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7QUESTIONS+PLUS
Miriam Burns, music director and conductor for the Kenosha Symphony Orchestra. Originally from Ohio, Burns lives in New York City, which she said she enjoys for its endless opportunities for culture, education and entertainment. She’s also an animal lover — the mother of two cats Barney and Betty — and outdoors enthusiast who can be found biking or roller-blading in Central Park.
Miriam Burns will now take your questions ...
This is ‘7 Questions’ where each week we ask you to submit questions for a person of interest in Kenosha County. Then, we interview the person and publish their answers. E-mail questions or ideas for people we should interview to connections@kenoshanews.com |
Will the Symphony consider playing at venues other than Reuther auditorium, such as the Pennoyer Park Band Shell? We last performed there about 10 years ago, upon invitation and funding by the city of Kenosha. We would love to do that again.
Are there any plans for the KSO to have it’s own building or a Performing Arts Center? This is a pipe dream, to draw community support such that a Performing Arts Center would be necessary. Perhaps if we build it, they will come! In the meantime, we are fortunate to have Reuther Auditorium.
Major League pitchers ice their shoulders and elbows between innings. After an evening conducting the KSO, with all the baton activity required, how do you address attendant swelling and bursa inflammation so as to keep in top form for your next appearance? A conducting week is a major workout, particularly if we have a dress rehearsal and concert on the same day. In preparation for the performance, I try to get a deep massage the day of — in Kenosha, I recommend Kurt Nesgood, of Pike Creek Wellness Center — after which comes scalding moist heat and rest. This makes a huge difference in my freedom of movement during the concert. Since I draw on all physical and emotional resources in performance, I am completely exhausted afterward. Back to the moist heat and massage, if possible; it takes at least five days to recover.
If music wasn’t your passion, what would be? Another profession involving people, or animals.
Who inspired you to do music? Hearing the Philadelphia Orchestra with Eugene Ormandy conducting a performance of the Brahms Second Symphony. I was already showing immense promise as a violinist by then, but this concert sealed my fate.
What keeps you coming back to Kenosha when you live in New York? The very fine orchestra and the rapport we continue to share over the years. It’s actually an easy commute and, being originally from the Midwest, I enjoy working outside of New York City. I have made many friends both in the orchestra and in the community, and it is my passion to help bring great music to our city.
What type of music or favorite popular artists do you listen to? Is there a group or artist you are a little embarrassed to say you are a fan of? I've always loved big-band music. Prior to total immersion in classical music, I was a Beatles fan as well as an Elvis admirer. Last summer, I had the opportunity to become an Elvis expert, while preparing to guest conduct the Memphis Symphony in two Elvis tribute performances. There was a superb Elvis impersonator whom I would love to bring to KSO for an Elvis concert in Kenosha.
What kind of music do you listen to to relax after a stressful day? No music. When listening to any kind of music, my mind engages in an analytical way, so this is actually not relaxing at all.
How do you assess or grade a symphony performance afterward and can you correct it for the next performance? Many things contribute to the success of a symphony performance. The most critical is the orchestra’s preparation prior to the first rehearsal. This, of course, is out of my hands, but the conductor depends on it and the level sets a tone for the rest of the rehearsal time period. This also presumes the conductor’s necessary efficiency, ability to multi-task and cover all of the concert repertoire thoroughly.
I assess a performance by everyone’s cumulative ability to remember all of the details addressed in rehearsal. This involves concentration and focus, plus that extra special something called spontaneity that happens in an inspired, exciting performance. It’s what makes music-making so exciting and fulfilling for all of us.
Of today’s classical composers, who are your favorites and why? I favor the romantic composers such as Brahms and Rachmaninoff because of the vast opportunity for cumulative self expression as a team.
How does the Kenosha symphony compare with other symphonies you’ve worked with? The KSO is an excellent orchestra. For 12 years we have enjoyed a wonderful rapport. Through various guest conducting opportunities with other orchestras, I have learned that the bigger the budget of an orchestra does not necessarily mean the orchestra is that much better. What makes the difference? Just like real estate: location, location, location, as well as the attitudes of the people involved.
While the basic core of KSO players remains the same, from time to time there can be fluctuation in personnel due to the fact that many area performing groups share similar personnel. With proximity to two major cites and numerous high quality music departments in the nearby universities, we have access to many excellent players.
What about the Kenosha symphony makes it unique among the symphonies you’ve conducted? We all like each other and have fun making music together as a team. Some orchestras seem tired or uninspired, regardless of who may be on the podium. This not the case in Kenosha.
What is the Kenosha symphony’s main strength? Excellence and esprit d’corps
What would you do to increase attendance at the Kenosha symphony? Acquire more funds for marketing. We continue to be a best-kept-secret, but it takes money to get the word out. Everyone bring a friend who has never attended a symphony concert before. Once this happens, people see what they have been missing, or they see that pre-conceived notions of elitism are simply not the case. The next time, they will be more apt to purchase a ticket themselves, and statistics show that single ticket holders later become subscribers. We need to get the word out, for people to see what a cultural gem the KSO is, right in the heart of Kenosha.
Time and again, people have come backstage — especially those attending for the first time — to tell me how much a performance meant to them. In many cases, people related how they were enduring a difficult time in their lives, perhaps sorrow in the loss of a job or a loved one, but in hearing the performance of great music, they experienced its healing power and were uplifted and comforted.
How does the Kenosha Symphony compete with symphonies in Milwaukee and Chicago? Why should someone go to the Kenosha Symphony when those bigger, better-known groups are so close by? Financially speaking, the KSO cannot compare with the full-time orchestras of Milwaukee and Chicago; the budgets of which permit extensive marketing, programming of huge repertoire, commissions of new music, multiple performances and the bringing in of internationally-known guest artists, all of which are cost-prohibitive to us. However, on a good day, I believe that the quality of our performances is comparable, and with my contacts in New York City, we have never compromised on quality of guest artists. In fact many times we present up-and-coming talent destined to be the stars of tomorrow, first heard right here in Kenosha.
How do you select the programs for Kenosha? Programs are carefully chosen to be a balance of popular “Top 40” repertoire that everyone wants to hear, along with selections perhaps lesser-known, but that I believe Kenosha audiences would want to hear, pieces with which you’ll want to augment your listening library. I’ve heard many times that the programming is what keeps our players traveling from Chicago and Milwaukee — despite the high cost of gas — to perform with the KSO.
What can we do to help the Kenosha Symphony and ensure it will continue to exist, in these days of financial insecurity? We are an orchestra for the community. There are many ways one can help — first of all by attending our concerts, telling other people about them, and bringing your friends.
There are many ways of giving, not only financially — every little bit helps — but by volunteering. Behind the production of every concert is a myriad of details needing to be taken care of behind the scenes. Call the Symphony office, we can always use assistance.
Arts organizations are often the first to be eliminated from financial support when times are tough, but we all need this cultural focus and inspiration as an opportunity to draw close together and heal as a community.