POSTPONED TO SUNDAY, MARCH 24 DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER!

The Long Bay Symphony is pleased to present our inaugural Rhapsody in ‘Cue Music & Barbecue Festival on Sunday, March 24 from 11AM - 4PM at the Pavilion Park in Myrtle Beach! Adding to the community's deep love of all things barbecue, this competition (sanctioned by the Southern BBQ Network) will draw professional and amateur barbecue teams to our community for an afternoon of music, vendors and great food. Featuring performances throughout the festival from Hank, Pattie, & the Current (featuring LBS musicians Pattie Hopkins Kinlaw & Steven Martinez).

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Gold Sponsors:

   

 

Silver Sponsors:

  

The Long Bay Youth Symphony (LBYS) and Long Bay Youth String Ensemble (LBYSE) are easily considered two of the Symphony’s greatest accomplishments in our 36-year history. Being a part of so many young musicians’ journeys is an invaluable experience for the music directors, youth managers, and patrons alike. It's a treasure for us to witness even just a moment in the careers of the many students who come through either—and often both—youth groups. Because we are typically a part of their musical careers while they are in middle and high school, we are often curious about what they go on to do when they graduate beyond our youth symphonies.

I had the pleasure of corresponding with Abigail Stewart and Grace Leonard, two LBYS alumni, who have gone on to do amazing things in their budding musical careers:

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(Grace Leonard)

What is your instrument and how did your journey with it start?

I play the Viola! My journey with the instrument began in 6th grade strings class at St. James Middle School. 

Can you speak a little about your time in the Long Bay Youth Symphony (how long you were a part, your greatest takeaways, etc.)?

I was in the Long Bay Youth Symphony for three years. LBYS taught me how to effectively play in an ensemble, exposed me to great symphonic repertoire, and introduced me to some of my closest friends. 

Where are you now and how is music still a part of your everyday life?

I am currently a student at the Cleveland Institute of Music, a conservatory in Cleveland, Ohio. At CIM, I study and practice every day with the hope of becoming a professional musician. I aspire to play in an orchestra, play in a string quartet, teach, or all three! 

Is there any advice you would give to young musicians who are maybe in the early stages of learning their instrument?

My biggest piece of advice to a younger musician would be to be consistent as possible with your practice. The early stages of learning a stringed instrument is quite similar to building muscle. It is more effective to practice one hour every day than three hours every three days! On that note, it is important to remember that the road to success, whatever it may be, is a journey. Do not be discouraged if your goals are not reached right away! Little by little, with practice, you will find your way. 

 

(Abigail Stewart)

What is your instrument and how did your journey with it start?

My main instrument is the French Horn. As an indispensable member of the orchestra, the horn plays an integral part of the melody and counter-melody often during the emotionally climatic parts of the music. It is capable of such poetic and dynamic sound, especially in movie and game soundtracks. The yearning to be an instrumentalist who can convey such emotion and grandeur is what urged me to pick up the horn as my main instrument.

Can you speak a little about your time in the Long Bay Youth Symphony (how long you were a part, your greatest takeaways, etc.)?

I had the pleasure to be a part of the Long Bay Youth Symphony for two non-consecutive years. The routine of practice, rehearsal, and performance depicts the life of an orchestral musician, and sets an example for those who want to pursue a career in the world of classical music. The experience of working with other musicians weekly taught me the importance of reliability and collaboration. Long Bay Youth Symphony helped me realize the aspect I value the most in orchestral performance is the tight-knit closeness one feels to their peers and the music itself while sharing the experience of making music. 

Where are you now and how is music still a part of your everyday life?

 I’m currently an undergraduate student at Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University studying Music for New Media where I learn the art of composing for games and movies. Analyzing movie and game soundtracks has become a part of my daily life and has allowed me to appreciate video games and cinema from a completely different perspective. In order to further comprehend the artistry and details of composition, I have recently started taking composition lessons with an established British composer, Dr. Tristan A. L. Latchford, and had the pleasure of performing in his most recent recorded concert series, ‘An Organist’s Songbook,’ which will be released in October.

Is there any advice you would give to young musicians who are maybe in the early stages of learning their instrument?

One’s love and passion is the best motivator for art and craft. Learn to appreciate and have fun with daily tasks like practicing and ear training. Although they can be exhausting at times, remember that your passion and fun was the reason you started and chose to continue this journey and you will be able to look at those practice sessions with a lighter heart and approach practice in a more fun way. Also, don’t limit yourself to the bare minimum participation in performances. If you take every opportunity you encounter, the experience of collaboration with your peers will greatly strengthen your skills and confidence.  

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Come out and witness the talent of these young musicians for yourself! The first LBYS Fall Concert takes place Nov. 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the MBHS Music & Arts Center. Tickets are $10 for adults and free for students. Whether you are seeing them perform for the first time or come to every concert, you will leave knowing it is a true privilege to be even a small part of their musical journeys.

Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr., otherwise known as John Denver, moved to Los Angeles in 1963 to start his career in music at the age of 20. Shortly after, he was selected to join the band Mitchell Trio as a vocalist, where he found his own groove within singing and songwriting. By the late 1960’s, he decided to go solo, creating the music we all know and love today, like “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” and “Rocky Mountain High.”

In 1997, at the age of 53, Denver tragically died in a plane crash. His songs famously live on today, and we celebrate his contributions to American music each time we hear a song on the radio or perform them live on the stage.

Tom Becker, a known John Denver tribute artist, will join the Long Bay Symphony on October 21st to carry on the legacy of both John Denver and Glen Campbell, two American musical icons.

Becker began his musical journey at the age of 12 when his dad gifted him a Sears Silvertone guitar for Christmas.

“After I got better at the guitar than he did, he quit playing,” Becker told me.

Becker found inspiration in the music of John Denver, James Taylor, Jim Croce, and Glen Campbell. By his early twenties, he regularly performed in clubs in the Chicago area until he got the chance to audition with the New Christy Minstrels, a folk group from the 1960’s. After landing the audition, Becker toured for three years, performing all over the United States and Europe.

“It was one of the best musical experiences of my life,” Becker said. “During that time, I started honing my songwriting skills. Eventually my original songs became a regular part of the group’s performances.”

After leaving the New Christy Minstrels, Becker moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he continued writing his own songs, one of which was selected as the Official Commemorative Song for the Navy Memorial dedication in Washington, DC. “Sailor” was inspired in part by John Denver.

Becker started performing in various locations across the country, often coming back to Nashville to write more of his own songs. On one of these trips back to Nashville, he met Michelle, a fellow singer/songwriter.

“When I returned to Colorado, I called her about some song ideas but we ended up connecting on a whole other level. I even wrote a song about it. It ended up being our love song.  Needless to say, I moved back to Nashville to be with her.”

As a musical duo, they decided to call themselves “Latitudes.” They played music together in Nashville for a time before receiving a phone call for a gig in Myrtle Beach. One year later, Michelle and Becker were married and decided to call South Carolina home.

“We’ve been lucky to have found a niche here and are blessed to have some amazing fans who love our original music.”

“In recent years, I began to feel that John Denver’s music and message were more important than ever. John was talking about environmental issues long before today’s emphasis on ‘going green.’ Not to mention you rarely hear his music on the radio.”

Because of this, Becker and Michelle decided to put a tribute band together titled “Back Home Again –A Tribute to John Denver,” and have performed in theaters all over the country. Their first symphony show was with—none other than—the Long Bay Symphony in 2011. Since then, they have performed with the Sarasota Pops Orchestra, the Elgin Symphony, Texas A&M Symphony, and more.

“John’s music has always spoken to me, but it was his message about protecting our planet that really did it for me,” Becker said. “I wanted to ‘walk the talk’ concerning John’s mission to bring awareness for protecting our environment.”

In an effort to continue John Denver’s work for the environment, Becker and his band donate portions of CD and DVD sales to Plant It 2020, a John Denver foundation that performs worldwide tree-planting, donates fuel-efficient cooking stoves to needy families, and provides forestry, soil, and biochar education. So far, through their John Denver tribute shows, Becker and his band have planted over 4,000 trees in Denver’s name.

“We’re so looking forward to sharing the stage again with conductor Dr. Charles Evans and The Long Bay Symphony,” Becker said. “There's nothing that compares to performing on stage with an orchestra. The sound and feeling are simply amazing.”

To learn more about Tom and Michelle Becker, be sure to check them out online at www.tomandmichellemusic.com .

To learn more about Plant It 2020, visit https://plantit2020.org.

Any opportunity where the cultural arts can join forces to give our community a well-rounded, artistic experience is something we want to be a part of. The Long Bay Symphony is excited to partner with Thomas Davis Island Fox Art Gallery at our first Masterworks concert on September 24. Patrons will be able to view artwork by gallery owner Thomas Davis and guest artist Kimberly Grigg in the lobby before the concert and during intermission. To top it all off, Davis will also be live-painting a scene during the concert.

To get to know the artists prior to the concert, I asked Thomas Davis and Kimberly Grigg to share a bit about their journeys as artists in the Myrtle Beach community.

Thomas Davis, Thomas Davis Island Fox Art Gallery Owner

My family first arrived in Myrtle Beach in 1954.  I grew up loving to go to the beach, and I still do. My family has always appreciated the simple life on the ocean. Myrtle Beach is a special place to live.

My love of the arts began as a child. I took classical art classes all through high school and into my college years at Clemson and CCU.  In the mid 80’s, I left SC and moved to Atlanta to pursue a career in Advertising. It wasn’t long after that I realized the beach was calling me back. I returned to Myrtle Beach and worked in advertising for three years. In 1991, my mother took me to New York to see the Matisse Exhibit. It was then that I knew for certain that I wanted to create beautiful art, so I began painting the beauty of our own low country and coast. I soon began travelling through Europe applying what I learned from visiting museums in other countries. This is when my own technique of bright colors and oils began to develop.  This was my epiphany moment: I realized I could do this for the rest of my life. Monet inspired the landscapes I create, while Picasso and Matisse gave me the liberty to be bold and express myself through color.

My mother was a huge influence on my love of the arts.  In 1994, she and I took a trip to Paris.   It was there that I saw the integration of arts at the local bistros, where artists could sell their works right off the walls of these little cafes. This inspired me to open Collectors Café and Gallery in 1994. Collectors Café enabled me to showcase not only my own art but many other local up and coning artists, giving them the opportunity to show their pieces where they otherwise couldn’t. It was one of my great pleasures of owning Collectors Café for 26 years.  Unfortunately, in 2020, a fire brought the success of Collectors Café to an end.  After that, I spent my time travelling and wondering how to bring back a place where I could showcase not only my own art, but again, the works of other local artists.  In 2022, Donna and I found the answer, and we opened the ‘Thomas Davis Island Fox Art Gallery’, creating a space to showcase art in our local community. Through marketing, our gallery’s art shows, special events, and collaborations with other entities of the arts, such as the Long Bay Symphony, we are able to support the cultural arts scene and watch it thrive in Myrtle Beach.

I feel the heartbeat of our community has always been fueled by culture and the arts. It is so important to feed this and offer growth opportunities to new artists in all areas. This is why I joined the Cultural Resources Committee for the City of Myrtle Beach in 2020 as well as why it was so important for us to open the Thomas Davis Island Fox Art Gallery. It is my desire to continue to bring art to our city and express my vision through color and bold brush strokes.

Kimberly Griggs, Guest Artist

Growing up on a hog farm in a small town promotes a certain type of creativity.  When not performing chores, schoolwork or extracurricular activities, I drew house plans (feverishly!).  This prompted my love for interior design and all things creative.

I learned to sew and make things. Anything creative that I took on was fostered by my highly creative and energetic grandmother. My dad was also very creative, and I often spent Saturdays helping him with projects like reupholstering the seats on our family boat!

As an adult, I opened my active and successful interior design business, Knotting Hill Interiors.  The work challenged my creativity but also fostered an inability to “wind down” in the evenings and on the weekends. Eventually, I turned to painting to help steady my pace and to help me relax. Once all six of my children (shared, adopted, and biological) left the nest, my painting practice flourished into, not only a vibrant hobby, but also a second profession!

As my art practice grew, so did my choice of mediums. As an interior designer, I use many different tools, including wallpaper and fabrics, to create rooms that tend to be dramatic, colorful, and possess a little flair for the “extraordinary”! I knew that I would need similar tools to work with in my art practice. Hence, I began to work as a mixed media artist. I am always searching for elements to use in my artwork. Often, I use fabrics, wallpapers, tile, and trash!  I work these components into my endless variety of collage papers, paints, and whatever materials I can get my hands on to create interesting and expressive art. I spend countless hours “arranging on canvas” just as I arrange furniture in a room. This method tends to produce interesting original pieces, but is also, deeply satisfying.

I am fascinated with faces and the human form as well as work that depicts rooms or excerpts from rooms, and I often use these elements in my art. I like to incorporate “tablescapes” into my creations, which is as natural for me as breathing.

Along the way in my artistic journey, I aligned myself with other artists within our community. I find that the Myrtle Beach community of artists tends to be broad and extremely giving. My long-term friendship with Tommy Davis and the Island Fox Art Gallery has blossomed and flourished. My admiration of what Tommy has created is endless. Not only has he built his own artistic brand, but he has strived for excellence and helped pave the way for the progression of the cultural arts community.

Creativity and the arts are vital to our community, no matter what medium that is expressed. I hear people often say that they aren’t creative. To that I say, “poppycock”! Everyone is creative; it’s all about how you go about fostering it. The cultural arts community provides many such outlets and I am grateful for that. As our arts movement continues to grow and prosper in our area, I am so happy and proud to be a part of it. I have the deepest respect for the artisans who express their craft but also those who work endlessly to promote the programs that exist in our area.

 

Please see below for a sneak peak of what will be displayed and available for purchase on Sunday, September 24. The gallery will donate 20% commission of purchased pieces to the Long Bay Symphony.

Jackie O Capri Grotto - $4,200  

Surf Myrtle Beach - $6,400

Fox Den at 78th Avenue - $3,700

Our first Masterworks concert will take place on September 24th to kick off the 2023-2024 season, Symphony for All. The title piece is Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, arguably his most famous piano concerto ever composed. Additionally, the symphony will perform Florence Price’s Symphony No. 1, the first symphony composed by a Black woman to ever be performed by a major orchestra in the 1930’s. The third piece to be performed is a world premiere titled Flourish & Air by Pawleys Island native and Long Bay Youth Symphony alumnus, Joseph R. Kaz.

Kaz’s devotion to composition is an embodiment of the hope we have for all of our Youth Symphony and Youth String Ensemble students, that they may go on to pursue music as a career or stay in touch with their passion for it at the very least. To get to know him a little bit better, I asked Kaz a few questions about his life since graduating beyond the Long Bay Youth Symphony.

To start, can you tell our patrons a little about yourself and how you became interested in composing?

As a native of Pawleys Island, I started making music by studying piano with Harriet Hunter, and then joining band to play the trombone at the Waccamaw schools.  From there, I became much more active in instrumental and vocal ensembles around the area – the Indigo Choral Society and Long Bay’s own Youth Symphony to name a few!  Composing was something I took a casual interest in very early on, and then I got much more serious about it in high school.  I was very fortunate to have amazing teachers at Waccamaw High School, Chris Graham and Suzanne Young, who not only helped me in the music writing process, but also gave me the chance to have my music performed by peers. Dr. Charles Evans with the Long Bay Youth Symphony was no different!  I recall to this day Dr. Evans telling me that the piece I wanted to play for the concerto competition my senior year didn’t have a suitable orchestra arrangement, so he asked me to write a piece instead! And thus, my first piece for orchestra, La Terre de Dieu, came to be!

How I came to decide that making music, and specifically composing, was what I wanted to do is a twistier story. I knew after attending the Sewanee Summer Music Festival for the first time that music was what I wanted to do. I then remember having to choose between Ithaca College and UNC Greensboro for school, and it was definitely a loaded choice – Ithaca wanted me to be a composer; UNCG wanted me to be a trombonist.  Ultimately, I chose Ithaca College because deep down I knew that composing is really what I wanted to pursue.  Interestingly enough, while a freshman at Ithaca, I saw an opera for the first time – a production of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo – and was blown away.  That’s when I knew that opera is really what I wanted to do, both as a composer and otherwise, and so I “retired” from playing trombone and doubled down on singing.

Outside of composing, I’m a singer, conductor, and educator in the Washington, DC area.  Presently, I’m the head of the music department at the Nysmith School in the DC suburbs, as well as the Chorister Program Director at St. Alban’s DC. As a singer I work with many of DC’s local opera companies including InSeries Opera, Bel Cantanti Opera, Annapolis Opera, and others.  When not making music, I spend my time with my two cats, Bug and Malcom, and enjoy a plethora of activities in our nation’s capital.

I’ve read that your opera, Alice Flagg, was inspired by the famous ghost story of Pawleys Island, your hometown. Did your roots similarly inspire your latest world premiere, Flourish and Air, or did you pull inspiration from elsewhere for this piece?

I’ve always taken inspiration from the world around me, particularly my home, for my music.  Be it La Terre de Dieu which was inspired by Debordieu just north of Georgetown and a place of incredible significance to my parents, or my piece for wind quintet In the Garden of Statues which was inspired by Brookgreen Gardens. The most notable are three of my operas – my first being Alice Flagg, which is about Pawleys Island's most popular and tragic ghost; The Female Stranger, which is about a peculiar grave in the Washington, DC area; and The Lady in Granite, which is another grave story from the Finger Lakes region of New York.

Flourish and Air, however, did not have a specific geographical emphasis. Rather, I wanted to craft a piece that would work well with the rest of the program for this concert.  Price and Rachmaninoff are two very bombastic, yet incredibly lyrical, composers and so I wanted to write a piece that would “foreshadow” that in some ways. With this being said, there are a few subtle references to “growing up” that I snuck into the piece. It starts with the trombone. Then, there is another short trombone solo in the middle, and a lengthy oboe solo for Jessica Miller, who, of course, was the LBYS manager when I was in the ensemble. Furthermore, the composer I draw the most influence from is Puccini, whose opera Tosca was famously described as a “shabby little shocker.”  Now, while I think Tosca is much more than that – I would love to have any of my pieces reviewed as “arrogantly shabby.”

Several members of our Youth Symphony have gone on to do incredible things in the musical world, yourself included! Can you speak a little about your time in the Long Bay Youth Symphony and in what ways it helped prepare you for a career in music?

My time with the LBYS was absolutely amazing!  There is nothing like playing in an orchestra, and playing in a youth symphony that was so unafraid to conquer some amazing pieces was incredible for me, and I made so many amazing friends who were phenomenal musicians. Waccamaw had an amazing band program, but playing with an orchestra was so much different – it taught me how to be a more independent musician, and it allowed me to become immersed in a much broader range of styles.  Making music with Dr. Evans was always a joy, and he always insisted upon us putting intention behind every note we played.  This is something that I really took for granted at the time, but as I’ve continued to make music, I now continually remind myself of – and definitely has paid dividends in the audition room!

What advice do you have for the younger generation of composers who are interested in making music their career?

For anyone thinking about pursuing composing, I would say to remember to be honest with yourself about the kind of music you want to write, but to practice writing in as many different styles and with as many different techniques as possible.  For me, studying composition has always been about finding more tools to put under my belt and more ways to be expressive.  With this being said, the music world is no fairy tale. Find a way to “make it” that isn’t the story book ending of finding a patron or expecting to work solely on commission.  Furthermore, keep making music yourself.  Never stop performing, as it is one of our greatest teachers.

Join us for an uplifting patriotic program featuring inspirational songs from our nation’s past to the present, tracing our quest for freedom through music and narrative.

Free admission for the general public. No reservation necessary.

This concert will take place at multiple locations along the Grand Strand:

In lieu of ticket sales, donations will be accepted at the door Joint Task Force K9s, a 501(c)(3) with the mission of enriching the lives of Active-Duty Military, Combat Veterans, and Law Enforcement with disabilities through K9 Therapy and the placement of specially trained Service Dogs.

This concert is sponsored in part by:

 &  Joanne Milnor

 

 

The Long Bay Symphony in partnership with Champion Autism Network presents...[Sero-Tune-In]: A Sensory Relaxed Concert!

The LBS aims to honor and enhance the Grand Strand’s commitment to being an autism and sensory-friendly destination by designing a concert that will make the attending experience more comfortable and welcoming for people of all abilities. Maestro Charles Jones Evans has created a 45-minute program around the idea of [Sero-Tune-In] (aka the chemical feeling your brain produces when you hear a feel-good tune!) intended to both educate and engage the audience in a fun, interactive way featuring fan-favorite classics and familiar movie music!

An instrument petting zoo will be held from 2PM to 3PM. Families are encouraged to have an up-close, orchestral experience by interacting with all of the various instruments in the LBS petting zoo, including a violin, trombone, clarinet, maracas, and more!

Symphony staff have put together a pre-concert guide to help you get acquainted with the venue before you join us! Click here to access the guide.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children 18 and under. The Symphony staff encourages those who require additional accommodations to call the box office when ordering their tickets.

Buy Tickets

50% of the proceeds from this concert will go to benefit the Champion Autism Network. CAN has created a whole weekend experience for families looking to spend the weekend in Myrtle Beach--starting with a pizza party mixer on Friday and ending with Sero-Tune-In on Sunday! Learn more about the accommodations and itinerary here.

This project is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. We are so excited to announce that we are recipient of the South Carolina Arts Commission's Arts for All SC grant. The purpose of the Arts for All SC Grant (AFASC) is to help arts organizations throughout South Carolina identify and address accessibility barriers to patrons with disabilities. Additional sponsors include the City of Myrtle Beach, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, and Coastal Carolina National Bank.

Need a preview before attending? Listen to the songs (performed by other artists and orchestras) ahead of time on Spotify!

 

An LBS Christmas tradition, Handel's beloved oratorio traces Jesus' birth, crucifixion and ultimate resurrection through scriptural texts. Additionally, a cantata composed for the 1st Sunday in Advent by J.S. Bach, Nun comma, der Heiden Heiland will be included in the program.

Free to attend - No reservation required!

An LBS Christmas tradition, Handel's beloved oratorio traces Jesus' birth, crucifixion and ultimate resurrection through scriptural texts. Additionally, a cantata composed for the 1st Sunday in Advent by J.S. Bach, Nun comma, der Heiden Heiland will be included in the program.

Free to attend - No reservation required!

Join us for an uplifting patriotic program featuring inspirational songs from our nation’s past to the present, tracing our quest for freedom through music and narrative.

Free admission for the general public. No reservation necessary.

This concert will take place at multiple locations along the Grand Strand:

In lieu of ticket sales, donations will be accepted at the door Joint Task Force K9s, a 501(c)(3) with the mission of enriching the lives of Active-Duty Military, Combat Veterans, and Law Enforcement with disabilities through K9 Therapy and the placement of specially trained Service Dogs.

This concert is sponsored in part by:

 &  Joanne Milnor

 

 

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