3-12-10
By LAURA COX
You might know Mike Levenstein as an Oneonta-based Bassett physician.
Or Franklin’s Jim Mullen as author of “It Takes A Village Idiot.”
Or Doug Decker as an administrator at FoxCare’s HealthLinks.
Or Sam Goodyear as … John Adams.
This weekend, you’ll see a different side of all these men if you attend the Catskill Symphony Orchestra’s Maestro Madness Guest Conductor Competition, a much anticipated part of its annual Cabaret Concert, (which also happens to be the CSO’s largest fundraiser.)
For the four will set aside their day-
MUSICA/From A-1
to-day personae and become – ta, da! – conductors.
The concert, which begins at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 13, in SUNY Oneonta’s Dewar Arena features folk duo Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, who play on the soundtrack of Ken Burns’ Grammy-winning PBS series, “The Civil War.” Then, with state Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford, emceeing, the conductors-for-a-day will take the stage.
If coming to see some of our best local musicians perform in the orchestra isn’t enough to get your seat in a seat, this concert is offered in the “Cabaret” style, with the audience seated at tables. Light snacks will be served and beverages will be available.
They’re pumped, each of them said in interviews this week, each prepared to conduct a 30-second selection of Sousa’s “Stars & Stripes Forever.”
As they conduct, friends they’re recruited will be moving through the audience, soliciting donations – $1 equals one vote – in favor of the conductor of the moment. (Or you can donate in advance at http://catskillsymphony.net.)
The conductor who raises the most money gets to conduct the whole march at the end of the show.
Levenstein, a doctor at Bassett’s Main Street Oneonta office, plays guitar and is a vocalist in three local bands, including Cajun band Cri Du Bayou, the Union Street Band, and a group that jams at My Father’s Place every Thursday. He’s been playing music since third grade, when he picked up the clarinet, then the drums. In high school, he learned to play the guitar, then the mandolin, violin and banjo, but he’s never done any conducting.
Mullen said he’s been studying hard, but wishes he could read at least one note of music.
Think of the convenience, he said: If this were New York City, he’s have to dress in formal wear, get a cab, wait in line to get in.
“Here there is plenty of parking, it’s semi-casual and great stuff,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Decker, HealthLinks’ member services director, plays guitar and does vocals for local band Just Throw Money. He reports switching from bass guitar to regular guitar in high school when he realized girls like guitar players.
“It’s a great evening,” he said of the Maestro event; many of his friends have participated as guest conductors. “And it’s a great way to support a great org and get out of the house and beat that cabin fever.”
Sam Goodyear, who was at the Foothills Performing Arts Center and wrote the “Art Beat” column in Hometown Oneonta until moving to New York City recently, wll be setting aside John Adams’ regalia – he has performed as the second president around the U.S. – for the evening.
As Beethoven, he’ll pull his hair out to one side, maestro fashion. He’s a bit deaf, Sam continued, so he already has that part of Beethoven cold.
Goodyear has been alerting many of his friends to donate, and even ran an ad in this paper, seeking to raise money for the cause. And he took a quick conducting lesson from a friend.
“The main reason [people should come] is they will get a lot of fun out of it, beautiful music,” he said.
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