Location, Location, Location -- Weekly Inspiration from Carole

This week's weekly inspiration is written by yours truly, and it's very hard to write an introduction to your own blog post.  Therefore, I think it would be best if I just dove right in.  Check back at the end of each week for more Weekly Inspiration from Fifth House Ensemble!  

As many of you know, last week we had the wonderful experience of opening our 2011-2012 Signature Series, In Transit, with In Transit: #undercoverhero.  In all honesty, it was an extremely stress-filled week with lots of highs and lows.  But, as an artist, it was one of the most fulfilling weeks I've experienced.

The coolest part about the week was that we had the opportunity to perform our concert in 4 very different venues.

Our first In Transit: #undercoverhero performance, was a salon style performance of John Elmquist's Junk Shot and Villa Lobos' Reed Trio.  The salon concert was an invitation only event held in the home of one of our board members.  Throughout the concert, ensemble members were able to talk to the guests about the music throughout the 2 1/2 hour event.

The second performance of In Transit: #undercoverhero was our first public performance.  On Monday 10/24, we performed for the city of Chicago in the wonderfully beautiful Preston Bradley Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center.  The event was free and open to the public, and not only were we able to perform for guests who planned on seeing our concert that day, but visitors to the Cultural Center that day were able to witness our warm ups & rehearsals and have the chance to stay and experience a great show.

On Friday 10/28, we played In Transit: #undercoverhero at the Chicago Park District's Ridge Park auditorium.  This concert was also free and open to the public, and the CPD employees did a wonderful job of papering the neighborhood with fliers & event information.  Before the concert, Ridge Park hosted a community Halloween party & costume contest for the neighborhood children & their families.  These familes then stayed for the concert, and we were able to expose over 120 children & parents to both classic and new chamber music!

Lastly, two nights ago, we performed In Transit: #undercoverhero for members of the Arts Club of Chicago.  The Arts Club of Chicago concert was in an exquisitely beautiful salon room complete with a stage, cabaret-style tables & chairs, and beautiful art to make for a lovely concert performing (and going) experience.

One of the things I love most about Fifth House Ensemble is their dedication to bringing music to all members of society.  From close friends of the ensemble at the home of a board member to students, tourists, visitors to Chicago, and from young kids & their families to lovers and supporters of fine arts, Fifth House Ensemble wants to expose everyone to chamber music.  And after the last week or so, I'd say we were pretty successful!  After a week of exposing as many different types of people to the arts, I'm more than inspired to continue moving forward with our In Transit series!

And don't forget that in just under 2 weeks, we'll be performing In Transit: #undercoverhero in Flagstaff, Arizona at Northern Arizona University!  A whole new demographic.

The top picture is of Crystal, Jenny, Adam, Matt, and Karl rehearsing Mozart before the Ridge Park concert.  The bottom picture is of the beautiful stage set up at the Arts Club of Chicago.