1st Quarter Reflections of Musiterania’s New Direction
The New Direction Evaluation
On February 13, 2026, I posted a Blog about "Musiterania's New Direction. I knew then and still know that such a bold mission would take consistent action over a long period of time to achieve. After having traveled thousands of miles, experienced new halls and orchestras, spoken with many people, and heard various comments from those who have gone to the trouble of reading some of my posts, I have to ask myself whether this new direction is doable and worth doing. Without regular re-evaluation, I think it is possible to lose track of what you are doing. On top of that, it helps me tweak it a bit.
I consider my trip to Cincinnati to be the first of these concerts. That is when I realized that there are so many amazing musicians, incredible venues, and vital organizations in the United States that I feel are underrepresented by the media because it isn't "Mass Media". I have reviewed 13 concerts of various kinds over that period so far, and if a month is 4 weeks on average, then I have created a full quarter of a year's worth of concerts.
Has it been 'worth it'?
Absolutely! Someone asked me if I had any concerts that weren't 'good'. My answer was, "No", they have all been excellent. Now, when I said that, I am talking about fully professional orchestras that do serious repertoire and interesting programming to lure in those who aren't usually classical concert goers. The thing that I'd like to point out is that folks seem to be missing out on profound experiences that are happening right in their own city. This just doesn't happen here in the United States; everywhere, it is as if the classical music scene, and related areas like Jazz and Opera, aren't promoted like Pop music, well, because it's not 'popular'. So I feel there is a real need in the world for Musiterania's mission to be a champion for this and related genres.
The Main Challenge
The United States is a huge country. Even cities that are 'close' together are far apart when you drive it. The trip to Memphis is an excellent example. I thought I would never get there. The road just kept going, and it seemed like it was just getting longer the more I drove. So, energy is a huge factor. It isn't only energy for the vehicle, but my energy is vital to do a good job. I take frequent breaks, take naps, and try to take healthy food with me so I don't depend on gas station fare. Plus, when the destination is far from home, staying overnight is an added expense, even though part of the mission is to talk about the environment surrounding the concerts. Taking into account that Memphis is on the Mississippi River, you have to factor in that everything West of it is farther apart and less frequent.
The Inspiration that Gives me Energy
Musiterania's mission is to create the sense of a "Music Paradise" in the United States and worldwide. What does that mean? It means that we live in a world full of great musicians, great venues, and great works of art that are recreated in real time and space. The world is in search of a way to remain 'human' while it seems that everything is being taken over by computers, AI, and all sorts of technical schnick-schnak. Musiterania is an 'imaginary' world based on 'reality'. The reality is real people, playing real instruments, in front of live audiences, in real time, in a real space created for that purpose. Ideally, it is meant to be all unplugged, no mixing mikes, no synthesized sounds, only real sound created by real musicians who have spent their lives for this exact purpose.
My inspiration lies in lifting up the musicians and organizations that provide this service, and by acknowledging the generosity of the donors who make it all financially possible. It includes the inspiration that regular folks like you and me can become a vital part of the Musiterania experience of existing, even if only for a couple of hours in a musical reverie.
Pure or Absolute Music
I spent my career as an opera singer learning and memorizing text. As an opera singer, you are expected to sing in English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Latin, and every other language as the opportunity arises. 90% of the time, the music of a piece was the easy part. The hard part was the text. Plus, text gives the music 'meaning,' and you always have to figure out what it means. This too becomes a real-time drag in understanding a piece.
With Pure or Absolute Music, you don't really have that. These pieces have titles like Symphony #4, Concerto #5, or Piano Sonata No. 4 Opus 12. The notes are like the letters on a page of a book, but they don't transmit a definitive meaning; rather, musical ideas that are put together in a composition, much the way an architect designs a building. So the task at hand isn't listening to understand meaning but rather to solely hear music. In a live orchestral concert, you get these compositions presented to you as an unfolding drama of notes. You hear how a flute comes in over the string section or how the horns' glowing tones envelop the hall with their surround sound quality. The sea of violins, violas, cellos, and basses bowing like a well-coordinated rowing team that play with acute accuracy and is full of all the passion they can muster. To listen to this it takes full concentration, and it pulls you into a different level of consciousness.
Going Forward
I am trying to sharpen my skills in creating the calendar, writing posts, and incorporating video and audio into my work, as well as expand the social media landscape, uff! Planning the rest of the year will be a challenge, I hope to get around more. Things are keeping me close to home at the moment, which adds to the difficulty of fulfilling the mission of attending as many venues and orchestras across the United States as possible. I won't get everywhere in a year, but I can try!
I love sharing this with you and hope that you come along for the ride. My greatest hope is that you start attending some concerts in your area! I would love to hear about it!
Reflection
I'm not sure when I attended a Nashville Symphony concert in the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, and I don't remember anything about the concert. All I remember was the utter disbelief that it existed at all. Not only did it exist, but it was actually tremendous. It reminded me of the first time I walked into the Eastman Theater or Kilbourne Hall as a graduate student. It is a miracle that it exists and I want to be a part of it. What a great place to be and there are many such experiences to be had all across the country.
Musiterania is creating a place for live music in the world that brings people together and lifts up our spirits with the inspiration of the great masters and new artists alike.