The Baltimore Ravens Support the BSO’s OrchKids Program

Nov 26 2013
Browse archives for November 26, 2013
Ann Drinan
Ann Drinan

Ann Drinan, Senior Editor, has been a member of the Hartford Symphony viola section for over 30 years. She is a former Chair of the Orchestra Committee, former member of the HSO Board, and has served on many HSO committees. She is also the Executive Director of CONCORA (CT Choral Artists), a professional chorus based in Hartford and New Britain, founded by Artistic Director Richard Coffey. Ann was a member of the Advisory Board of the Symphony Orchestra Institute (SOI), and was the HSO ROPA delegate for 14 years, serving as both Vice President and President of ROPA. In addition to playing the viola and running CONCORA, Ann is a professional writer and editor, and has worked as a consultant and technical writer for software companies in a wide variety of industries for over 3 decades. (She worked for the Yale Computer Science Department in the late 70s, and thus has been on the Internet, then called the DARPAnet, since 1977!) She is married to Algis Kaupas, a sound recordist, and lives a block from Long Island Sound in Branford CT. Together they create websites for musicians: shortbeachwebdesign.com.

Ann holds a BA in Music from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and an MA in International Relations from Yale University.

Read Ann Drinan's blog here. web.esm.rochester.edu/poly/author/ann-drinan

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Students, The Future

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The Baltimore Ravens have announced that not only will the Baltimore Symphony and their OrchKids Bucket Band perform at the Ravens’ Thanksgiving-night half-time show at their game with the Pittsburgh Steelers, they have pledged to give $15,000 to the OrchKids program. Seeing such support from a football team for a symphony orchestra gives me hope.

Several years ago when I did a spotlight on the Memphis Symphony, I was heartened to learn that the Memphis Grizzlies (their NBA team) had donated to the orchestra to support their drum circles work, because of the Grizzlies’ interest in Boys & Girls Clubs. I remember feeling amazement that a professional sports team would support a symphony project.

The Ravens offer is on a much grander scale, but I would love to think it’s a new trend, as orchestras design programs that bring inner-city kids to music, and get them inspired and “fired up!”

Here’s a link to a video from the Baltimore Sun showing the OrchKids Bucket Band performing on the field for the Ravens players, with Jacoby Jones and Terrence Cody joining in the performance. You can see BSO Percussionist Brian Prechtl leading his Bucket Band on the field in this video (he’s on the far left of the drummers). Brian has been with OrchKids since its inception in 2008; his energy, enthusiasm, and mentoring skills are amazing!

About the author

Ann Drinan
Ann Drinan

Ann Drinan, Senior Editor, has been a member of the Hartford Symphony viola section for over 30 years. She is a former Chair of the Orchestra Committee, former member of the HSO Board, and has served on many HSO committees. She is also the Executive Director of CONCORA (CT Choral Artists), a professional chorus based in Hartford and New Britain, founded by Artistic Director Richard Coffey. Ann was a member of the Advisory Board of the Symphony Orchestra Institute (SOI), and was the HSO ROPA delegate for 14 years, serving as both Vice President and President of ROPA. In addition to playing the viola and running CONCORA, Ann is a professional writer and editor, and has worked as a consultant and technical writer for software companies in a wide variety of industries for over 3 decades. (She worked for the Yale Computer Science Department in the late 70s, and thus has been on the Internet, then called the DARPAnet, since 1977!) She is married to Algis Kaupas, a sound recordist, and lives a block from Long Island Sound in Branford CT. Together they create websites for musicians: shortbeachwebdesign.com.

Ann holds a BA in Music from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and an MA in International Relations from Yale University.

Read Ann Drinan's blog here. web.esm.rochester.edu/poly/author/ann-drinan

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