Category: Schenectady

CHIME Announces “Amplify Our Voices”, An Original Composition By Students

Empire State Youth Orchestra’s CHIME (Creating Harmony Inspiring Musical Excellence) program has announced that their students recently worked with the composer Adrian Gorson to create their own composition. The composition is called “Amplify Our Voice” (AOV) with a theme of “Stop Violence, Show Kindness” and the performance will occur on May 19th at 5:30 p.m. in the Schenectady High School Auditorium.

Amplify Our Voice offers CHIME students a powerful vehicle to create an original composition, process emotion, explore shared experiences, and “amplify” their voices to the world. The process begins with students choosing a theme. Once the theme is selected, students have workshops on improvisation later creating musical motifs and mini compositions based on the chosen topic. Students create an original, multi-level work in collaboration with a resident artist/composer through reflection, experimentation, and composition.

CHIME’s AOV initiative places youth in the driver’s seat, and opens the door to limitless innovation, and organic, creative expression. Its goals fundamentally change the traditional youth orchestra paradigm by empowering youth to exert personal influence over musical style. This transforms the traditional music education system into one that is culturally responsive, relevant, and equitable. AOV assists students in mastering their instruments and layering their artistic and experimental voice atop those who have preceded them, and to break new ground for others to follow in their footsteps.

“Over the course of this project, I’ve seen a lot of growth with the student’s confidence and ability to express themselves. Whether it was through improvisation sessions, composing their own pieces, or leading discussions, I certainly sense some healthy fearlessness to share their voice. The final piece of music that was created from all their work and inspiration is really beautiful and moving, but seeing this new feeling of empowerment in the students is the real goal.”
Dr. David Bebe, CHIME Conductor/ESYO Curriculum & Enrichment Coordinator

This year’s composer Adrian Gordon is no stranger to CHIME. In the fall students performed his piece “A Hero’s Journey” in the fall, and he has been collaborating with them virtually throughout the year. On March 13 Gordon visited the CHIME sites, Yates Elementary, Van Coralear Elementary, and Proctors and not only presented his first musical draft of this year’s AOV piece but also took feedback from the students.

May 16, 2023
Sydney Worthley, Buggy Jive Win Big at 5th Annual Eddies Music Awards

On a night celebrating the best music of the Capital Region, soul rock singer-songwriter Buggy Jive took home both the Video and Album of the Year honors, at the 5^th annual Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards. Held on Sunday, April 30 at Proctors, indie pop artist Sydney Worthley went on to receive Record of the Year, in addition to a stunning performance with E.R.I.E.

Annie in the Water opened the night with “Things to Do” – photo by Stephanie Bartik

Other big winners at the ceremony were Frank Cavone of Mirth Films who took home three awards, and WEXT and Albany Symphony which each received two. The Eddies Music Awards are adjudicated by individuals who are active in the local music community and administered by Proctors Collaborative.

In the first five years, we have had over 450 different individuals, bands and organizations nominated, some multiple times, for a total of 950 finalists. There is a pre-party each year for the nominees. There is an annual Eddies Music Hall of Fame event. We featured over 45 artists performing at our events. All of it exists as a vessel for the music community to come together and celebrate.
Eddies Music Awards founder/co-producer Jim Murphy

Since 2021, Eddies judges have also singled out individuals and organizations whose contributions to the music community don’t fit neatly in a traditional category. Merit award winners this year were:

Family Tree, a collective of five musicians (Steve Candlen, Chris Carey, Lori Friday, Kenny Hohman, Chad Ploss) that invite musical guests from the region to participate weekly at their 18-month-and-counting Monday night residency at Putnam Place in Saratoga.

“Courtyard Sessions” by Mirth Films, a 26-episode mini-concert video series featuring local musicians.

Instruments for Students, a program of the Vanguard, a support organization of the Albany Symphony, which has collected hundreds of musical instruments through the years, donating them through schools to families who cannot afford to rent or own their own instruments.

Here are the 2023 Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards recipients:

Live Production Crew of the Year

Mirth Films

Presenter/Promoter of the Year

Caffè Lena – Sarah Craig

Music Recording Studio of the Year

Overit Studios

Record Label of the Year

Cacophone Records

Music Journalist of the Year

Michael Hochanadel

Music Photographer of the Year

Frank Cavone

Radio DJ of the Year (terrestrial or streaming) of the Year

Chris Wienk

Radio Station of the Year

WEXT

Classical Artist/Ensemble of the Year

Albany Symphony Orchestra

World Music Artist of the Year

Alex Torres & His Latin Orchestra

Jazz Artist of the Year

Joe Barna

Electronica Artist of the Year

Architrave

Punk/Hardcore Artist of the Year

BattleaXXX

Metal/Hard Rock Artist of the Year

The Clay People

Merit Awards

Family Tree – Steve Candlen, Chris Carey, Lori Friday, Kenny Hohman, Chad Ploss

Courtyard Sessions – Mirth Films

Instruments for Students – Vanguard – Albany Symphony Orchestra

R&B/Soul/Funk Artist of the Year

Victory Soul Orchestra

DJ of the Year

DJ Hollyw8d

Hip Hop/Rap Artist of the Year

B. Chaps & Freedom Stratton

Country/Bluegrass Artist of the Year

Jim Gaudet and The Railroad Boys

Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys – photo by Joe Putrock

Country Cover Band of the Year

Stony Creek Band

Americana Artist of the Year

Reese Fulmer & The Carriage House Band

Folk/Traditional Artist of the Year (tie)

Drank The Gold, Michael Eck

Alt/Indie Artist of the Year

The Sea The Sea

Jam Band of the Year

Annie in the Water

Blues Artist of the Year

Nite Train with Thomasina Winslow

Party Cover Band of the Year

Off The Record

Solo or Duo Artist of the Year (Originals)

Sirsy

Solo or Duo Artist of the Year (Covers)

Steve Candlen

Rock/Pop Artist of the Year

Super 400

Songwriter of the Year

Girl Blue

Music Video of the Year

Buggy Jive – “Encyclopedia Black and the Case of You”

Record of the Year

Sydney Worthley – “How Soon Is Now?”

Album of the Year

Buggy Jive – “The Ghost of Alexander”

May 2, 2023
Sixties Spectacular Comes to Proctors Theatre on April 29

The incredible four act Sixties Spectacular comes to Proctors Theatre in Schenectady on Saturday, April 29, featuring Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone as headliner.

Co-headlining the concert are Jay and the Americans. The band started with four teenagers singing in Sandy Yaguda’s basement, and they are still going strong today. In 1960, they were signed by the dynamic producer/songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller to United Artists and, starting in 1962, the group charted twelve top 10 records. In 1962, “She Cried” went to #5 on the charts. Jay Traynor, the first “Jay,” was the lead singer. Traynor worked in Schenectady for decades as a camera man for Channel 6. He was replaced by Jay #2, Jay Black, who was lead singer on the rest of their hits. In 1963, “Only in America” was a hit. In 1964, “Come a Little Bit Closer” went to #2 on the charts, “Let’s Lock the Door (and Throw Away the Key)” was top 20, and Jay and the Americans were part of The Beatles first American tour, and they played at Carnegie Hall on the Rolling Stones tour.

From the age of fifteen, Peter Noone gained international fame as “Herman,” lead singer of Herman’s Hermits. His classic hits have sold more than sixty million records and include #1 singles “I’m Into Something Good,” “I’m Henry VIII, I Am,” and “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter.” Other hit singles are “Listen People,” “Silhouettes,” “Can’t You Hear my Heartbeat,” “A Must to Avoid,” “There’s a Kind of Hush” and “No Milk Today.” In all, 14 singles and 7 albums went gold, and the Hermits were twice named Cashbox’s “Entertainer of the Year.” Very photogenic, Peter graced the cover of nearly every international publication, including Time Magazine; performed on hundreds of top-rated television shows such as Ed Sullivan, Jackie Gleason, Dean Martin and Danny Kaye; starred in ABC’s musical “The Canterville Ghost” (Hallmark Hall of Fame’s presentation of the classic Pinocchio); and in three feature films for MGM.

In the 1970s, Noone composed songs and produced records for David Bowie and Debby Boone; played the leading roles in full-scale theatrical productions of “Aladdin,” “Sinbad the Sailor” and, in the 1980s, stared on Broadway as the dashing hero Frederic in the New York Shakespeare Festival’s production of “The Pirates of Penzance” and then reprised the role at the world-famous Drury Lane Theatre in London. For four years, Peter was the host of VH1’s “My Generation” and the PBS Special, “The British Invasion Returns.” He was a guest star on many prime time tv shows such as “Married with Children,” “Quantum Leap,” “Too Close for Comfort” and most recently starred in the recurring role of Paddington on the forever popular CBS Soap opera “As the World Turns.” In 2007, he sang “There’s a Kind of Hush” on American Idol and mentored the male contestants.

Dennis Tufano was the original lead singer on all The Buckinghams’ hits. Born in Chicago, Dennis inherited his musical talents from his father, a singer who also played violin, sax and harmonica. The Buckinghams had a string of hits, including the #1 smash “Kind of a Drag.” Other hits include “Don’t You Care,” “Hey Baby, They’re Playing our Song, “ “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” and “Susan.” A true Renaissance man, Dennis Tufano spent his years in Los Angeles as an actor, voiceover artist, stuntman, producer and co-founder of the renowned improv voice-ensemble LA MadDogs. He also toured with Olivia Newton-John, performing duets on such songs as “Suddenly” and “You’re the One That I Want.” Part of his show is a tribute to one of his hero’s, Bobby Darin. Dennis still looks and sings great as he recreates his many hit songs.

Opening the show will be the 1910 Fruitgum Company. They defined “bubble gum pop” in the 60s. Their hits included “Simon Says” (#4 US/#2 UK charts), “1,2,3 Red Light” (#5) and “Indian Giver” (#5). All three gold records sold over a million copies, with “Simon Says” selling almost 5 million. Their other hit was “May I take a Giant Step.” Let by original lead singer, Frank Jeckell, they are a fun, exciting way to open the Sixties Spectacular.

Four great acts will bring back joyful memories at the Sixties Spectacular at Proctors Theatre. Tickets are available at the Protors Box Office, by phone at (518)346-6204 or on the web at proctors.org.

April 10, 2023
Nominations Announced for Fifth Annual Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards

The Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards announced nominees for the fifth annual honors, with soul-rock singer-songwriter Buggy Jive leading all nominees with four nominations of his own.

Six artists have three nominations, including Brick By Brick, Jim Gaudet & The Railroad Boys, Jocelyn & Chris, Michael Eck, Reese Fulmer & The Carriage House Band and Sydney Worthley. In all, 209 artists and organizations have been nominated in 34 categories.

The annual ceremony is 6 p.m. Sunday, April 30 on the MainStage at Proctors. Tickets are available now at proctors.org. A slate of performers will be announced in mid-April.

In addition to the finalists in the categories below, several honorees will be announced in the Merit Award category. “These are recognizing unique initiatives led by members of the music community in the recent past that don’t fit neatly into any other category,” explained Jim Murphy, Eddies Music Awards producer and founder. Judges–members of the 518-music community nominate and vote on all recipients annually.

With this year’s ceremony, more than 450 different individuals, groups and organizations have been nominated in the Eddies’ first five years. In addition, the Eddies have established a regional music Hall of Fame at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs. Eight were inducted in a two-hour ceremony March 30: Martin Benjamin, Mike Campese, Felicia Collins, Wanda Fischer, George Frayne, Smokey Greene, Sister Mary Anne Nelson, CSJ and John Tichy.

“Our mission is to shine a light on as many people as possible; we’ve inducted 32 individuals into the Eddies Music Hall of Fame and have seen roughly 45 artists perform at our events. If you include the members of the bands and the staff of the organizations that have been nominated, it represents several thousand individuals.”
Jim Murphy, Eddies Music Awards producer and founder

Musical performances will be held by six of this year’s nominees. The line-up represents a range of musical styles including mainstream and indie rock, funk, singer-songwriter, outlaw country and jam band sounds. The emcee for the 6 p.m. show is Albany-based comedian/actor/producer Greg Aidala. Hosts are Eddies founder Jim Murphy and Eddies administrator Kelly Auricchio.

Featured artists are E.R.I.E., Annie in the Water, Jim Gaudet & The Railroad Boys, Heard, Sydney Worthley and Victory Soul Orchestra. Worthley will perform twice–with her own band and accompanying E.R.I.E.

You can’t have a music awards show without exciting musical performances. And we have no shortage of amazing local artists to choose from. It is both one of the most enjoyable tasks and one of the hardest decisions because there are always way more artists we would like to present than is possible.
Jim Murphy, Proctors Collaborative

New this year is an Eddies Advisory Council, created late last year, that will meet 5-6 times annually with Murphy and Eddies administrator Kelly Auricchio. Members from the music community are Julia Alsarraf, Greg Bell, Wanda Fischer, Andy Gregory, Mario Johnson, Jason Keller, Pete Mason, Matt Mac Haffie, Kevin McKrell, Keith Morales, Steve Nover, Truemaster Trimingham, Al Quiglieri, Paul Rapp, Zan Strumfeld, Alex Torres, Chris Wienk and Don Wilcock. Murphy adds that blues artist Thomasina Winslow, who passed away Jan. 13, was an inaugural council member. “She was very supportive of the Eddies Music Awards and remains in our thoughts.”

The Eddies Music Awards and Hall of Fame are an initiative of Proctors Collaborative. See a full list of nominees for the Fifth Annual Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards at theeddiesawards.com.

April 2, 2023
Upstate Historic Performing Arts Centers Form Alive Downtowns!

13 downtown historic performing arts centers from Jamestown to Poughkeepsie have come together to form Alive Downtowns! The coalition, having met virtually since the start of the pandemic, is seeking $20 million in operating support from the state.

Bardavon, photo by Tim Lee.

Alive Downtowns! main goal is to encourage the lawmakers of New York to think of historic theatres in the same way they do aquariums and zoos, which are shown to have a significant public benefit. It is an affiliate corporation to the Upstate Theater Coalition for a Fairgame, established eight years ago in response to the creation of casinos in the eastern and southern tiers of the state.

Ulster Performing Arts Center, photo by Em Walis.

The historic theatres of Upstate New York are essential to each city’s urban education opportunities, economic viability, and continuing attractiveness. John Parkhurst, Chief Operating Officer of the Rochester Broadway Theatre League commented, “The COVID-19 shutdown of nearly two years has impacted us greatly as an industry. We are coming back, all of us, but, frankly without this coalition it would have been much harder.” The coalition is helping these places become recognized, and be bettered.

Photo by Z-Toad

Members of the coalition include Bardavon 1896 Opera House (Poughkeepsie), Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Clemens Center (Elmira), Palace Performing Arts Center (Albany), Proctors Collaborative (Schenectady, Albany, Saratoga), Forum Theatre (Binghamton), The Reg Lenna Center for the Arts (Jamestown), Rochester Broadway Theatre League’s Auditorium Theatre (Rochester), Shea’s Performing Arts Center (Buffalo), The Smith Center for the Arts (Geneva), Stanley Theatre (Utica), State Theatre of Ithaca, Syracuse’s Landmark Theatre, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall and Ulster Performing Arts Center (Kingston).

Proctors Theatre interior, photographed by Erica Miller.

These facilities combined have an average age of nearly 100 years and are keystones to the downtown areas of the cities they are in. They serve over 5 million people annually including thousands of students. Their economic impacts for upstates major downtowns exceed $350 million and their aggregate budgets exceed $100 million.

The Smith Center for the Arts, photo by Joe Booth.

In a meeting with local legislators and the Governor’s office, the response has been very supportive. The coalition is grateful for that response and hopes to reach all state elected officials to assure an annual appropriation that will allow its members to continue to be part of growing upstate downtowns guaranteeing accessibility for all citizens for years to come.

The Stanley Theatre.

Chris Silva, long-time Executive Director of the Bardavon in Poughkeepsie added, “This group of performing arts centers are economic, educational, and cultural engines in Upstate. We are hoping the state can make a modest investment in us that will pay huge dividends.” Upon meeting with local legislators and the Governor’s office, the response has been very supportive for the coalition’s efforts.

March 27, 2023
Broadway Cast of Back to the Future: The Musical Revealed and 2024 North American Tour at Proctors

The Broadway cast of Back to the Future: The Musical, based on the 1985 film of the same name, has been revealed. The main cast includes Casey Likes, Roger Bart, Liana Hunt, Hugh Coles, Nathaniel Hackmann, and Jelani Remy, supported by a large ensemble. Performances start on Friday, June 30, with the show officially opening on Thursday, Aug. 3, at Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre.

Roger Bart as Doc Brown in Back to the Future: The Musical. Credit: Sean Ebsworth Barnes

Directed by Tony Award winner John Rando, the 2022 Oliver Award-winning musical has a book by Bob Gale, co-creator and co-writer of the Back to the Future film trilogy, and new music and lyrics from Emmy and Grammy-winning Alan Silvestri, and Grammy-winning Glen Ballard. The musical will additionally feature music from the original film, including “The Power of Love,” and the cover of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode.”

The cast of Broadway’s Back to the Future: The Musical has an extensive background in Theatre. Roger Bart (Doc Brown) is best known for originating the role of ‘Carmen Ghia’ in Mel Brooks’ Broadway musical, The Producers, for which he received Tony and Drama Desk nominations, and has ventured into television, with supporting roles in ABC’s Desperate Housewives and Freeform’s Good Trouble. Casey Likes (Marty McFly) recently made his Broadway debut in Almost Famous: The Musical as William Miller, an adaption of the 2000 film of the same name starring Kate Hudson in her breakthrough role. Hugh Coles (George McFly) most recently appeared in the third season of FX Network’s Atlanta. Liana Hunt (Lorraine Baines) has performed on stages all across North America, making her Broadway debut as Sophie in Mamma Mia, an adaption of the 2008 film of the same name starring Amanda Seyfried. Jelani Remy (Goldie Wilson/Marvin Berry) has appeared in the Broadway adaptions of Disney’s High School Musical and High School Musical 2! and Nathaniel Hackmann (Biff Tannen) (he/him) is an internationally renowned actor, portraying Jean Valjean and Javert on Broadway in Les Misérables, as well as the titular roles in Jekyll and Hyde and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

The multi-Tony and Oliver Award-winning design team include Tim Hatley, Tim Lutkin, Hugh Vanstone, Gareth Owen, and Finn Ross, with Chris Bailey as the choreographer, Nick Finlow on musical supervision and arrangements, illusions by Chris Fisher, orchestrations by Ethan Popp and Bryan Crook, dance arrangements by David Chase, Ted Artur on music direction and casting by Tara Rubin. West End’s production of Back to the Future: The Musical has been seen by an audience of more than 800,000 people, and broken box office records at the Adelphi Theatre. On March 11, 2020, the musical had its world premiere at the Manchester Opera House and opened in London on Sept. 13, 2021.

Back to the Future: The Musical is produced by Colin Ingram, Donovan Mannato, Tom Viertel/ Steven Baruch/ Marc Routh/ Richard Frankel, Hunter Arnold, Playing Field, Robert L. Hutt, Ivy Herman/Hallee Adelman, Teresa Tsai, Bob, McLynn, Gavin Kalin, Kimberly Magarro, Crush Music, Universal Theatrical Group, Sony Masterworks, Augury, Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale, in association with Neil Gooding Productions, Ricardo Marques, James L. Nederlander. Bespoke Theatricals serves as General Manager.

Less than a year after the show opens this August, Back to the Future: The Musical will begin a 2024 tour with four preview performances at Proctors in Schenectady from June 4-6, 2024, before opening its tour at the KeyBank State Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio. Additional tour locations will be announced at a later date, and tickets will be available as a subscription exclusive to 2023-2024 KeyBank Subscription Series subscribers and the REP 2023-2024 subscribers starting Wednesday, May 31. Individual tickets will be available at a later time.

Listen to the original Back to the Future: The Musical cast album, from Sony Masterworks Broadway, here.

Tickets for Back to the Future: The Musical can be purchased by phone at 212-239-6200 or by visiting telecharge.com.

March 23, 2023
Van Gogh meets Silent Disco on March 24th in Schenectady

At the Schenectady Armory, the Van Gogh Experience has been open for nearly a year, welcoming thousands to explore the art and life of Vincent Van Gogh in an immersive experience. A variety of new events that incorporate music into the art space have added a new twist on Van Gogh, combining art and music in unique ways.

Following a successful performance by Gratefully Yours in February, a Silent Disco event – Silent Night Starry Night – will be held on Friday, March 24, combining Van Gogh and music in a truly unique way.

Doors open at 8pm, with patrons receiving headsets upon arrival. The music starts at 8:45pm, featuring two DJ’s battling back and forth on the two channels, allowing attendees to listen to either channel as they explore the entire exhibit, including the immersive room. The channels will allow you to flip back and forth between top 40, R&B, house and reggae music, with the channels tracking listeners, leading to a winning DJ and genre being declared.

The first 100 tickets are $40 and presale tickets $50, plus a $5 ticketing fee. VIP packages are available and include a private table, coat check and a Van Gogh poster from the retail shop. Vendors are welcome but need to purchase a four pack of VIP tickets in order to vend.

Additional events at the Schenectady Armory and Van Gogh Experience include yoga classes and Sensory Friendly nights for children and adults.

Yoga is held one Saturday morning each month at 7:30 a.m. and the last Sunday of every month, a yoga wine down starting at 7pm, both in the immersive room. The Sunday March class will be held March 26th and again on April 30, both followed by a happy hour in our Armory lounge. Yogis are welcome to get a non-alcoholic beverage or cocktail and either hang in the Armory lounge or cruise through the exhibit with their cocktails. The next Saturday session will be April 8.

The cost for regular admission to the yoga class is $50 which includes the class, admission to the exhibit and your first cocktail or beverage is complimentary. VIP packages are also available, which include the yoga class, admission to the exhibit with the virtual reality experience also included, your first beverage during happy hour, a Van Gogh yoga mat, thermos and yoga hand towel. The cost for this package is $90.

On the first Tuesday of each month, discover the exhibit during a sensory sensitivities and disabilities Awareness Day. Schools are welcome as well as families with autistic children and students with other disabilities for an inclusive sensory conscientious showing of the exhibit. Special accommodations will be made to create a more sensory-friendly environment for guests with sensory sensitivities and other special needs.

National Autism Awareness Day is Sunday April 2nd with an event held that day, followed by the first Tuesday autism and disabilities awareness day on April 4th.

Sensory Friendly and Autism Awareness Days feature artificial noise reduction, the elimination of flashing lights and the dimming of armory lighting as well as sensory safe spaces throughout the exhibit all in an effort to create a more sensory-friendly atmosphere.

The cost for all students and their siblings is $15. One caretaker or teacher is admitted complimentary and the cost for additional adults is $30. For information on groups and field trips please email Tiffany at gmschenectady@exhibitionhub.com. Tickets may be purchased at the box office at 125 Washington Ave Schenectady NY 12305 or at feverup.com

March 21, 2023
An Interview with Doc Horton of the Jay Street Band

Sometimes you just need a six-piece band jamming out “Brick House” by the Commodores and a little James Brown. Sometimes you need that when the boss is playing “Ride of the Valkyries” through his overtime demands and you’ve just sank into the comfiest seat at the club. Derek “Doc” Horton and the Jay Street Band are here to give you what you need.

And you need to listen to the Doc and get a shot of Motown and an IV of pop/funk and just let the groove anesthetize and hypnotize.

Derek “Doc” Horton and the Jay Street Band are here to give you what you need. And you need to listen to the Doc and get a shot of Motown and an IV of pop/funk and just let the groove anesthetize and hypnotize.

I sit with Doc Horton and we talk about feeling good.

RRX: You aren’t calling yourself “Doc” Horton like bluegrass performer “Doc” Watson calls himself Doc. You actually have your doctorate, and you teach at SUNY. It’s gotta be a little bit of fun when you’re teaching younger people who have music posters in their rooms and may have no idea you play. Can you connect with your students this way?

DH: Actually, I try to keep my worlds separate. Universities in general tend to be overly static and conservative. I have found it best to confine my music to the community. The community is more appreciative of creatives.

RRX: You got your start with this band at Ambition Café on Jay Street in Schenectady, which you’ve said was kind of an iconic place, and I believe it. There are a lot of places in the area that are almost incubators for bands, and I would mention a few, but for space and not to exclude anybody. So tell us what it is about Ambition that did it for you?

DH: Ambition Cafe has an owner, environment, and clientele that are open to creatives. They are willing to showcase new talent. I absolutely love that place!!

RRX: You have gone through a lot of members in the past number of years. I watched one interview where you said thirty or forty over the years. It’s got to be a strong groove that can keep the band alive when you go through so many musicians. Do you feel that you’ve learned from the past musicians? Do you think their “ghosts” are still with you?

DH: LOL!! Yes, there have been scores of musicians who have come through my band. However, I’d like to think that “Doc Horton and the Jay Street Band” has boosted many of their careers. I foster a professional, respectful, and nurturing environment. For many young musicians I have provided their first professional experience in music.

RRX: Some bands that play covers, you can take a listen and maybe figure why they don’t do originals. But I don’t see that with your band. You’ve probably had the talk at some point about doing originals, and there are pros and cons. It can be rewarding to do originals, but much, much harder to make money. Are there other considerations?

DH: I am a singer/songwriter/producer/entertainer and I have written songs since childhood. In 2023, I will be dropping some original music. Stay tuned!!

RRX: You were nominated for a 2022 Listen Up award, the first of its name, put out by Radioradiox.com. This was very fan-generated, so someone loves ya’. What can you say about your fans, and what have they meant to you over the years? And would you wish to nominate a band for the next award that comes around?

DH: I can’t express enough love for my fans. It is for the fans that I perform. And, I believe that when fans come to one of my performances that they deserve a show!! That’s why whether it’s 1 or 1000 I give it everything I got! My fans deserve it!!

And, I’d like to nominate the Donna Tritico Band. Donna and Mark Tritico are friends of mine and they have a fantastic band!! I’d love for our two bands to tour together in the future.

March 16, 2023
Empire State Youth Orchestra Names Two Winners Of Lois Lyman Concerto Competition

Empire State Youth Orchestra (ESYO) has named two winners plus a runner-up in its annual Lois Lyman Concerto Competition, who will be performing with the orchestra on April 2 at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.

The Lois Lyman Concerto Competition has been an ESYO tradition for decades, and encourages ESYO Symphony Orchestra members to perform a concerto of their choice. Each participant performs a ten-minute slice of their piece from memory in front of a panel of judges.

Empire State Youth Orchestra (ESYO) challenges and inspires young people to achieve excellence through music in a progressive learning environment leading to high-level performance opportunities. More than 500 youth from New York’s Capital Region and western New England are selected by audition each year to perform in ESYO. With 13 performing ensembles and orchestras suiting a range of playing levels, members receive training from outstanding conductors and coaches, and tutelage from extraordinary guest artists.

The winners are Yu-Heng Wang, who performed the Bartok Viola Concerto, and William Lauricella, who performed Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. The runner-up was Liam Sullivan, who performed Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1. Yu-Heng and William now have the honor of performing their concertos with the full ESYO Symphony Orchestra during the ensemble’s concerts in April and October, respectively.

Yu-Heng has been playing viola since he was in fourth grade and has been an ESYO member since seventh grade. “Ever since eighth grade, I told myself that I would win the Lois Lyman Concerto Competition. I was determined to one day play in front of an orchestra”.

“What was most difficult for me was the fact that I had to balance my auditions for various music schools, as well as auditions for various summer programs along with the concerto competition. As deadlines inch closer, I become more and more stressed about whether or not I am going to have it ready by the date of the competition. But thanks to my less busy schedule at school combined with help from my teacher, I was able to greatly increase my efficiency in learning and preparing the concerto. Luckily, I had already been playing the first movement of the concerto for around a year now, which helped a lot, as it is the most difficult portion of the piece. I learned that once you’ve gotten the notes of a piece down in the memory, all you have to do is relax and let the bow and fingers do the work, and everything will turn out fine.”

Yu-Heng will perform Bartok’s Viola Concerto in full on April 2, 2023 at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall along with the rest of the ESYO Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra will also perform Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring and Li Huanzhi’s Spring Festival Orchestra, as well as a movement of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, which will serve as a preview of the orchestra’s season-closing concert at Carnegie Hall on June 4.

Tickets to the Empire State Youth Orchestra concerto competition will take place on April 2 at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.

March 10, 2023
Musicians of Ma’alwyck Announce their First Live Concert Since 2020 with ‘Celestial Melodies’ in the Capital Region

The Musicians of Ma’alwyck announce their first live concert since 2020 with Celestial Melodies, celebrating the music of William & Catherine Herschel and their contemporaries, taking place March 11 and 12 in Schenectady and Albany.

The Musicians of Ma’alwyck are a flexible-size chamber ensemble in residence at the Schuyler Mansion New York State Historic Site and Schenectady County Community College. Founded in 1999 by violinist and director Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz, the group specializes in music performed in America during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. They were named the best chamber music ensemble of the Capital Region for both 2008 and 2009 by Metroland and were nominated for the Eddies Music Award.

The ensemble released its first commercial CD in 2016, Music in the Schuyler Mansion, which the Times Union called “elegant and charming,” and their second in 2021, Hyde Hall & the Silver Goddess: Operatic Brilliance of Auber, Bellini, Meyerbeer, and Rossini from the Drawing Room.

The Celestial Melodies program will feature the music of composers and astronomers William and Catherine Herschel, as well as others. The concert will include not only the music of the Herschels and their contemporaries but a visual component as well, a specially developed sky show, with dazzling images and unique looks at the constellations as they appeared in Herschel’s lifetime. The program also
features the world premiere of a new work Invocation by Max Caplan, inspired by the NASA data sonification project.

William Herschel was born into a musical family, with his father being a professional oboist and himself a fine violinist, harpsichordist, and organist. He came to England in the 1750s as a member of the Hanover Band and worked as the Bath Church’s organist and director of the orchestra and concert series. He is known for his incredible astronomical discoveries, which include the discovery of infrared radiation, astronomical spectrophotometry, the planet Uranus and far-seeing telescopes. Herschel’s younger sister Caroline was also an outstanding musician and astronomer, she was the first female astronomer to receive a salary and in 1828 she was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Their first performance of Celestial Melodies will take place in Schenectady on March 11 at the Museum of Innovation and Science, and tickets are $35. The second performance will be at Schuyler Mansion New York State Historic Site in Albany, and tickets are $40 for general admission and $10 for students. Reservations are strongly suggested as seating is limited. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit here.

March 8, 2023