One can hardly blame Dr. Allan Dennis and the Midwest Young Artists for featuring prominent alumni in soloist roles in their concert programs. Given the willingness of these artists (stemming from fond memories, no doubt) and the number of top-flight musicians to finish their program, it can’t require much cajoling to convince first-rate virtuosos to grace the stage with MYA’s Symphony Orchestra as expert accompanists.
Their concert Saturday at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall in Evanston featured one of their more acclaimed graduates, violinist Jeremy Black, in the Tchaikovsky Concerto in D Major. After a formative period with MYA in the group’s early years, the Evanston native continued his studies at Case Western Reserve, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the University of Michigan. He is now a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony and is renowned locally as the concertmaster of the Grant Park Symphony.

A new study (http://www.chorusamerica.org/about_choralsinging.cfm) has research to support that participation in a chorus - regardless of age - yields much more than artistic benefits alone. Citing improved academic performance for students as well as higher volunteer rates, better leadership skills, greater philanthropic involvement and increased patronage of the other arts, the study's implicit conclusion is that musical skills are directly translatable into everyday, non-musical life.

Today's review is from Chicago Tribune writer, Michael Cameron.

Given the sterling reputation he’s earned in music education circles, it’s no wonder Midwest Young Artist’s director Allan Dennis occasionally submits evidence of the value of his program and methodology through the accomplishments of former students.  Saturday night at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall he presented exhibit A: his daughter and violist extraordinaire, Carrie Dennis.

Last Saturday (April 5) marked the premiere of Introductions, a brand-new weekly program on 98.7 WFMT (Saturdays from 11:00am-12:00pm) which features Chicago-area pre-collegiate musicians doing what they love most; playing classical music.

"It's important to reach out specifically to this younger audience which is enthusiastic about classical music, that we hadn't tried to explicitly attract until now," said David Polk, the show's producer. "I'm excited that I get to expand WFMT's reach and pioneer new ways to connect with audiences via the airwaves and also the internet."

Read more about Introductions and Polk in this article in the recent TimeOut! Magazine.

A good friend of mine who goes by the alias "Drex Drexler" sent me this article from today's New York Times, which provides evidence that Thomas Edison was by no means the first to lay down a track (a recording recently discovered by researchers looks to have beaten Edison to the punch by 20 years). Check it out: here's the article with audio of the findings.