Foothills Philharmonic Newsletters

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Jessica Morgan, concertmaster

The popular Instrument Petting Zoo began in 2017. Kids of all ages crowd the lobby, excited to try out orchestral instruments — their fingers guided by local teachers. And the winner of a drawing gets to conduct the final concert piece! 

In 2016, the first Future Stars Competition was held. High school musicians compete annually for a scholarship and an opportunity to perform with Foothills Philharmonic. Winners have included a clarinetist, a violinist, pianists, and a mandolin player! 

A promise to the audience and to the players, Kory made a commitment to have something for everyone in each and every concert, and he has. From symphonies to pops concerts. Mahler to Motown. 

In February 2020, the orchestra was rehearsing Scheherazade for the March concert, and then Covid struck . . .We were in rehearsal preparing for our next concert when suddenly, our world shut down. It was no longer safe to gather in groups for either rehearsals or concerts. We had no choice but to cancel that concert, and then another, and then the season. When we finally felt safe enough, we rehearsed with chairs safely distanced. Concerts spread the orchestra over the entire floor space as well as the stage. What a challenge it was to hear each other, let alone see the conductor!

Randy Lee, viola

How does an orchestra play music when you’re apart?

When Covid separated us, we missed the camaraderie. After all, philharmonic means “friends together.“ With live performances suspended and no end in sight, virtual music performances gave us a new way to make music together. 

How did you create it? 

Players recorded alone in their homes, using their computers or phones. Though we couldn't see or hear each other, we listened through headphones

to a designated metronome beat to keep everyone in sync. Kory chose Cole Porter’s Night and Day. We each recorded our own part and then sent our recordings to Kory to edit with special software.

Was it difficult? 

For me, it took a few takes to get to where I was happy with it. Having the ability to go back and fix imperfections is nice to be able to do, but it meant doing the whole thing over each time. So "getting it right" became time consuming but possible.

What was the result? 

The final recording sounded like all the musicians were in the same room, playing together. It sounds great, and it’s a thrill to watch the players on the screen. It was a nice way to fill the gap that not being able to play had created in our lives — and it was a great way to remind our audience that we were still here making music. You can watch the video and see for yourself: