Beethoven walks into a bar...

This week’s guest lost both his legs in an IED explosion while serving in Afghanistan. Music helped him get his life back. USMC Corporal Tim Donley talks about the role music played in his rehabilitation and how he and his bandmates came together through MusiCorps Wounded Warrior Band and The Resilient.

Spotify Link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6rxI6UY7mRnq1UcdNtwyGc?si=sggwPEHGSqif41pnVrToYg

MusiCorps Wounded Warrior Band and Oleta Adams perform Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” with the Kansas City Symphony in 2013

Auditions are how we musicians get jobs. Ever competed for a job and had five minutes to make your case without ever sharing anything about yourself? Not even your name? We’ll break down the whole process for you, and then we’ll be joined by Justin White, personnel manager of the Kansas City Symphony. He’ll tell you all about why he thinks auditions are fun. Can’t wait to hear that. This week on Beethoven Walks into a Bar…

Spotify Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7CgBCRxfWi9Xf9ikcr7DQY?si=3MrsefMqSCe6HkeEoi47vg

Other Recommended listening:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dfr8BpB2boc

What would our favorite movies be like without music? We shudder to think. This week on Beethoven Walks Into a Bar, we take a look at how the Kansas City Symphony’s Film + Live Orchestra concerts come together, and Jason will tell you what all those flashes and lines and weird symbols mean on his screen to help coordinate a live orchestra with a movie.

Spotify Playlist

Other recommended links: 

Star Wars Throne Room Scene WITHOUT Music

Star Wars Throne Room Scene WITH Music

“The Kings Speech” featuring Beethoven Symphony No. 7, II. Allegretto

This week it’s all about the young people. We take a deep dive on how to bring classical music to students of a variety of ages, and talk with local music teacher Kim Jackson about engaging kids in music all the way from infancy through college! Then you’ll learn how we make it rain inside Helzberg Hall without even getting the seats wet.

Spotify Playlist

Other Recommended Listening

The gang is joined by Kansas City Symphony bassist Evan Halloin in an episode that provides a backstage look into how conductors and artistic staff put together the musical selections that make up a concert program.

Referenced in this episode:

Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5szvgWbLk1cwQ68G3IOKFO?si=ZoQGAkdhRCyvaJZLFZf1QA

Additional recommendations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrvo6oveugo 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7f5TJlRbs0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoAQLuM8eeE 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96bgojFa0KM 

The gang takes a look at different "earworms" in both pop and classical music, and talks about what makes a tune stick in the memory of the listener.

The spotify playlist is HERE.

They've also recommending the Bernstein Beethoven Symphony recordings which may be accessed HERE.

Jason, Mike and Stephanie expose the what its really like to go to a classical music concert, which really isn't all that different than going to a rock concert... just more comfortable seating, life-changing sound, and better drinks.

Links referred to in this episode:

Keeping Score with the San Francisco Symphony and Michael Tilson Thomas - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkDZtvmz8cw

Episode 4 Spotify Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ANbgksCbiphjfJWNenDjS?si=66wMV6PdQiCG_pZXx-LD_A

Stephanie, Mike, and Jason chat about what its like to be a famous classical music soloist. Joining them this week is Sean Chen, one of Kansas City's premiere classical music soloists.

The gang recommends the following listening to accompany this episode:

Beethoven Symphony No. 4 – Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Nikolaus Harnoncourt

Sabine Meyer plays Mozart, Debussy and Takemitsu with the Berlin Philharmonic and Claudio Abbado

Spotify playlist including those recordings HERE.

Also recommended are the following sites:

https://www.seanchenpiano.com/

https://www.digitalconcerthall.com/en/home

In our debut episode of Beethoven Walks Into A Bar, our hosts ask a critical question that has stumped musicologists for years: We know Beethoven spend oodles of time with a drink in his hand... what was it?

Hear that question answered from Associate Conductor of the Kansas City Symphony Jason Seber, along with Principal Flute Mike Gordon and Education Goddess Stephanie Brimhall, along with a discussion of the orchestra, what its like to be stuck at home due to the pandemic, and much more.