Adieu, Detroit: Welcome to Home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

It’s hard to believe the amount of time that has passed already in this Fellowship. Our year is already more than half over! My time with the Detroit Symphony was an absolutely tremendous experience. Since I have left Michigan, I realize each day just how much I learned from everyone at the DSO – I am finding that I soaked up so much more information than I had realized. One of the hardest parts of this Fellowship, for me at least, is not simply being able to immediately jump into a new environment as if you have been there for years. Instead, it is being able to remove yourself completely from the work you were doing to move on to the next assignment. One’s removal is a removal both of leaving each project (if it is an ongoing project) in a place where someone else can easily step in, understand what has been done, and finish it through to the end, as well as a removal of the focus and attention you give completely to your projects. This wasn’t as hard to deal with in Aspen, as the summer is the entire assignment – once the performances stop, your work at Aspen is finished. I wasn’t fully prepared for removing my focus and attention to my projects when leaving Detroit. The work was left in such a way that someone else could easily take over, yet I found myself thinking about what was happening in Detroit while I was in NYC – and, honestly, still wonder what is happening today. The best part, however, is the many friendships I have made with the wonderful colleagues at the DSO – they are all keeping me up to date on what’s happening.

Now my travels find me in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for seven weeks working with Tom Bennett at the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra. The environment here is completely different than any place else I have been – yet it is an incredible learning experience! My projects range from helping with an evening phone-a-thon to doing a feasibility study on the potential of hiring a second string quartet to developing the 2006-2007 season marketing plan - all in seven weeks! Last Thursday was the Annual Fund Kickoff for the SDSO. My assignment here: Tom asked me to speak about my initial impressions that I had of the SDSO, after being in Sioux Falls all of 12 days. I couldn’t have been more thrilled to share my experience, which I’ve summarized below.

On Saturday, January 14th, I departed NYC, thankfully with no flight delays, and landed in Sioux Falls, South Dakota around 5PM. After collecting my baggage and running by the Staybridge Suites to check-in to my new home, I was warmly welcomed by Tom and his wife, our board chair Darin Daby and his wife, and the evening’s concert sponsor over a delicious meal. During the dinner, I asked each couple how they would describe Sioux Falls. Their answer was that Sioux Falls is basically a suburban community, yet with no big city around. I’d have to say that’s absolutely correct – Sioux Falls has a tremendous amount of culture and offerings to be had, yet outside of the city is open farmland (after all, this is the mid-west).

After our meal, I was absolutely thrilled to hear the South Dakota Symphony in concert. (the concert was the Brahms Double Concerto and Steven Stucky’s Concerto No. 2 for Orchestra – Steven Stucky was in town and did a bit of explaining of his piece at the beginning of the second half – this including putting names of SDSO individuals to music, as he did in his concerto.) I’ve heard and seen many different orchestras in just the past few years, and the concerts I have heard and seen already by the South Dakota Symphony are unlike so many others. I get the impression that too often orchestras and their musicians simply expect people to come to a concert hall to hear their orchestra perform. They often appear to give little thought to the impact their cultural institution has on its community. The South Dakota Symphony is different from this stereotype. The musicians are truly engaged with the music they are making, and look completely enjoyed and enthused to be performing on stage, especially led by their conductor Delta David Gier, who upholds the same image. I took time during the evening to look opposite the stage as well, to look at the audience. The feeling of enjoyment and enthusiasm the musicians and David portrayed on stage carried across the seats, clear to the back of the house. The audience had expressions of delight, curiosity, and enjoyment for the evening’s performance across their faces. I believe the level of attention and engagement I witnessed at that performance is becoming what so many other organizations are striving for in concerts today. Not only are their concerts engaging and enjoyable (for both audience members and the musicians), but the community of Sioux Falls truly cherishes its orchestra. This relationship hasn’t happened overnight. It has happened by the perseverance and dedication from a number of key individuals throughout this community. They have worked hard to make certain the community of Sioux Falls feels a personal connection with this orchestra, which in turn creates a more meaningful experience for them while at a concert.

Though I miss the DSO, I am thrilled to be in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, working with Tom and his wonderful crew. All too soon (four and a half weeks, to be exact), I’ll be uprooted for the last time during this Fellowship year. Until then, Sioux Falls, I’m here to stay.