Orchestra 914 will present its first family concert of the season, Music is Science, on Saturday, March 5 at 3 pm at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center (Chappac).
The Music is Science program will be presented by Dr. Patrick Herak, Senior Lecturer, Department of Engineering, Ohio State and guest conductor Douglas Droste, Director of Orchestras at Ball State, Indiana. This interactive concert, geared to children ages 6-12, introduces them to the orchestra and how scientific principles apply to the mechanics and sounds of musical instruments and answers the question…what does science have to do with music?
"So many times in school (elementary, middle and high) our learning and understanding of the world is compartmentalized into 45 or 50 minute blocks limited to one subject. Unless you become a teacher, the world does not fit into that mold. Sure we have meetings, but they are often in interdisciplinary teams and only a fraction of our day. Professional musicians like Orchestra 914 (and your guest conductor, Douglas Droste) are not only great musicians but a different kind of scientist in their own right,” says Dr. Herak. “The data they take in each moment of a performance has to be analyzed in real time. They use tools like tuners and metronomes to collect data and inform what they do. However, data and science are not the end all be all or we'd be listening to computerized music. It's so important that we use science to inform decisions because (as we've seen with COVID) science is not just the content base we are often meant to believe, but just as much the process that informs what we do."
Orchestra 914, formerly The Chappaqua Orchestra, seeks to expand the classical music experience for diverse audiences in the Hudson Valley through creative, educational, and community programming with the highest level of artistic integrity. Orchestra 914 is based in Pleasantville, NY with Russell Ger as its new Music Director, as part of its goal to widen its geographic scope and to bring an inclusive and unexpected array of live classical music to audiences throughout Westchester, helping to build a community of music lovers of all ages and backgrounds. Tickets and information for the March 5 concert are available at www.orchestra914.org.
Following NYS Covid guidelines, all guests must provide proof of vaccination and are required to wear masks in the theater.
