Following the cancellation of its season through May 17, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra (FWSO) has found a way to keep the show going online during this time of lockdowns and social distancing.
The organization announced last week the launch of its new virtual performance platform, the Music Lab. With it, the FWSO hopes to keep the music playing while connecting the and educating the community.
“We needed to be an agent of connectivity by creating a virtual music lab to bring people together through music,” Carrie Ellen Adamian, CMO at the FWSO, told NTX Inno via email. “Our mission is to connect people through the sharing of music. Our mantra is life is better with music, so we felt the need… through a new platform that resided outside the walls of Bass Hall.”
The platform was created using in-house talent with the hopes of engaging the community during the coronavirus pandemic to create a lasting relationship between the orchestra’s musicians and residents.
The Music Lab is made up of four pillars. In the Listening Lab, users can listen to archival recordings and playlists made by some of the orchestra’s musicians, as well as tune into weekly discussions hosted by FWSO Music Director Miguel Harth-Bedoya. In the Learning Lab, the FWSO has curated a collection of educational materials and toolkits for students to learn about music and listen to webinars. The platform also has a Giving Lab, where users can donate to the FWSO. Finally, to fully bring the community together, there is the Sharing Lab which will showcase performances by FWSO musicians and other student musicians from across the county.
Through the Sharing Lab, the FWSO plans to host a musical competition for young musicians. Twelve student musicians will be selected from across the state and users will vote on their top four. Then, on April 29, the four finalists will compete live over Zoom for a chance to win $5,000.
“As a conductor, one of my most essential roles is to connect people to music. We are all finding our way through this new normal, and I'm certain that we can still make that connection,” said Harth-Bedoya in a prepared statement. “The manner might change, but the essence does not. Sharing music is my joy and I can't wait to get started with this new project.”
Keith Cerny, FWSO president and CEO, told NTX Inno the orchestra plans to keep the Music Lab running after the pandemic passes. He said that due to the lockdowns, the orchestra, like many others, has seen a decrease in subscription sales. He said he hopes the relationships the FWSO makes with the community will keep music “top of mind” and will encourage greater attendance once the orchestra can perform live again.
“Our hope is that we can preserve the intensity and frequent contact of patrons' digital engagement, while also welcoming our audiences back to Bass Performance Hall, schools, and other performing venues for thrilling live performances,” Cerny wrote in an email to NTX Inno.
