“Robert, Robert, Robert! I got it, I got them both!”
This is often how I would enter KUAC on Wednesday mornings post 2001.
When Performance Today added the Piano Puzzler I first rolled my eyes “that is sooo obvious!” I thought. But I was instantly hooked. The Robert is Robert Hannon who was my colleague and cohort-in -appreciation at the time. I was often in my car when the Piano Puzzler aired on KUAC. I listened, hoped to guess, was often stumped, and sometimes got half. I was always thrilled to figure it out. One of the things I liked about it was just how nice Bruce sounded. Easy and of course PT host Fred Childs also seems like a really nice guy. I remember the classical music hosts of my younger days. They were all so serious – there was so much pomp to classical music shows. But the music was always great and now, when I look for classical musicians for FCA I look for artists that embody that feeling of “I like them.” So why not ask the master? And guess what? He said “sure, can I bring my friends?” says us: “Why not?”
This wasn’t my idea – or even our artist selection committee’s – although Leone probably proposed it first. We heard it from you. Those surveys? When you fill them in we read them and you asked for Bruce Adolphe.
You asked. We listened.
It’s as simple as this.
Like each new generation, our season is informed by the successes of the ones that come before. In this relationship, we are like your eager to please puppies: Attentive to what you tell us on our surveys and with your actions. Our evening with In the Footsteps of Django received a perfect 5 on our surveys and informed us that guitars were beloved by Fairbanks. (As if we didn’t already know!). Look for more guitars next year. Our season opener is a group you begged us to bring. You asked. We listened.
Look too, for a few big names next year. We’ll present the biggest acappella group of all time, a famous jazz artist in a new combination and a big name comedian. Our lips are sealed other than to tell you that you know him from movies, from Saturday Night Live and from SCTV.
Also, he’s Canadian. OK, that’s really all we’ll tell you… for now.
His plane will touch down in Fairbanks October 5th. We’ll be auditioning for someone to appear with him on stage over the summer. Start practicing!
We’ll be announcing the 2013-2014 Season in just a few short days… meanwhile… keep checking our facebook page for clues and puzzle pieces.
It won’t be long now!