I went to the One Hundred Club dinner this week hosted by one of my mentors, Norman Knight, honoring Peter Smythe. Smythe is Prez & CEO of Greater Media operating 20 radio stations around the country; one of the rare small to mid-size radio groups that didn’t get gobbled by Clear Channel. Knight was a colleague/contemporary of my radioman father, Don Schardt. My father and Norman are from the “innovation” era of commercial radio…when it was run by people who knew the power of the medium, made interesting programs, and who also carried a deep sense of public service.

Read more »

Posted: May 11th, 2007 under SuseMuse blog.
Comments: none

I loved the bit from the NY Times obit for the great, recently-late, cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, of his close relationship to Dmitri Shostakovich, “Sometimes when I’m conducting, I see his face coming to me. Sometimes it’s not really a happy face — I conduct maybe a bit too slow. So I conduct faster, and the face disappears.”

New England Conservatory has posted a rare, February 1987 recording of Rostropovich conducting the NEC Symphony Orchestra. The story has it that Rotropovich was taking a break from rehearsals with the BSO, with whom he was performing, to step across the street, pick up his baton, and lead NEC students as they sightread Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony. Click here to listen to the rehearsal. (note: the audio buffers slowly. you may want to wait until the whole thing loads before playing it to avoid annoying hiccups.)

Posted: May 7th, 2007 under SuseMuse blog.
Comments: none