Behind the Scenes: Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – For 65 years, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO) has expressed happiness, melancholy, and nostalgia through its music, and before the lights dim and the first bow touches a string, hundreds must prepare.
"Unlike the visual arts, music comes and goes the sound leaves as soon as it's there, and we have to be very much in the present for that," MSO Assistant Director Ryan Tani said.
During its "Nothin' But the Blues Concert" on Friday, March 15, the MSO shared a variety of tunes meant to transport the audience to a 20th-century jazz club. At the front of the group is the maestro, or conductor, communicating his vision with the orchestra, who then sing to the audience with their instruments.
However, long before the first note enters the atmosphere, hundreds of people must perfect their craft, and some of the most important pieces of this puzzle go unseen, on purpose.
"'The show doesn't go on if the lights don't,' I think is one of my favorite quotes," Bradley Symphony Center Technical Director Tristan Wallace said.
"The thing about the stagehands, or the production staff, is generally, if you notice us, that means something is wrong. For the most part, we're kind of in the shadows and stay in the wings."
Before every show, Wallace and his team ensure every chair, cable, and microphone is exactly where it needs to be so the artists can make music without any sour notes.
"There is a whole production staff that is working super hard behind the scenes to get this concert onstage to allow musicians to be able to hear properly, to be able to see, have all the sidelines they need to be in a situation where they feel comfortable to focus on what they need to focus on," Tani said.
While one crew sets the scene with lights and equipment, Assistant Conductor Ryan Tani handles the instrumental side, pouring over sheet music to transport listeners.
"I like to feel that the conductor's podium is the best seat in the house," he said. "The process of putting a show together happens well before everything we see during the concert, right? All the musicians have spent their lives dedicated to their instruments, and I spent my time studying these wonderful scores written by incredible composers who have their ideas they want to share."
Even though Tani is the only person on stage not making any sound, the orchestra hears him loud and clear.
"So, I think the conductor internalizes the music, and how I understand it, and communicates that in a sort of nonverbal language to the musician, so that they understand a language together," he explained. "This is our job, but what a privilege to do it."
While many might assume orchestra practices together tirelessly, most, like Principal Trombone Megumi Konda, rehearse alone.
"The moment I came to audition, I knew I wanted to stay here," Konda said about her first impression of the MSO 20 years ago.
"A lot of people think that Milwaukee Symphony may be part-time, but we actually work every day except for Monday. So, it's a full-time orchestra. We bring many, many concerts a year."
When it is showtime, it is this collaboration and painstaking preparation that makes the performance come to life.
"One of my favorite things about performance is connecting with the audience. Like, can I make their day better by bringing something special?" Kanda said.
For information on the MSO, visit its website.
