(bright music) - [Lara] Retired wildlife ecologist Steven Sanford, shares his tips for carving decoys.

Elizabeth Sobol, reveals the role SPAC plays in Saratoga's cultural tourism, and catch a performance from Ali Sifflet.

It's all ahead on this episode of AHA, A House for Arts.

- [Announcer] Funding for AHA has been provided by your contribution and by contributions to the WMHT venture fund.

Contributors include The Leo Cox Beach Philanthropic Foundation, Chet and Karen Opalka, Robert and Doris Fischer Malisardi, the Alexander & Marjorie Hover Foundation and The Robison Family Foundation.

- At M&T Bank, we understand that the vitality of our communities is crucial to our continued success.

That's why we take an active role in our community.

M&T Bank is pleased to support WMHT programming that highlights the arts, and we invite you to do the same.

(uplifting music) - Hi, I'm Lara Ayad, and this is AHA, A House for Arts.

A place for all things creative.

Let's send it right over to Matt for today's field segment.

(soft music) - I'm here in Buskirk, New York, at the studio of artist Steven Jay Sanford, who is a master decoy carver.

What's a decoy?

Follow me.

(soft music) - I grew up on Long Island, South Shore Long Island.

From the earliest memories I was interested in the natural world and particularly birds.

The spark for my passions really came from my dad who was a duck hunter.

He was a policeman so he worked shifts so he could hunt every day and I would go right to the entry room and he would lay the ducks out I really knew all the ducks before I was in kindergarten that shows how it really bit me.

(soft music) I was one of those rare people that knew from an early age what I wanted to do with my life so long before I was in high school I knew I was gonna be a wildlife biologist and at the time in New York State, Cornell was the place to go.

So I went there and studied Wildlife Science in early 70s.

The last 10 years or so of my career I was the Chief Ecologist for New York State and really had just a wonderful career because you work with wonderful people on important stuff and you're learning all the time.

(soft music) I began what I call phase two.

I don't call it retirement and I tried to do as much as possible.

We're in my shop slash studio right now I built this building shortly before I retired knowing that this is where I was gonna spend most of my days.

I tell myself that I've spent 50 years designing this building.

Finally got to build it when I was around age 55 and it's to allow me to pursue all the creative things that I like to do.

(lively music) Any kind of woodworking any kind of work on small boats I think I've built 18 or 19 boats from scratch over my lifetime.

But in recent years, I'm mostly restoring and rehabilitating and customizing other people's boats.

(bright music) I draw, I paint.

I carve decoys.

Wanna make sure that when I mount the head that I leave a nice flat surface here.

I guess I've always known what decoys were but I understand that not everybody knows decoys and I've spent a lot of my life learning about them and learning the history of them.

But for someone who hunts ducks most people hunt ducks with decoys.

They're believed to be a unique American folk art that they didn't really come here from Europe like a lot of other stuff did.

But anyway way it intended to be a replica very often floating, and when you're hunting ducks the biggest part of the challenge is to be where the ducks want to be anyhow.

Once you're there, the purpose of the decoys is to really localize the birds so that they can come basically within gunshot.

So this is a drawknife a lot of carvers nowadays they carve with power.

I have a power carver, I almost never use it.

I make decoys that are purely utilitarian but always have some artistic component to 'em.

And then I have others that are more pure art which is where I would put this.

(guitar music) Because I'm doing this as art, I feel free to abandon the biology at some point and just let art take over.

I put some curves in that probably aren't there on the bird.

I put some very abrupt changes in tone that probably aren't there on the bird.

I like a nice on my what I call my mantle piece birds.

I want a nice voluptuous shape to them.

I've got the body roughed out so that it's 95% of the shape that I need.

So what I'm gonna do now is I'm gonna finish hollowing these two halves out on the drill press.

One of the things I love about decoys is that they are so varied and you can look at one species and all the different ways it's been interpreted and part of it is because it's different people doing them but another part is that the requirements change depending upon where and how you're hunting.

If you're hunting a small beaver pond up here in Washington County, how a bird handles in heavy seas is not an issue.

If I'm hunting on Long Island in the winter with a gale wind and maybe ice moving, you need a very different decoy for that.

So just like with boats or anything else it all has to be tailored to the requirements.

It may look a little bit motley now but I will say that standing here and looking it has just the appearance that I want.

It has that alert the bird has a a relatively high head but merely alert and interested not terrified.

(soft guitar music) If anybody watched me work during the course of a day or a week, they would wonder why I'm working on so many different things and it's just kind of who I am.

I try to go through this phase of my life to the extent that I can is enjoying every moment that I have and so if I can be working on something that I get satisfaction out of, someone else may look at it and say, "Oh, that's hard work.

I wouldn't wanna do that."

But I'm loving it 'cause I'm in that zone where nothing else matters you're striving for a certain level of perfection or excellence and that just is a great place to be.

And there's a lot of ways that I can do that I'm not a musician my wife's the gardener there's a lot of ways to get this in life.

This is the way I get it and it's not just one thing it's a whole bunch of different things.

- Elizabeth Sobol, has been the president and CEO of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center for over five years.

What drew this veteran of the classical music industry to SPAC?

And what new programs and events do we have to look forward to?

I sat down with Elizabeth, to find out.

Elizabeth, welcome to A House for Arts it's such a pleasure to have you.

- Thank you so much.

I love your show and it's a real privilege to be here with you thanks.

- That's a real compliment and I know you've been an honored guest on WMHT a few times so welcome back.

- Thank you so much.

I'm a huge PBS fan so always love to be here, yeah.

- So you've been the CEO and director of SPAC for over five years now.

- Yeah.

- Which is just fantastic and I know that this past two years have been a real interesting rollercoaster for SPAC.

Tell us a bit about your background and how you got into leading SPAC.

I know you're a veteran in the classical music and recording industry, am I right about that?

- Yeah so I think I grew up in North Carolina, and played the piano originally and thought I was going to be a classical pianist and then when I got to about age of 18 I started realizing I did not have what it took to be a great classical pianist and I did not wanna be a mediocre classical pianist and I ended up coming to New York, to do an internship in a small management company called Hamlin Management.

And I had the most incredible time the people who created the startup we didn't even use that phrase in those days but it was a startup and I just loved it, I loved the idea now that I had left the piano behind myself of being there to help realize the careers and dreams of really amazing artists and so shortly after the time that my internship ended I got a call from the owner saying, "Guess what?

We're being acquired by IMG "the sports behemoth, to start IMG Artists."

- Right, which is still around today it's a huge talent management company.

- Huge, huge.

And it really like, that was an unheard of story for performing arts agency it's one thing if you're representing actors, or pop and rock stars, but in the classical arts to be acquired by such a behemoth like IMG was really incredible.

And so the owner said, "Now that we've got some money we want to hire you back to be our director of sales."

And I went from being an intern to director of sales to like 30 years later I was now managing director of the firm.

So I loved the company and it was an incredible opportunity to ride this wave of going from startup to global leader and the artists that I worked with over those years I-- - Yeah what are some of the artists that you've worked with before that maybe stick out in your mind?

- Yeah so I was incredibly lucky to represent artists like Itzhak Perlman, and Joshua Bell, James Galway, Renée Fleming-- - Some of these are famous violinists, right?

- Yeah, these are some of the biggest names in classical music, and then I also over time because I was of a younger generation than the then owners or directors of the company I wanted to diversify the company and started a dance division.

We represented Bill T. Jones, Urban Bush Women, we expanded and had many of the most important dance companies in the world at that time.

And then we started a jazz world music division and then we started more of a contemporary composer and theater division and then we started working with films.

- That's incredible.

- So it was really-- - It sounds like it was really eclectic.

- Yes.

- You're really kinda growing, expanding, so has this had an impact then on your work at SPAC in any way?

- Yes.

- 'Cause I wanna kind of shift gears then and talk about your work at SPAC.

What is SPAC on a bigger level and it's history?

- So the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, most of your viewers in the capital region will know opened in 1966 in the Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs.

And it started kind of as the home of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and then conductor Eugene Ormandy, and New York City Ballet, with George Balanchine at the helm those were like two of the greatest companies in the world then and continue to be two of the greatest companies in the world in residence in Saratoga Springs.

Now population of 30,000 that's astonishing that, that happens.

Those companies don't tour to other places New York City Ballet for instance, goes to DC to the Kennedy's Center and Philadelphia also goes to Vale, but the notion of having these world class ensembles in our backyard in Saratoga in residence every summer is quite miraculous.

- That's really incredible.

And so, I know that that SPAC has had all these incredible artists come through and these incredible institutions that have made it basically their resident home.

What is it too that makes SPAC such a gem of summer festival venues nation widen on a wider level?

- Yeah, it's such a good question because we are one of five sister summer festivals along with our colleagues at the Hollywood Bowl in L.A., Ravinia outside of Chicago, Wolf Trap outside of D.C., and of course the beloved Tanglewood right across the Massachusetts border.

And these are iconic venues representing the best in the performing arts and also large we're 5,200 seats in the amphitheater and another 20,000 on the lawn those are big venues.

And so I knew about SPAC when I was running IMG, the talent agency for many years I was sending artists up here and then after IMG, I went to Universal Music to run a record label.

Most of the artists promoting albums were coming through SPAC to promote their albums but I had never been to Saratoga I knew it of it but I never came to Saratoga until I actually was recruited for the position of president and CEO by a search firm.

And when I came to Saratoga, what I discovered and obviously I've been to all these other festivals around-- - I wanted to actually ask you about this because it seems like Saratoga's really famous for its horse race track.

- Yes.

- And even you as somebody who's kind of like originally an outsider as well, I had never known about this incredible Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

- It's incredible.

- Or like that part of the park, or these other cultural institutions the irony of that.

So yet can you speak a bit about SPAC's role in the sort of the unsung hero of cultural tourism in this region?

- Yeah, I'm gonna tell you a story that like when I received the call from the search firm my first call saying that we've been hired to look for the new head of Saratoga Performing Arts Center I was down my husband and I had an apartment in Miami Beach and I was just like, "Thanks I'm going outta my balcony here "and I'm gonna describe the view of the ocean to you "and you you're gonna tell me why I would ever consider "moving to Upstate New York and to Saratoga."

Which now of course I feel ashamed at that reaction that I'm willing to admit how ridiculous my reaction was but I had Saratoga had not really, it wasn't on my radar as this incredibly vibrant city full of cultural offerings.

Now that I live there, I know that like there's live music, really good live music, jazz, and all sorts of other music in Saratoga.

Think about the lineup just at Caffe Lena which is such a gem 365 days a year that's astonishing for a city of that size.

And you also have obviously Yaddo, which is an a iconic, important historical artist retreat.

- I mean it's famous nationwide to host and resident writers.

- Well I mean-- - It's absolutely.

- Think about in the music world like Leonard Bernstein, was there Aaron Copland, was there, James Baldwin, was there I mean-- - Bob Dylan went through, it's just... - Oh my God it's incredible so Saratoga has a history of being a magnet for some of the greatest artists across many genres.

Then you get over to SPAC and see all the artists who've come through, not just the 55 years of ballet and orchestra, but all the artists (mumbles) have brought through, Jazz Fest has brought through.

It's really astonishing and then I haven't even mentioned like The Tang Museum, like Universal Preservation Hall which is just opened, You've got Opera Saratoga which is really extraordinary so many museums.

It's amazing.

- May I ask is right Elizabeth, right it is incredible.

May I ask like why is it that that people from outside the region often don't know about SPAC, and Yaddo, and Caffè Lena, and the Tang museum?

What is going on here?

- Well I think that people in Saratoga and the capital region but particularly in Saratoga, they're extremely proud of the city and what the city represents but I think it has frankly taken people like myself and others who've come to town recently from New York or from other places coming to Saratoga to just say, "You do realize this is not normal.

"You do realize you have something going on here "that is utterly incomparable for a small city."

Forget about in Upstate New York, anywhere in North America to have this kind of concentration of cultural richness is miraculous and extraordinary and really incomparable and I think it's taken those of us coming in from out of town saying, "It really is what you have here."

- Right, the locals taking for granted, just how like fantastic this is.

- Yeah, they're proud of it and they don't realize just how incredible it is and so it's taken those of us outsiders coming in going how is it I wasn't coming to Saratoga every summer as my destination out of town?

Like every summer when I was living in New York City and I would be like, where am I gonna go I want hiking, I want kayaking, I wanna be outdoors but I also wanna know, like I can go see a movie or concert or whatever.

So I frankly would end up going to Southern Vermont where I could hike the green mountains.

I could kayak, but I also knew-- - But then you've got SPAC and you've got all these amazing venues you don't have to go to Southern no, no, no, you know, harm to Vermont or anything like that.

- No, and by the way Northshire Books which is one of my favorite book stores in the world I used to go from New York to to Manchester, Vermont to go to Northshire.

Now it's in my backyard along with the Spa State Park and all the cultural richness that we were just talking about.

- So let's talk about this then let's get people kind of moving on this coming to SPAC every summer.

What do you have lined up for different events and different shows coming up.

- Well, so of course we're back full throttle at SPAC this year which means two full days, two stages of Freihofer's Saratoga's Jazz Fest.

This is our 45th year we're one of the longest consecutively running Jazz Fest in North America.

- Incredible.

- It's an amazing lineup.

Needless to say, we're back finally with New York City Ballet with the full company in July, three full weeks of Philadelphia Orchestra 12 completely different programs which is not something that they do anywhere else in the world to have that amount of diversity and complete distinct programs.

But what's kicking off most quickly is our festival of young artists, which is always the first weekend in June, and that's gonna be back full throttle.

- Wonderful.

- We have like hundreds and hundreds of young artists from around the capital region, painters, poets, dancers, musicians, who gather to collaborate, perform together and then they all go into the the amphitheater where they literally, hundreds of young artists are on stage performing together in a whole complete like created orchestrated event.

- That sounds absolutely amazing.

- It is amazing.

- Wow.

- It's really amazing.

- Well, people can obviously learn more about the amazing slew of programs that you have coming up this summer and I'm so thrilled and so excited that you've come back full throttle after this pandemic and I'm sure everyone's thrilled about it.

I'm sure they can learn about it online on SPAC's website.

- SPAC.org it's all there.

- Awesome.

- Good - Well Elizabeth, it was so amazing to have you back.

- Thank you so much.

- On a PBS affiliate back on WMHT.

- Thank you.

- Thank you so much for coming.

- And thank you we love the work you all do.

- Please welcome Ali Sifflet.

- First of all I just wanna say thank you so much to WMHT, AHA, I am so excited to be here to perform for you my original music.

I must introduce my friend an amazingly talented musician here, Liam Davis, who is accompanying me today on piano.

So first I'm going to start with my song "Try" which was written oh few years ago, and really is just a motivational song for me anytime I'm feeling down and I need to pick me up and to remind myself that just trying sometimes is enough.

So here's "Try".

(soft piano music) ♪ Ooh hey ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ Try ♪ ♪ Oh try that's what they say ♪ ♪ Hey God I tried ♪ ♪ Oh but I tried ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ Cause my heart is low ♪ ♪ And these aching bones keep telling me to let it go ♪ ♪ But if it takes all of my mind ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try ♪ ♪ Been lonely days ♪ ♪ Been long few years ♪ ♪ And I take all the air from me ♪ ♪ Many times ♪ ♪ Oh but by the grace of his might ♪ ♪ I, I'm picking up my feet ♪ ♪ I'm picking up my dreams ♪ ♪ Oh letting go things that ain't for me ♪ ♪ I'm finding my stride and I'm finding my pride ♪ ♪ And it's given me a reason to try ♪ ♪ Try ♪ ♪ Oh try ♪ ♪ Oh that's what they say ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ Oh I ain't go much fight ♪ ♪ But I'll try ♪ ♪ 'Cause my heart is low ♪ ♪ And these aching bones keep telling me to let it go ♪ ♪ But if it takes all of my might ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try, hey ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try, hey ♪ (soft piano music) ♪ Carry my feet Lord ♪ ♪ Carry my feet Lord ♪ ♪ Cover my dreams Lord ♪ ♪ Oh cover, oh cover my dreams ♪ ♪ In you I see ♪ ♪ I see, I see ♪ ♪ The path that's in front of me ♪ ♪ In front of me ♪ ♪ Carry my feet Lord ♪ ♪ Oh carry my feet Lord ♪ ♪ Cover my dreams Lord ♪ ♪ Oh cover, oh cover my dreams ♪ ♪ In you I see ♪ ♪ I see, I see ♪ ♪ The path that's in front of me ♪ ♪ Carry my feet ♪ ♪ Oh cover my dreams ♪ ♪ In you I see ♪ ♪ Oh, oh carry my feet ♪ ♪ Oh cover my dreams ♪ ♪ In you I see ♪ ♪ Where I need to be ♪ ♪ In you ♪ (soft piano music) - Thanks for joining us for more arts visit wmht.org/aha and be sure to connect with us on social I'm Lara Ayad.

Thanks for watching.

(soft music) - [Announcer] Funding for AHA has been provided by your contribution and by contributions to the WMHT venture fund.

Contributors include The Leo Cox Beach Philanthropic Foundation, Chet and Karen Opalka, Robert and Doris Fischer Malisardi, The Alexander & Marjorie Hover Foundation and The Robison Family Foundation.

- At M&T Bank We understand that the vitality of our communities is crucial to our continued success.

That's why we take an active role in our community.

M&T Bank is pleased to support WMHT programming that highlights the arts, and we invite you to do the same.