Submitted by Stuart Ronkainen I loved the movie Get Out, in part because of its excellent score, particularly the extremely eerie theme “Sikiliza Kwa Wahenga”. In this track, the Swahili lyrics loosely translate to “Brother, listen to the ancestors. Run! You need to run far! (Listen to the truth) Save yourself! Run! Run!” The composer, Michael…

– Submitted by MSO Board Member Kris Kautzman I don’t know about you, but I’ve been way over-scheduled the past few weeks, and craving some time to just sit and watch the clouds go by. On Tuesday, as waves of rain blew into the Twin Cities, I not only got that chance to sit and…

From Christine Melchert This weekend we are fortunate to play “African Suite: IV. Dance Negre” by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.  Here are some fun facts in addition to what Bill shared at rehearsal:• His mother named him after the famous English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge• His first commission came via Edward Elgar• His most famous work is “Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast” based…

By Christine Melchert Students at a New York City middle school couldn’t find a children’s book about Florence Price, a prolific, but often ignored and unknown Black female composer. So, they decided to write their own! This is a remarkable story about how the next generation saw a need and took matters into their own hands to…