Sometimes unexpected situations arose that added some interest to my job. One of my annual tasks was to photograph the year's Symphony Orchestra Concerto Contest Winners. These young musicians would be performing in that year's Symphony Showcase. The first time…
Christopher "Kit" Taylor is an incredible pianist. That's not just my opinion. According to his bio, he is "hailed by critics as 'frighteningly talented' (The New York Times) and 'a great pianist' (The Los Angeles Times), [who] has distinguished himself…
In the fall of 2012, Johannes Wallmann was hired as the first director of the UW-Madison School of Music's new program in Jazz Studies. When I began volunteering in the spring of 2013, the program was just starting to grow…
In 2013, the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music was looking for a volunteer to photograph some of their faculty members and classes. Their photo library was out-of-date and, when they needed images for articles or ads, the only available…
There's more to Memphis than Graceland, and much of it has to do with music! Beale Street Memphis hugs the east bank of the Mississippi River in the southwest corner of Tennessee. If you're a Bob Dylan fan, you probably…
I just watched the movie "Elvis." It's a biopic, not a documentary, so I suspect some of the truth was stretched a bit, but I enjoyed it. Although I remember listening to a lot of Elvis' music, I was part…
(This is continued from A Day in the Life: Part 2) After a week of improving their play on individual instruments and rehearsing with bands, orchestras, jazz combos and other musical groups, the students are ready to perform in concert.…
(This is continued from A Day in the Life: Part 1) As one o'clock rolls around, the students gather up their instruments and begin to head out to their 1:20 PM classes in Music Hall, Humanites, Ogg, Hamel Music Center…
Since 1929, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has invited young musicians -- middle school students (grades 6-8) and high school students (grades 9-12) -- to participate in its Summer Music Clinic (SMC) program. There they can enjoy all forms of music…