It's Nan Season!! Let's be real, every reason is Nan Season, especially when you're Nan...but this season is especially about Nan, as it is her 20th Season with the Michigan Philharmonic.
Anyway, with the upcoming season quickly approaching us, it is only right that we focus these next few blog posts on our loving and oh so wonderful Music Director and Conductor, Nan Washburn.
This week we have a list of 10, count 'em 10 FUN FACTS that let you and yours get to know Nan just a little bit better!
Enough jib jab, let's get crackin'!
1.) How many Sound of Music fans do we have out there? The correct answer is all of you because it is by far the greatest and most beautiful movie ever created...don't fight me on that. Well, Nan's "break-through performance" and one of her most memorable was playing "Climb Every Mountain" as a flute solo in her Juanamaria Elementary School music program. The talent showed early and clearly never stopped. Go Little Nan Go!
2.) And the talent goes beyond music. Why, whatever do I mean? Well, Nan won a talent contest in the 6th grade for riding her unicycle. HER UNICYCLE. You read that right.
3.) What is Nan's favorite color? I know you're dying to know and contrary to the red shoes and white ensembles she often sports, her favorite color is BLUE. What a twist!
4.) When most people think of Nan and conducting, they think "oh she was BORN to do this" and "she must have come out of the womb conducting." Well, believe it or not, Nan didn't take her first conducting class until she was 30. Better late than never I always say. Good choice, Nan!
5.) Calling all cat-lovers! Nan has a love for those creatures too, and is especially partial to all-black and Siamese kitties.....and wouldn't you know she has one of each!
6.) When she was a professional flutist, she thought conducting was for those who couldn't play a musical instrument well enough...obviously Nan figured this one out on her own, but let's pretend she didn't: And to that I say nay-nay, Nan!! Go conduct!! Look at her being all great at the flute AND becoming a conductor! #talent
7.) Once Nan realized she could add another hat to her collection, Nan first began conducting flute choirs, first in college and then later, with her own flute students! ...and NOW? Full orchestras. Can't stop, won't stop, Nan!
8.) Despite having a messy desk (her words, not mine) filled with partially completed projects in her home office, she is very systematic and meticulous about marking her scores. She uses a Sharpie pen for meter changes, red pencil for instrument entrances/sforzandos/fortepianos, blue pencil for phrase markings/fermatas, a yellow highlighter for tempo markings/mutes/pizzicato/arco notations, and No. 1 pencils for everything else.... Well to be fair, Nan, you don't have time to clean, when you're too busy being great!
9.) Before she gets to the fun part of creating concert programming (choosing the pieces and soloists), she puts together a detailed budget for every performance with all the rehearsals and rates for hiring each musician. Then she does a budget for buying or renting each piece of music for the season. It goes to show that a conductor does more than just stand up on a podium waving a baton and looking good, there's a lot of thought that goes into the planning and most of it rests on Nan. Thank a Nan today! (Specifically our Nan....Nan Washburn...I don't know how many Nan's you know..)
10.) While often asked “what is your most memorable performance?”, it is hard to pin down. So many concerts, so much great music, but if pushed, she might have to say that it’s the two performances she’s done of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with this orchestra—such a big production with a large orchestra, full chorus, soloists and that powerfully beautiful and transformative music!
There you have it, folks! 10 super FUN and super INTERESTING facts about Nan!
It is obvious that these 10 little facts are just a few things that make Nan, Nan! She's full of fun facts and stories that I could go on for days about, but alas we all have things to do, like attending the Pop-Up Party...
Yep that's right, by the time this blog is posted, we will be hours away from the annual Pop-Up Party to celebrate the beginning of the Philharmonic Season. The party is open to all and it is a perfect opportunity to meet and mingle with other Philharmonicers as well as chat with Nan....and maybe learn a few more fun facts about her! (Pop-Up Party details at the end of the post..almost there!)
Oh, one more fact we know for sure:
11.) She LOVES the Michigan Philharmonic
If your love is as big as Nan's, come support our upcoming shows and events, all posted on the Michigan Philharmonic's website. These things are not possible without the love and support from our audiences!
Pop-Up Party Details:
September 13, 2018
7 PM
@ PARC
650 Church St. Plymouth, MI 48170
See you there and Happy Pop-Up Partying!
#music #classicalmusic #fun #orchestra #naniversary #michiganphil #miphil #michiganphilharmonic #miphilmyway #cantstopwontstop #nan
What a fun blog! Love this edition!!!!
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