Sunday, January 27, 2019

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 

Jeff Scott has been on the 
horn faculty of the music 
department at Montclair State 
University (New Jersey) since 
2002.


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