS COMMISSIONED BY CLASSICAL MUSIC INDY ____ by Crystal Hammon
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Mozart had his Baron Gottfried van Swieten, and Joseph Haydn had his Esterházy family. All the best-known classical composers wrote music for the ages thanks to a patronage system that’s long gone. Who, then, do today’s composers have as their sponsors? In Indianapolis, organizations such as Classical Music Indy incubate their work. Already known for 24/7 streaming music, producing podcasts, and creating fresh, relevant content for today’s listeners, Classical Music Indy also fosters new music by commissioning works of the highest artistic quality, composed by local musicians. To that end, Classical Music Indy recently selected six local musicians to compose music for the Micro Composition Project, dubbed “micro” because each piece lasts five minutes or less. Each composition will be premiered by Forward Motion, a local ensemble known for its dedication to new music. That performance will happen later this fall through Classical Music Indy’s collaboration with the city’s newest music festival, Music in Bloom. “Our collaboration with Classical Music Indy and Forward Motion is of the utmost significance for us because they help ground the Music in Bloom Festival in Indianapolis and show our continued support of Indiana composers and musicians,” says Clare Longendyke, founder and artistic director of Music in Bloom.
Forward Motion will also record each piece, giving the music an enduring quality. For many reasons, new classical music recordings aren’t typically aired in traditional radio broadcasts. Classical Music Indy is in a unique position to leverage its streaming assets to help composers share their work and gain a larger, national audience, according to Jenny Burch, CEO of Classical Music Indy. “The recordings also help grow our Peck Classical Music Library, which is becoming more representative of women composers and composers of color,” Burch says. “The 2020 Micro Composition Project composers very much fit with that vision. Plus we’ll be able to distribute these original works over our streaming service. That’s the platform where we can create the greatest awareness for these local artists.” On the following pages, meet the composers who’ll be writing music for the 2020 Micro Composition Project, made possible by the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation. ■
For virtual concert dates and more information, follow the Music in Bloom Festival on Facebook.
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Photo by Laudig Creations
“I don’t like to insert myself into my work. That may sound like an odd thing to hear a composer say, but I really view myself as an equitable deist. I’m going to start the process of composition. I’m going to make a really cool template for you to play with. And then I’m going to walk away and see what you do with it. I see myself as creating opportunities for others to be creative.” ■
Gabrielle Cerberville
Gabrielle Cerberville graduated from Butler University with a bachelor’s degree in music composition and theory, and has premiered her music in the U.S. and Europe. Her scores are curiously like visual art, imbued by color, texture and implied musical shapes. Is it music or art? The answer: yes. Her micro composition for CMI is emblematic of her exotic creativity, doubling as a board game.
“The most important part of my process is invention. I think the most beloved classical composers of the past would probably have said the same thing. When we are experimenting and we are fascinated with new ideas, we give ourselves permission to push things forward. If nobody is doing that, and everybody is afraid that what they write won’t be accepted because it’s not like the old stuff, then classical music dies.
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“When people look at my graphic scores, they want to know what it sounds like in my head. I keep that pretty close to the chest.
Rob Funkhouser
Rob Funkhouser’s music has been performed by well-known groups like the Los Angeles Percussion Quartet — great exposure for a composer who wants to continue doing what he loves. As an artist, Funkhouser views his CMI commission as proof that New York, Los Angeles and Chicago no longer hold the franchise on creativity, proof that maybe — just maybe — the linear model of mapping a career as a composer through pedigrees and institutions may be getting a long-awaited update.
“I would love for someone to come visit Indianapolis, catch a concert and hear a bunch of things they’ve never heard before. It shouldn’t feel like a one-time experiment. It should feel like this is just what we do here, like we have a community, and we’re playing music by people in that community, and we are building a musical identity for ourselves rather than having it handed to us. “I think the advantage of doing these short compositions is the opportunity to show six different musical voices from around the city. There’s a better shot that the audience will like something, find it meaningful and want to hear the next thing we do.” ■
Timothy Gondola
With a father who adored classical music and a mother who led and accompanied gospel choirs, Timothy Gondola grew up in conditions that favored his evolution as an accomplished classical pianist. The Indianapolis musician began playing at the age of five, but his brush with jazz didn’t happen until he went away to study geography and music at Macalester College. It was a shocking discovery that set him on a path toward an even higher level of musicianship, leading toward his ultimate goal: the ability to play and compose with complete artistic freedom, merging jazz improvisation techniques with classical training.
“Apart from music, I’ve been growing in appreciation for this city and for our history. Music is my passion, and to start to find my place in the music of Indiana is really special to me. The feeling of contributing and creating here at home for Hoosiers and for people around the world feels like I’m settling more into Indiana as my home state. “As a relative newcomer in the composition world, I feel like the micro composition format suits me. My style of music is exploratory. I like to focus on one musical idea and dive into all the ways I can change it while maintaining a constant idea that runs through the whole piece. That doesn’t necessarily lend itself to a long format. It feels appropriate to a three- to five-minute composition for a small chamber group. “All music is contemporary when it’s made. Classical composers of the past didn’t feel ancient when they wrote. They were making music that they were feeling in that moment. All musicians and composers throughout time share that perspective. I’m creating the music that I hear and feel.” ■
Photo by Aaron Dixon
“My vision for the future of music and art is to celebrate what’s happening locally as an important thing. It enriches the culture of the city, and it makes the city a place that people want to be and have pride in without a comparative mentality. I don’t want our major achievements to be playing the music that was hip in New York two years ago.
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“Music is magical. You’re creating sound where there was none. And you can be completely enamored by it. There’s magic there. When you watch babies listen to music, they start to bop to the music without knowing. Something in them is responding to rhythm, a beat, a sound, and it happens in every culture. Of course, I like getting paid, but the reason I write, sing and play is because it’s super fun and super enthralling. It can make sense of things, or make no sense at all.” ■
Mina Keohane
Mina Keohane arrived in Indianapolis after graduating from Boston’s Berklee College of Music with a degree in jazz composition. Drawn here by a romantic interest, the Fort Walton, Florida native quickly made friends and decided to stay because of the city’s creative network. By day, she writes television and radio scores for an Indianapolis commercial recording studio. On her own time, she composes music for her band Mina and the Wondrous Flying Machine and performs with other local musicians.
“I’m not a classical composer, so when I received this commission, I wondered if I should make it sound like a classical piece. I admire the kind of new music and sound exploration local composers like Rob Funkhouser are doing. I thought maybe I should make something more like that. And then I thought, ‘No, I should just write what I want to write and be as honest as possible.’ The thing that would shoot me in the foot would be trying to make it sound like something that’s not me.
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Eric Salazar
Eric Salazar, also known as “The Clarinet Guy,” has a dynamic relationship with the city’s new classical music scene. Salazar is a composer, Director of Community Engagement at Classical Music Indy, and his ensemble, Forward Motion, will play and record the compositions spawned by the Micro Composition Project — his own plus those works composed by the remaining five artists. Listening carefully to
the diverse community of local composers, Salazar helped uncover a harsh reality: most emerging composers lack the financial resources to get their works played and recorded.
“The great thing about this for my career, and for all the composers involved, is that we’ve been given a platform to put as much time, energy and respect into creating our new piece of music without the distraction of finding an audience or focusing on the entrepreneurial side of things.
draws different crowds and gives a different perspective to the audience. We need to consider what it [new classical music] can do and how it’s different than works by Mozart, Brahms and Beethoven. They’re all great, but I think it’s important to have artists who speak for their own time. Artists absorb what’s going on around them, and it ends up, directly or indirectly, in their music.
“These artists are our cultural ambassadors, creating music from our local culture. I really like the recording aspect of this project because it allows us to showcase local culture on a national scale. It’s important to export and import cultural ideas among different cities because we learn from each other and come together with an understanding of our shared human identity.” ■
Nicholas Sokol
Nicholas Sokol is the kind of artist who is willing to demolish his own work just to achieve an artistic ideal. The Indianapolis composer, conductor and pianist originally meant to divide his studies at Butler University between pre-med and piano performance. During his sophomore year, Sokol realized that music fascinated him much more than science. From then on, Sokol poured everything he had into learning his craft. After completing his undergraduate in piano, music composition and conducting at Butler, he followed up with a master’s degree in music composition at the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2019.
“It’s important to have ensembles that are willing to play new music. It offers an extraordinary opportunity for innovation,
“Composers have the ability to highlight certain issues within society. We can bring light to climate change, mental health and other issues that are very prevalent in our time. We can choose to make a statement. I think it’s very important for people to be exposed to that.” ■
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My Music. My Story.
Mayor Joe Hogsett ____
Words by Jennifer Delgadillo Photo by Office of the Mayor
Mayor Joe Hogsett’s affection for music stems from a family connection. After the death of John Prine, Hogsett says he felt drawn to the plain-spoken lyrics of the American legend.
WHAT ROLE DOES MUSIC PLAY IN YOUR LIFE?
I profoundly believe that art is what gives life meaning, I have always viewed music as a vital part of my life experience. For me, it has been entertainment, education, inspiration and a valuable way to understand our existential experience. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE KIND OF MUSIC TO LISTEN TO FOR PLEASURE?
I need to disclose that I entered high school in the fall of 1970 and graduated law school in early 1981 –– i.e., I’m a child of the 70’s. I’ve always enjoyed listening to all the singer-songwriters of that decade –– James Taylor, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell, Warren Zevon, Nick Cave, John Prine. ANY FAVORITE MEMORIES LINKED TO MUSIC?
I studied piano under Norma Smith Hogsett, my paternal grandmother, for nearly 10 years. She was a graduate of the Indianapolis Conservatory of Music and instilled in me a lifelong love of classical music. WHAT MAKES CLASSICAL MUSIC RELEVANT TODAY?
It is indispensable in helping us understand ourselves and each other. It relieves our pain. It increases our creativity and productivity. It is capable of evoking every shade of human emotion.
I value Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert. Wagner and Mahler from the Romantic period. And, of course, Bruce Springsteen. IF YOU WERE A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT, WHAT WOULD YOU BE AND WHY?
Horn. I practiced the horn from fourth grade until I graduated high school. It has such a subdued sound –– a sound which, even after eight years of practice, I never seemed to acquire on a personal level. CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE OVERLAP BETWEEN YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE AND MUSIC?
I don’t think this space is long enough to list the many musicians, venues and varieties of music I get to experience each year as mayor of Indianapolis. Taken together, though, those collective moments create a beautiful symphony out of our city’s diversity. SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO LISTEN TO BACH WHEN THEY WORK, AND RADIOHEAD WHEN THEY'RE RELAXING. WHEN DO YOU TURN TO MUSIC? AND WHAT DO YOU TURN TO?
I have a pretty extensive collection of all types and genres. Some of it comes from the local performers I go see. Variety is important. One should have music for every mood. ■
WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE COMPOSERS OR MUSICIANS?
I love Bach, Vivaldi and Handel during the Baroque. From the Classical period,
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music unites artist
Strings Attached STEPHANIE HALL AIMS TO MAKE THE HARP MORE APPROACHABLE.
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Words by Amy Lynch • Photo by Raymond Gray
When Stephanie Hall glimpsed a harp at age 7, it was love at first sight. “It’s such a distinctive instrument,” she says. “When you look across a stage, it stands out. It’s visually intriguing to watch someone play. There’s a lot of gesturing; the movements match the style of the music.” Hall didn’t get her hands on a harp for another two years. “I immediately started asking my parents if I could play,” she recalls. “After a year, we found a harp teacher with the local symphony, but she didn’t take students who couldn’t read music, so I had to take piano lessons for another year. At age 9, I dropped piano like a hot potato and finally got to play a harp.” She performed solo, in ensembles and with her local youth symphony through high school in southern Texas, and didn’t decide to pursue music as a career until she was accepted at Vanderbilt University. Earning her bachelor’s degree in 2004, Hall continued her education at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music, studying with Houston Symphony principal harpist Paula Page and receiving a Master of Music in harp performance in 2006. In addition, Hall attended the Salzedo Harp Colony in Camden, Maine, where she spent several summers under the tutelage of Alice Chalifoux, one of many mentors she holds in high esteem. While she was mid-stint as principal harpist with the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra in 2006, Hall’s husband landed a job in Indianapolis. The couple relocated, and after a season of flying back and forth for performances, Hall realized it was time to make some changes.
After getting her teaching license, she taught elementary school for a few years. These days, Hall conducts private harp lessons for students of all ages from her Zionsville studio, is a member of the Indianapolis Suzuki Academy faculty, and performs as often as she’s able. “I try to make the harp approachable,” she says. “There’s this huge body of rep that you probably wouldn’t know unless you’re a harpist, so any chance I get, I try to expose people to something new. I love French Romantic, but I often choose newer, fresh pieces and familiar works like Broadway standards and Gershwin to draw people in.” Hall also collaborates with her fellow Classical Music Indy/Music Unites Artists and appreciates the opportunity to curate her own rep and programming. “Classical Music Indy is a unique asset for our city, taking music into new venues and introducing it to new audiences,” she says. “It’s transforming the image of what classical music is, making it accessible in places where it hasn’t been before.” Looking to the future, Hall hopes to venture into some new recording projects. For now, her four musical children and her many students keep her busy and inspired. “My husband’s not musical, but he is an expert harp mover,” she laughs. ■ Learn more about Stephanie Hall’s work at indianapolisharpist.com.
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Classical Pairings THE RATHSKELLER RESTAURANT ____ by Nicholas Johnson, Ph.D.
As the oldest restaurant in Indianapolis, there may not be a more beloved local institution than The Rathskeller Restaurant. Founded by German immigrants, the restaurant has featured Bavarian cuisine, a world-class Biergarten, and live music since 1894. They are open for business and takeout during the COVID-19 pandemic. If your European trips were cancelled this summer, head over for an authentic taste of the old country. You’ll feel like you’re feasting in the alps after a day of hiking. For a truly Germanic experience, listen to these orchestral works while dining on one of these classic dishes. FOOD:
THE FOOD:
German Bratwurst
Schnitzel (Jägerart)
THE MUSIC:
THE MUSIC:
Fanny Hensel (née Mendelssohn), Overture in C Major
Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 3
Whenever I visit Munich, I always have at least one weisswurst (white sausage). The Rathskeller’s bratwurst is spot on. They steam and then grill the bratwurst before putting it on a pretzel roll and topping it with sauerkraut. To my tastes, German cooking always seems to abide by the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” maxim. This brat is smoky, salty and perfect in texture. The real star of the show may be the mustard. It has a horseradish kick that cuts through the sauerkraut properly, making way for the richness of the brat.
In Germany and Austria, schnitzel is often made of veal. The Rathskeller uses pork loin, and I prefer their substitution. It’s smashed and pan-fried with breading, served with potato salad and lemon. Simplicity is the magic of Germanic food.
Fanny Hensel wrote few works for the stage due to social conventions of the time. This overture provides a glimpse of the brilliant orchestral music she could have written if society allowed. The gentle opening, full of constrained energy, reminds me of piling on the sauerkraut and mustard, anticipating a moment of pure joy while inhaling the aroma. Once the main theme enters, there are eight minutes of early Romantic German bliss. Colorful winds imitate the sauerkraut, luscious strings mimic the bratwurst and brass accentuates the pretzel roll.
I went for the Jägerart, or “hunter style,” served with a fantastic mushroom gravy. There is just a bit of spice, adding richness and complexity. I have ordered schnitzel many times, always after considering something more complicated. A schnitzel has never let me down. The hunting reference in this dish brings Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 (Eroica) to mind. Beethoven frequently mimics hunting horns, especially in the triumphant first movement. This work is universally loved, but at the premiere, many considered it too complicated and long. Like the Rathskeller’s Jägerart Schnitzel, the Eroica’s extra layer of richness makes for an even more divine experience. ■
Subscribe to the Classical Pairings podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
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The new way to consume classical music. Classical Pairings combines local leaders in classical music with Indy’s top craft food & beverage makers. Join host Nicholas Johnson as he blends two different cultural experiences into one delightful listening and palatable pleasure.
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International opera soprano, Angela Brown, with Indianapolis students
MORNING BROWN Enhancing learning and life through musical exposure and exploration Founded in Indiana by opera soprano Angela Brown, Morning Brown provides exposure to classical music where the offering is rare or the experience is cost-prohibitive. We partner with like-minded educational and arts institutions, nonproďŹ ts, and philanthropic individuals throughout the nation to bridge the ever-widening gap between accessible live musical performance and underserved schools and communities. Join us! FIND OUT MORE:
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ON AIR:
PBO&
ROOMFUL OF TEETH’S CAROLINE SHAW TEAMS WITH THE PHILHARMONIA BAROQUE ORCHESTRA ON COSMIC NEW MUSIC. ____ by Michael Toulouse THE AMPERSAND HAS NEVER WORKED SO HARD. PRESSED INTO SERVICE BY THE PHILHARMONIA BAROQUE ORCHESTRA, THE LOWLY NUGGET OF PUNCTUATION SYMBOLIZES THE PERIOD-INSTRUMENT ENSEMBLE’S ONGOING COLLABORATION WITH A DISTINGUISHED LIST OF LIVING COMPOSERS. THE PBO& SERIES IS A BOLD MOVE FOR A BAND THAT PLAYS ON GUT STRINGS, VALVELESS HORNS AND THE HARPSICHORD.
Old musical instruments are nothing new to the first featured composer in the series. Caroline Shaw, a Pulitzer Prize-winning member of the vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth, is also a skilled Baroque violinist. She knows the extra level of strangeness that comes with the juxtaposition of unrelated chords in an archaic tuning. The music on PBO& Caroline Shaw is not nearly as old as the Philharmonia’s usual fare, but it’s not all brand new. In 2016 Shaw set a cherished Robert Burns poem to music for mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter and the PBO. Two other songs, featuring texts by Jacob Polley and Shaw herself, soon followed. The three-song cycle, exquisite though it may be, serves as the first course. The entrée on this disc, the oratorio The Listeners, is
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Shaw’s meditation on recordings launched into space on the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft. Described by scientist Carl Sagan as a kind of message in a bottle, the gold-plated copper phonograph discs are meant as thumbnail sketches of the human race. In an inspired twist on the notion of a period instrument, Shaw incorporates a tape recording of Sagan’s own voice. “That’s us,” the cosmic sage says of a blue dot in a vast blackness, the Earth as captured by Voyager 1 from beyond the orbit of Neptune. Sagan reminded his audience of the tiny dot’s immense significance in a 1994 lecture. It contains all we know, and ever have known. A quarter-century later, Shaw has created music that aspires to the same ideal.
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