If you go
Atlanta Symphony’s partnership with DeKalb County Public Library performances
7 p.m. Monday, Toco Hill-Avis G. Williams Library
7 p.m. Dec. 9, Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown Library
1 p.m. Jan. 11, Tucker-Reid H. Cofer Library
1 p.m. Feb. 15, Chamblee Library (presented in Spanish)
7 p.m. March 18, Decatur Library
1 p.m. April 26, Clarkston Community Center
7 p.m. May 6, Stonecrest Library
When you think of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, you likely think of dozens of musicians in black tie on the grand stage at Symphony Hall. Through the symphony’s community engagement program, you can also find its violinists, cellists and other top-notch artists playing at the Emory Autism Center, a downtown soup kitchen, the Atlanta VA Medical Center, parks and schools, albeit in small ensembles, without the tuxes and tails, and free of charge.
The symphony kicks off a partnership with the DeKalb County Public Library with a performance at the Toco Hill-Avis G. Williams Library at 7 p.m. Monday. “You have an even deeper appreciation for the world-class artistry of our musicians when you have an opportunity to see them perform as soloists and in small ensembles, up close and personal,” said Ahmad Mayes, the Atlanta Symphony’s manager of community programs. “I see them all the time and I am never not amazed.”
Q: Aren’t you supposed to be quiet in the library?
A: That is what we are all taught, right? One of the things libraries provide is experiences in arts and culture. This is just another opportunity to provide that in a different way. I am thrilled that the DeKalb libraries were willing to make an exception to the noise rule.
Q: Can you talk about the breadth of your community engagement program?
A: The program, started in 1996, helps people overcome barriers that prevent them from accessing live instrumental music. These are things like the price of a ticket or the distance they might live from Symphony Hall. We have been as far south as Darien, Ga., some 300 miles away. These community events are also a unique opportunity for those who are familiar with the symphony to form a more personal bond with the musicians. We reach more than 17,000 people through our community engagement programs every year.
Q: How much interaction do musicians have with the audience?
A: They will go as far as to take questions right in the middle of the program. They stick around afterwards and chat. We learn a lot from those experiences. Hearing about the role the Atlanta Symphony has played in someone’s life can be really touching.
Q: What does the public get out of these performances?
A: Everyone has a need that can be filled through music. Our performances can benefit people in a variety of ways that are unique and personal to each individual audience member. Our purpose is to ensure that anyone in the community can experience this firsthand.
Q: What do these community performances do for your musicians?
A: As a performer, having an opportunity to connect with your audience is a benefit. Our musicians get into small groups — string quartets, brass quintets, woodwind quintets — and put together programs they might not otherwise get to perform during the course of the year. They get to flex their creativity. What drives them to participate is the sense of doing good for the community. We work with close to 100 nonprofit community partners each year.
Q: Is there a downside to playing in the community? Crying babies? Stray dogs and cats?
A: There are many more variables we can’t control. In a somewhat endearing way, that is what makes what we do in the community special — provide an opportunity to experience music that is more real. We want kids to be there. If someone wants to clap in the middle of a movement, I think that’s great. That means we are engaging that audience.
The Sunday Conversation is edited for length and clarity. Writer Ann Hardie can be reached by email at ann.hardie@ymail.com.
About the Author
