Mike Moore | The Journal Gazette
Members of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic have spent more time picketing than practicing together in recent months. Previous Next
Wednesday, December 23, 2020 1:00 am
Getting in tune
Larry Rowland
For decades, local audiences have been delighted by the music played by the talented musical professionals of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. Audiences marvel at the technical competence and passion with which the musicians play each time they take the stage.
Yet, during this year, our performance venues have been dark as the pandemic has caused performances to be canceled. As a result, concert revenue has ceased.
The pandemic has inflicted economic hardship and uncertainty for many. In response, numerous families, individuals and organizations have reduced or eliminated discretionary spending and are attempting to save money, hoping this action will help them weather the pandemic-induced financial storm.
Friday, December 18, 2020 1:00 am
Artists share cheer with Virtual Holiday Spectacular
Streaming showalso serves asarts fundraiser
COREY MCMAKEN | The Journal Gazette
Local musician Andy Lott realized a few months ago that it was looking more and more as if Christmas wasn t going to be the same this year for local artists or the community.
Some performances were going virtual because of the pandemic. Some were outright canceled. There were going to be fewer opportunities for gig workers such as musicians, and similarly few opportunities for the community to enjoy the arts at the holidays.
So in August, Lott and his wife began thinking of ways to make that connection between musicians and the community. As they talked to members of the local arts community, the project snowballed to become the Virtual Holiday Spectacular, which will be streamed free Sunday, then be available to replay for a month on Facebook. No Facebook account is needed to watch the stream.