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Winter Wonders Down Under
New Australian Exhibit Opens at the National Aquarium
When you've had enough of jingle bells and pine tree smells this season, head for the National Aquarium in Baltimore's major new exhibit, "Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extremes." When it opens December 16, the exhibit will offer the laughing calls of kookaburras, the warm scent of eucalyptus trees, flocks of rainbow lorikeets, and other colorful wonders from down under to help Marylanders escape the holiday blues. You will feel as if you are trekking through a river gorge in Australia's Northern Territory, says Aquarium Director of Exhibits Allan Sutherland. The first display of its kind outside the island continent, he says, "It makes you forget you're in Baltimore."
To re-create this Aussie oasis, Sutherland joined a team of experts in 2001 to study and photograph Kakadu National Park and other Australian wildlands. They encountered habitats shaped by extreme seasonal changes, with summer droughts and annual brushfires followed by flooding in the monsoon season. An exhibit inspired by the dry tropics, says Sutherland, contrasts well with the aquarium's popular rooftop rain forest. He says, "The rain forest shows animal life adapted to abundant water. Here, we're trying to show how aquatic animals have adapted to very harsh living conditions."
Construction began in 2002, with the shoring up of an aging pier with 122 steel piles. Among the many challenges workers faced were handcrafting a rock facade that masks plumbing, electrical wiring, and other essential infrastructure, and planting hundreds of native Australian shrubs and trees, some weighing thousands of pounds. The first animals introduced were grey-headed flying foxes, fruit bats that daytime visitors may spy snoozing upside down among the tree limbs.
At first, Aquarium Spokesperson Hillary Bates thinks that most people will come to see the freshwater crocodiles, or "freshies." But, she says, "We have lots of animals people aren't familiar with." Take the time, Bates urges, to meet the snake-necked turtles, iridescent rainbowfish, black-headed python, and other new finned, scaled, or feathered Baltimore residents. Her favorite is the archer fish, which catches dinner by spitting a stream of water onto branches to knock off bugs. Says Bates, "I could watch it for 2 hours."
Aquarium Outreach Specialist Marjorie Bollinger likes the overall feeling of habitat immersion. You'll see Australian plants and wildlife everywhere, from high overhead to down below your feet. "Visitors won't just learn from ID labels and interactive screens," says Bollinger, "They'll get it from the exhibit." The education department also plans to enrich the learning possibilities through trained volunteers who will help visitors spot hidden critters, special programs such as overnights to allow nocturnal viewing, and school programs inviting kids to meet wallabies and cockatoos up close enough to touch.
The exhibit expansion will also help extend the aquarium's education mission outside. In the new Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Waterfront Park, a granite map of the six-state Chesapeake Bay watershed will alert visitors to their impacts on the regional environment. "Most aquarium visitors are from the watershed," says Bollinger. Signs, docents, and, during special events, native wildlife, will help people see the connection. "The park shade will be a great place to wait before ticket time and learn about the Bay."
Renovations have also resulted in a new aquarium store, featuring hand-carved boomerangs and other Australian crafts and gifts, and the Old Bay Café, an eatery that teaches about marine conservation through a menu with responsible seafood choices. All of these changes, from the river gorge waterfall to the café's sustainably harvested fish soup, reflect the aquarium's mission to connect visitors and nature. "Many people who live in Maryland may never get a chance to travel someplace as far-flung as Australia," says Sutherland, but "Wild Extremes" is a way for them to feel closer to wild places. Sutherland insists, "The more people who form connections with nature around the world, the greater is our chance to preserve it for the future."
---Julie Dunlap
Visitor Information
National Aquarium in Baltimore
501 East Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-576-3800
www.aqua.org (check the Web site for upcoming special events)
Tickets: (available at the aquarium or on line-extra service fee if ordered on line)
$19.50-adults
$18.50-60 years or older
$13.50- 3 to 11 years old
Free-under 3
Hours (November, December, January, February)
Fridays: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m
Saturdays- hursdays: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m
Christmas Eve: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Closed Christmas Day
First Night Annapolis 2006 A Community Celebration
"Light Up Annapolis!" is the theme of this year's First Night Annapolis, the city's official New Year's Eve celebration, says Executive Director Robert Keil. A tradition for 15 years, the event will be adding a new twist this year. After First Act, a multifaceted performance for small children and their parents that will take place at Maryland Hall from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., there will be the brandnew Community Processional. "This is a 'People's Parade,'" Keil explains. "The brand identification of what First Night does and did has gotten very fuzzy," he says. "We need to get more community based and more identified." The processional will feature members of the community, like Boy Scout troops, civic organizations, and student groups. It will leave Maryland Hall at 5:30 p.m. and end at Church Circle, officially starting the downtown celebrations.
In 2004, Keil became executive director of First Night Annapolis, Inc. With a long career as a freelance event coordinator in the corporate sector, including working as program director for the 1996 Atlanta Centennial Olympic Games, he is well equipped for the task. This year is his first opportunity to spearhead the First Night Celebration from start to finish.
One of the first steps toward including more members of the community is for the organization to continue its free button program started last year. Free First Night button vouchers will be distributed to 44,000 students in Annapolis public elementary schools. The program "has been very successful in reaching out to develop new audiences and to bring kids into the celebration," says Keil.
Many of the smaller children enjoy just the First Act component of the evening. But that's okay. Last year's First Act drew 4,000 attendees and this year's is expected to be just as popular.
After First Act, according to Keil, "Kids as well as adults will mix together as sort of a thematic collage celebrating the fact that this is New Year's Eve." This year's offerings will focus on diversity. "Our goal," he says, "is to create a program so eclectic that you really couldn't buy a ticket for it anywhere else." Event-goers can enjoy Celtic music at one location and then experience African-themed performances just next door. The Latin Quarter, where attendees can receive professional salsa lessons with live music, was such a success last year that it will certainly be included this year.
Another community outreach effort is the student art contest. Students of Annapolis-area public schools are invited to submit works of art featuring this year's theme. A blue-ribbon jury will judge the entries and announce first-, second-, and third-place winners during December. Winners will receive cash rewards and have their works displayed at a special gallery during First Night.
This year First Night will also attempt to reduce foot traffic at the end of the evening. "We are extending our partnership with the city to try to help them with one of the problems they have at midnight," explains Keil. "After the fireworks there is a huge exodus and the streets are jammed." To solve this problem, the City Dock Tent, a First Night music venue, will roll up its sides after the fireworks display and have the band perform a final set. "It will be something for the people to do to help retain some of the flow that will go up the street," he says.
First Night will still keep its traditional structure and soul, with regional performers and exhibits for button-holders. The new ideas will only improve the experience. On the changes for this year, Keil says, "We're bringing Annapolis back into our name. We don't want Annapolis to be just a location; we want it to be an inspiration."
-Conal Darcy
If your group wishes to participate in the Community Processional or you wish to attend or volunteer at First Night, call the general information line at (410) 268-8553 or visit www.firstnightannapolis.org for more information.
Parking will be available at the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium. There will be free shuttles to and from Maryland Hall during First Act and downtown thereafter until 1:30 a.m. Parking fees will be posted on the Web site.
Celebrating Mozart's 250th Birthday
This January marks the 250th birthday of one of the most brilliant composers in history, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In his 35 years he produced over 600 original symphonies, operas, and other works of music for the chambers and performing halls of 18th-century Europe. Outstanding in its complexity and tonal beauty, Mozart's music is heralded today as the work of a genius.
To celebrate the quarter millennium since his birth, the resident companies at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts (801 Chase Street; www.mdhallarts.org) have organized a Mozart festival for the beginning of 2006. "When we realized that our winter Classic Series concert actually fell on Mozart's birthday," says Lee Streby, president of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, "there was simply no other choice of program to present." The ASO then contacted the three other companies and all agreed to perform various works by Mozart at Maryland Hall throughout the season to honor this great composer.
The Maryland Hall box office will be offering special discount Mozart Festival packages. "We are very excited to collaborate with our resident companies on this extraordinary festival to celebrate one of the world's greatest composers," says Linnell Bowen, executive director of Maryland Hall.
The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra (410-263-0907; www.annapolissymphony.org), the city's leading professional orchestra performs to increase the awareness, enjoyment, and appreciation of music throughout the region. "For Annapolis, this festival is a special opportunity to enjoy the arts and be reminded of Mozart's glorious gifts to humanity," says Streby. The ASO will begin the festival with a concert entitled "Happy Birthday, Mozart!" which will include four assorted works by Mozart. First will be the ballet music from his Italian opera Idomeneo, followed by the Flute Concerto No. 1, performed by Kimberly Valerio, the orchestra's principal flutist. Then comes the overture to Don Giovanni, Mozart's interpretation of the story of Don Juan. Finally, they will perform Jupiter, his 41st symphony, which was never performed in his lifetime.
Show times: January 27, 8 p.m., January 28, 8 p.m.
The Ballet Theatre of Maryland (410-224-5644; www.balletmaryland.org) is the professional ballet company at Maryland Hall. On participating in the festival, director Dianna Cuatto says "It is a lot of fun to work with all of the other companies, especially the chorale. We both have a similar vision and are moving forward in support of each other and Maryland Hall." Cuatto, who is choreographing the performance, chose the Horn Concerto, 4th Movement, and the Wedding of Figaro since they "provide a good juxtaposition of the range and breadth of Mozart's work." The performance will also feature Act II from Swan Lake to round out the classical portion of the program and to "satisfy the classical aficionados," according to Ms. Cuatto.
Show times: February 11, 8 p.m., February 12, 8 p.m.
The Annapolis Chorale (410-263-1906; www.annapolischorale.org) is a community chorus directed by J. Ernest Green that incorporates 150 voices with its own chamber orchestra. The chorale will "Go Wild for Wolfie" with three works for the festival, representing the three stages of Mozart's career, beginning with his first symphony. The chorale will follow with The Impresario, a comedic opera about the struggles between a director and the prima donnas in his company. Finally, the group will perform Requiem, Mozart's haunting final work rumored to have been written for his own funeral Mass.
Show times: March 3, 7.30 p.m. (Special preview concert with performer's Q&A afterwards), March 4, 8 p.m.
Annapolis Opera (410-267-8135; www.annapolisopera.org), the area's 33-year-old premier opera society offers an "opportunity for young singers" to perform in one of the most encompassing of the performing arts. As part of the Mozart festival, professional singers from the Mid-Atlantic region will put on Mozart's final opera, The Magic Flute, written in the singspiel style (part sung and part spoken dialogue). It will be performed in German with English surtitles.
Show times: March 17, 8 p.m., March 19, 3 p.m.
---Conal Darcy
The Live Wire: Concert Previews
The When, Who, Where, and What You'll Dig
by j.s. houck
12/2 Phil Lesh & Friends at the Patriot Center, Fairfax
410.547.SEAT
The start of last month saw former Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir visit town, now this month kicks off with former bassist Phil Lesh and his assembled band of extended Dead family members, including Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes. Expect two Dead sets with chestnuts old and new thrown into the mix. Should make for a real good time!
12/4 Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at Rams Head Live!, Baltimore
410.244.1131
What would Christmas season be without a Wild Swingin' Holiday Party? Just another holiday party where you worry about indulging too much. Thankfully, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy gives us good reason to shine our dancing shoes for a zoot-suit swinging time. This special date sees BBVD play the Christmas card in big-band style.
12/5-6 Aaron Neville Quintet at Rams Head OnStage, Annapolis
410.268.4545
Any time any one of the Neville brothers is in town, you know it's gonna be a funky 'n' jazzy, smooth 'n' soulful great time. Joined by brother Charles, Aaron et al. will deliver a special Christmas performance of standards, with a few surprises for good measure. Neville's unique falsetto tremolo vocals are sure to warm many a soul on an anything but silent night.
12/6 Bonnie Raitt at D.A.R. Constitution Hall, D.C.
410.547.SEAT
Slick slide-guitarist and timeless beauty Bonnie Raitt is all about delivering the goods. She recently released her 18th album, Souls Alike, eleven tracks that signal a new direction for Raitt-one that's focused on developing fresh material with new co-songwriters and pushing her relatively new band members to contribute original material. It'll be great to catch the nine-time Grammy winner in the plush D.A.R. to see if she's worthy of a tenth.
12/9 Staind at UMBC Field House, Baltimore
410.547.SEAT
A hard-metal show for all? You better believe it. Staind is probably the most popular band going for metal today in the States. (Okay, okay . . . excluding Metallica). Staind's hard-nosed brand of rock coupled with shining melodic parts is sure to quench your thirst for head-banging harmony.
12/15 New Riders of the Purple Sage at the State Theatre, Falls Church
410.547.SEAT
Whoa, man! Like, talk about a flashback to '71, when denim and plaid ruled fashion and country-rock dominated alternative airwaves. It was high time for the New Riders who found an audience in San Francisco and soon spread their wings. The newly re-formed outfit features two keepers of the flame, lead guitarist and vocalist David Nelson and pedal-steel whiz Buddy Cage (John Dawson a no-go due to health concerns). No frets though, as they'll be rounded out by a stellar group of musicians, staying true to the New Riders sound.
12/31 The Mahoney Brothers at the Recher Theatre, Towson
410.337.7178
This could be the New Year's Eve party you don't want to miss! The Mahoney Brothers are known for their uncanny physical resemblance to the Beatles, and they play the bill even better. A dead-on tribute act celebrating the Fab Four, they will be performing three sets of Beatles tunes to ring in a new yesteryear.
1/6-7 Ricky Scaggs & Kentucky Thunder at the Birchmere, Alexandria
410.547.SEAT
Bluegrass picker Ricky Scaggs and his Kentucky Thunder blaze into the Birchmere for a two-night run. Considered by many to have picked up the torch from legend Bill Monroe, Scaggs is the real deal. He's been in the biz for more than 30 years and has ten Grammy Awards under his belt. That's purty darn good!
1/20 Derek Trucks at the Avalon Theatre, Easton
410.547.SEAT
When he's not laying down serious licks in the Allman Brothers Band, Trucks tours in his own skin, with a tight band that complements every ringing and exotic note he hits on the six-string. Trucks has a vibrant style of playing guitar, combining finger picking and slide. It's bottleneck blues meets '70s rock, with a dash of Nashville thrown in and heavy spices from East India.
1/21 B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, and Shemekia Copeland at the Lyric Opera House, Baltimore
410.547.SEAT
From legend to legend-to-be, this is a fabulous triple-bill of the best in blues artists. Guitarist B.B. King hardly needs an introduction-and now that he gets fast results with his OneTouch blood-glucose meter, he's a sure bet to get the beat strong all night long. Bland is anything but as one of the most enduring blues singers, while Copeland continues to build upon her young reputation as the new force of female blues-belters.
1/26 Blue Oyster Cult at Rams Head OnStage
410.268.4545
You know you want to say it. You know you want me to say it. Let's just say it together. "MORE COWBELL!" That's right, you can beat the bell when BOC visits Naptown this month. Though the lineup has seen more than a few changes over the years, this outfit still bangs the classic rock drum it was born to play.
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On Stage In December and January
A Christmas Carol. This version of the classic Charles Dickens tale glides through the familiar story with a number of bright and lively melodies and a minimum of gravitas. At Colonial Players, 108 East St., Annapolis. December 8-18. $10-15. Call for tickets. (410) 268-7373.
A Christmas Carol. Share the joy as the Dickens classic comes to life in this musical. Relive the cherished tale of Scrooge and Marley, Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim, and a host of characters singing and dancing their way into your heart. At Chesapeake Arts Center, Brooklyn Park. December 9-18. $12-15. Call for tickets. (410) 636-6597.
A Christmas Carol is an imaginative and magical retelling of the Dickens classic. At Ford's Theatre, Washington, D.C. November 16 through December 31. $41-55. Call for tickets. (202) 397-7328.
A Year with Frog and Toad. An unlikely friendship between a cheerful frog and a rather grumpy toad blossoms and grows and they travel through an adventure-filled year learning life lessons along the way. At Round House Theatre, Bethesda. December 1-11. $40. Call for tickets. (240) 664-1100.
Awake and Sing! is a compelling tale of heritage and tradition set in a humble New York apartment housing a proud Jewish family. Under the weight of the Great Depression, the Bergers must work to maintain their storied culture and keep the family together. At Arena Stage, Washington, D.C. January 20 through March 5. $42-47. Call for tickets. (202) 488-3300.
Blood Makes Noise uses charming visuals and movement to tell the story of an awkward first encounter between a hearing man and a deaf woman. The result is a sparkling relationship in which the couple must learn to fully communicate. At Theatre Project, Baltimore. January 12-22. $11-16. Call for tickets. (410) 752-8558.
Damn Yankees. When a lifelong Washington Senators fan gets the opportunity to play with the team and become the greatest ball player who ever lived he doesn't hesitate, but his attempt to outfox the devil himself evolves into a spirited battle between good and evil. At Arena Stage, Washington, D.C. December 9 through February 5. $50-55. Call for tickets. (202) 488-3300.
Don Juan trains his piercing intellect on Louis XIV's France and carves brilliantly into sex, politics, religion, and the social contract, while his servant Sganarelle argues passionately for his master's soul. At the Shakespeare Theatre, Washington, D.C. January 24 through March 19. $14.25-71.25. Call for tickets and times. (202) 547-1122.
Les Misérables. Jean Valjean, released on parole after 19 years on the chain gang, decides to start his life anew after being pardoned for a crime. After adopting Cosette, an orphaned child, he struggles to maintain his freedom and new life under the unmerciful watch of law officer Javert, who won't let Valjean forget his past. At the National Theatre, Washington, D.C. December 7 through January 21. $36.25-83.25. Call for tickets. (800) 447-7400.
Measure for Measure is a profoundly modern satire dealing with the complexity of legislating morality. Can the personal values of leaders regulate the conduct of citizens? What happens when leaders fall prey to the passions they have condemned? At the Folger Elizabethan Theatre, Washington, D.C. January 19 through February 26. $25-49. Call for tickets. (202) 544-7077.
Once on This Island is set against the backdrop of class differences in Haiti. Ti Moune, an orphan living among the island's poor peasants, prays for a future that seems impossible. But when divine intervention puts Ti Moune face to face with her true love, a young aristocrat, she begins a journey to find herself and reclaim her heart. At Centerstage, Baltimore. December 16 through January 22. $15-50. Call for tickets. (410) 332-0033.
Shear Madness, now in its 18th year at the Kennedy Center, is Washington's hilarious whodunit that lets the audience solve the crime. At the Kennedy Center Theater Lab, Washington, D.C. $34-45. Continues indefinitely. Call for tickets. (800) 444-1324.
Sister's Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi's Gold is a hilarious interactive theater experience. At Baltimore Theatre Project, Baltimore. December 1-23. Call for tickets. (410) 547-SEAT.
Something Dickens This Way Comes is an exploration of Dickens and his personal captivation by the holiday. At St. Mary's Outreach Center, Baltimore. December 8-23. $15-25. Call for tickets. (410) 366-8596.
Splendor. A foreign journalist has traveled to profile the home life of an Eastern European dictator for a magazine publication. The dictator's wife strains to appear composed, and it becomes clear that her dignified patience is not for her husband-who is not coming-but for the mob advancing on the house. It's a story that reminds us of the overwhelming effect people's choices have on others and the price that must be paid for our complicity in those choices. At Colonial Players, 108 East St., Annapolis. January 20 through February 18. $10-15. Call for tickets. (410) 267-7373.
The Comedy of Errors follows two sets of twins separated at birth: the Antipholi and the Dromios. A farce of mistaken identities that takes place in the course of one whirlwind day, it is a story of a family divided, displaced, but then joyously reunited. At Shakespeare Theatre, Washington, D.C. December 1 through January 8. $51-58. Call for tickets. (202) 547-1122.
The Subject Was Roses. After serving in World War II, Timmy Cleary returns home to find his parents are strangers-to him and to each other. When Timmy insists his father take credit for the roses he bought his mother, long-hidden resentments rise to the surface as this attempted act of kindness instead becomes the epicenter of domestic warfare. At the Eisenhower Theater at the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C. January 7-29. $25-78. Call for tickets. (800) 444-1324.
Trying follows Francis Biddle, who served as attorney general under Franklin Roosevelt and later was a U.S. judge for the trial of war criminals at Nuremberg following World War II. It captures him in the last years of his life as he struggles to complete his memoirs and assess his legacy. At Ford's Theatre, Washington, D.C. January 20 through February 19. $25. Call for tickets. (202) 397-7328.
Yemaya's Belly is the tragicomic journey of a boy, a bottle of Coke, and the boat that sails him toward his dreams of the promised land. The inclusion of poetry, songs, and movement drawn from Santeria-a religion in which the central deity Yemaya rules over the sea-creates a landscape where you move effortlessly along with the characters between the real and the surreal. At the Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA. December 1-18. $39. Call for tickets. (703) 218-6500.
Museums and Galleries: Can't Miss Exhibits
Cezanne in Provence
January 29 through May 7
National Gallery of Art, D.C.
(202) 737-4215
This exhibition highlights 2006 as the centenary of the death of Paul Cézanne (1839-1906), a key figure in the impressionist and post-impressionist movements. He is often seen as the father of modern art and this exhibition focuses on the works that Cézanne painted in and around his native Aix-en-Provence in France. Approximately 100 oil paintings and watercolors of the countryside, his birthplace, and where he painted some of his most compelling landscapes and portraits of family members make up this important collection.
Landscapes: Maryland, D.C. & Virginia
January 3 through February 10
Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, Annapolis
(410) 263-5544
This group exhibition features artists in the Washington Society of Landscape Painters, one of the longest continuing landscape painting organizations in the country, founded in 1913. The paintings included in this exhibit are works that, while begun on-site, have been finished in the studio.
John Diebboll: The Art of the Piano
"Solos at St. John's College"
January 6 through February 4
Mitchell Gallery, St. John's College, Annapolis
(410) 626-2556
John Diebboll, a New York City artist/architect, has created a collection of 21st century art-case piano drawings. This exhibition will feature 35 of Diebboll's colored pencil drawings that find inspiration from such diverse subjects as George Gershwin, Thelonious Monk, an Australian Shepherd dog, and the operas "Porgy & Bess" and "Tristan and Isolde."
Picturing the Banjo
December 10 through March 5
Corcoran Gallery of Art, D.C.
(202) 639-1700
This exhibit will feature 72 works on loan from 41 collections and examines the visual representation of the banjo-the icon's aesthetic and cultural usage in American paintings, drawings, photographs and other artifacts. Included are banjo images by such artists as Thomas Hart Benton, Mary Cassatt, Charles Demuth, Thomas Eakins, Eastman Johnson, William H. Johnson, William Sidney Mount, Norman Rockwell and Betye Saar.
Picasso: Late Works
January 11 through April 16
Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore
(410) 396-7100
This one-gallery exhibition will explore Pablo Picasso's post-war creativity from 1945-1968 and features more than 250 works by Picasso, including the artist's printmaking from 1899-1968.
The Quick Six: Q&A with Musician Mark Schatz
A consummate Renaissance man, Annapolis' Mark Schatz is a gifted multi-instrumentalist. Schatz has most recently been touring the country with the popular band Nickel Creek, as their bass player. Occasionally Schatz brings his experience as musical director of Annapolis's well-known Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble (a post he's held since 1993) to the stage at Nickel Creek shows, performing interludes of Southern Appalachian step dance. In the world of bluegrass, Schatz has performed with the genre's crème de la crème, both on the live stage and on many recordings. The new year will see the release of a new solo recording, Steppin' in the Boilerhouse, out on Rounder Records. Lucky for us, he took a moment from his heavy schedule to answer our questions. For more information about Schatz, visit www.markschatz.net.
What's Up? Annapolis: Mark, right now you seem firmly planted as the bass player for Nickel Creek. Will this growing relationship last longterm?
Mark Schatz: I have been working with Nickel Creek since the spring of 2003 and played on their most recent release, Why Should the Fire Die? A relationship like this lasts as long as it remains mutually rewarding and beneficial for all parties. I love playing with the band and I practice a lot to be continually better at doing the job. It has been informative, artistically challenging, and rewarding for me and I intend to keep doing it for as long as it remains so.
WUA: Could you discuss how you hooked up with Nickel Creek and how you fit into the creative mix? Are you writing music with them?
MS: I started seeing Nickel Creek on the bluegrass festival circuit around 10 years ago when I was working with Tim O'Brien and they were a precocious band of youngsters. At the end of 2002 the band was looking for a new bass player. Chris Thile, their mandolin player, mentioned this to Bela Fleck, with whom he had become good friends, and Bela told him that I had not been playing much bass lately and might be interested. I saw this as a good opportunity to get back into playing the bass on the cutting edge of the acoustic music world. I worked hard on their material, rehearsed with them, and went out on the road with them for a couple of weeks as a working audition. I got the job!
The three principal members of the band do most of the writing and arranging. There are times when I come up with a line here or there when they are working on an arrangement, that they like and incorporate into the piece. But they are very creative and I'm happy to take more of a back seat in this regard.
WUA: What inspires you to write music and who are your influences?
MS: Most of my tunes get written on mandolin and banjo, which lend themselves to more intricate melodies, and a number of things inspire me to write. When I play an instrument sitting by myself it takes many forms. I'll play tunes I know-either my own or traditional tunes-just for fun and to continue working on my proficiency. Sometimes I just improvise freely. It is out of the latter that many tunes evolve.
And sometimes a tune comes out of an emotion-longing, or loneliness, or a new romance. I grab an instrument when I'm struck with one of these feelings and the creative act becomes a conduit for the feeling.
With regard to who my influences are, I can't begin to list them because it's everything that I've ever heard-John Philip Sousa; Mussorgsky; Aretha Frankin; Irish, American, Croatian, and Yiddish folk melodies; the Jewish religious services I grew up with; Sting; Bela Fleck; Kenny Baker-to name a few.
WUA: Your hard work has obviously paid off, as you've won numerous awards, most recently the 2005 Annie Award for Performing Arts. How tied into the Annapolitan community are you and what projects keep you busy when you're at home?
MS: It was a wonderful honor to receive that award. It gave me a warm feeling to be recognized by my local community and peers in that way. I have become more and more involved with the Annapolis area arts community over the years that I have lived here. Most prominent is the work that I've done with Annapolis-based Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble, of which my wife, Eileen Carson Schatz, is the artistic director and I am the musical director. A variety of other ventures keep me busy when I'm in town, including an exciting program initiated in 2004 called the Community Rhythm Project and some of the larger productions at Maryland Hall, like the Crossing and SoleMates. I perform occasionally with some great local artists and bands as well. I am also engineering and producing a CD for Footworks dancer Kristin Andreassen, who is a very talented singer/songwriter. I have used local cameramen to shoot a recent Footworks production that I will start editing this fall. Never a dull moment, really.
WUA: Your resume speaks for itself. Noticeably, you've collaborated with many heavyweights in the bluegrass scene along the way, among them Bela Fleck, Tony Rice, Jerry Douglas, and Peter Rowan. What are some memorable moments, onstage or off, with such folks?
MS: Again, you've put me in a tough spot because there have been so many. Touring with the band that supported the release of Bela's CD, the Bluegrass Sessions, was a high point-this band was comprised of some of the most prominent figures in the new acoustic music scene, including Bela, Jerry, Sam Bush, Brian Sutton, and Stuart Duncan. The power of the rhythm section and the color of the soloing was like bluegrass Nirvana. I played one weekend of shows in Tucson as part of an acoustic band that backed up Linda Ronstadt. I'm a huge fan of hers so that was a thrill. This past July I was doing some PR shows with Nickel Creek and Jackson Browne, with whom the band had become acquainted. The list goes on and on. I've been a very lucky guy.
WUA: Mark, after months on the road, touring, what's the first thing you look forward to upon returning home?
MS: My beautiful wife, Eileen, of course! I miss her smile, her stories, walks in the autumn sunshine, and the beautiful home that we've made together. After that it's the Severn River, along which our neighborhood sits and that I view on my nightly walks; a movie at the mall, lunch at Paul's. That's more than the first thing, isn't it? Lots of good things to come home to in Annapolis!
--j.s. houck
Street Talk
Say good-bye to 2005 and hello, 2006! Find out how these people wish to start off their new year by reading how they answered this month's question: What is your New Year's resolution?
 Rob Kolosky from Bowie, 34, applications engineer: "My New Year's resolution is to not have a New Year's resolution." |
 Stephanie Raymer from Annapolis, 33, marketing/business development: "To gain more patience and advance my career in order to increase my monetary rewards." |
 David Iams from Annapolis, 38, director of communications: "To clean my house, my car, and spend more time volunteering and walking my dogs." |
 Amy Garofalo from Edgewater, 17, student: "To be happy." |
 Mark Neptune from Annapolis, 21, bouncer: "Finish school this year, make some money, take care of my daughter Alisha, keep my job, and not get fired." |
 Glen Carr from Annapolis, 47, systems security analyst: "My New Year's resolution, being a parent of a child with special needs, is to have more patience and help her progress." |
 Samirah Baylor from Washington, D.C., 28, homemaker: "To be a good mom. This is my first time being a mom so my resolution is to focus on my son and my stepdaughter and help them become productive adults." |