Music Kitchen Celebrates 100th Concert with Song Cycle Commission "Forgotten Voices"

Kelly Hall-Tompkins writes:

I cannot believe it, but this month marks the 100th Music Kitchen concert! As I look back on nearly 14 seasons, I am so excited about all that we have accomplished together:  An estimated 17,000 homeless shelter clients reached by some of the top artists in our field! 17,000 voices strong! Over the years, you've read the blue text at the end of my concert narratives with thoughts from the shelter clients about our concerts.  Even as society at large sometimes marginalizes these voices, they have moved us in the Music Kitchen community tremendously.  They have inspired us, they have taught us more about life and loss, about music, about ourselves, about joy, about compassion.  We have listened.  And now we are sharing these voices with you in a whole new, unprecedented way.  I am so incredibly excited to announce our new special project: To celebrate the 100th concert this month and moving into the 15th season in March 2020, Music Kitchen is launching a Song Cycle Commissioning Project, entitled “Forgotten Voices,” to commission 15 of the top emerging and established composers of our time to set incidental comments from homeless shelter clients from past Music Kitchen concerts. Beginning in January with Jeff Scott (from the Imani Winds) “Für Meinen Vater” (For My Father) and continuing each month for 15 months, the project will include works by Jon Grier, James Lee, Tania Leon,  Jessie Montgomery, Beata Moon, Paul Moravec, Kevin Puts, Steve Sandberg,  and many more!  The composers have each chosen one homeless shelter client comment which moves and inspires them most, and set it in song.  Stay tuned for a new composer and a new premiere each month, first in shelter and, beginning in March 2020, for public performances of the Complete Composite Song Cycle "Forgotten Voices." 

As you know, for reasons of privacy and safe haven, concerts in homeless shelters cannot be made available to the public.  But as this is the most ambitious Music Kitchen project to date, and the only one of its kind, I will invite you each month to buy a virtual "ticket" of support of this endeavor.  Again, it is not for actual attendance, but to support our 15-month long project at the grassroots level of $25.  Larger gifts are also welcome.

Although you unfortunately cannot attend in person, I am very excited to share that the 100th concert will be featured by the NBC TODAY Show with Harry Smith!  More on that to come!

You make this all possible and I am so very grateful for your support!

Warmest Regards,

Kelly

Photo credits: Gregory Routt, June Etta Photography, Richard Termine

Composer Highlight: Jeff Scott

Chosen Text: "The music made me remember my father who died exactly 6 years ago.  He was German and he loved classical music, especially Mozart but also Brahms.  It was always on in the background when I was growing up.  I haven’t listened to Brahms in many years.  The music went straight into my soul.  Thank you"

Bio: A native of Queens, NY, Jeff  Scott started the French horn  at age 14, receiving an  anonymous gift scholarship  to go to the Brooklyn  College Preparatory Division.  An even greater gift came  from his first teacher,  Carolyn Clark, who taught  the young Mr. Scott for  free during his high school  years, giving him the  opportunity to study music  when resources were not  available. He received his  bachelor’s degree from  Manhattan School of  Music (studying with  David Jolley), and master’s  degree from SUNY at  Stony Brook (studying with  William Purvis). He later  continued his horn studies  with Scott Brubaker and  the late Jerome Ashby.   Jeff Scott’s performance  credits are many and varied.  They include The Lion  King orchestra (Broadway,  New York) 1997-2005, and  the 1994 revival of Showboat  (Broadway, New York)  1994-1997. He has been a  member of the Alvin Ailey  and Dance Theater of Harlem  orchestras since 1995 and  has performed numerous  times under the direction of  Wynton Marsalis with the   Lincoln Center Jazz  rchestra.  Jeff Scott is also  the french hornist in  the internationally  acclaimed wind quintet “Imani  Winds”. Mr. Scott has also experienced  good fortune as a studio  musician. He can be  heard on movie  soundtracks scored by  Terrence Blanchard, Tan  Dun and on commercial  recordings with notable  artists such as Chick Corea,  Wayne Shorter, Steve Coleman,  Chris Brubeck, Chico O’Farill,  Freddy Cole and Jimmy Heath,  among others. Additionally, he  has toured with artists  such as Barbra Streisand and  the late Luther Vandross. Jeff Scott’s arranging and  composing credits are many,  and include scoring the  off-Broadway production  of Becoming Something,  The Canada Lee Story, the  staged production of Josephine  Baker: A Life of Le Jazz  Hot!, and many original works  for solo winds as well as wind,  brass and jazz ensembles.   His works are published  by International Opus, Trevco  Music, To The Fore Music and  self-published at  www.MusicbyJeffScott.com. Jeff Scott has been on the  horn faculty of the music  department at Montclair State  University (New Jersey) since  2002. Donate at: http://www.musickitchennyc.org/