(upbeat music) - [Show Announcer] Explore the whimsical illustrations of Sarah LuAnn Perkins.

Learn about the big changes coming to the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.

(opera music) And hear beautiful selections from the Glimmer Glass Festival's current season.

It's all ahead on this episode of "AHA!

A House for Arts."

(opera singing) - [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 Malesardi, and the Robison Family Foundation.

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

(upbeat music) (upbeat music) (harmonizing vocals) (logo whooshes) - Hi, I'm Matt Rogowicz and this is, "AHA!

A House for Arts," a place for all things creative.

Today we begin in Schenectady to chat with Illustrator and Author, Sarah LuAnn Perkins.

(playful music) - I'm an illustrator and author and an art teacher.

So I write and illustrate my own stories, I teach art classes locally, as well as carving and printing, linocuts.

(playful music) My art explores a world of wit and whimsy.

I like to work with classic fairytale sort of imagery, but play with it, give it a little bit of a twist.

(playful music) A piece of imagery that I continually come back to is Rapunzel pulling her hair in a wagon.

That's something that I've been drawing since high school.

I actually had very long hair growing up.

People would call me Rapunzel.

Originally, when I still had long hair, it was a way to kind of joke about how people didn't really understand how much work it was to keep that long hair.

And then a few years ago, when I got the courage to chop my hair off, it was kind of a symbol of the unnecessary burdens that we think we have to drag around behind us.

You could just chop it off.

(gentle music) The stories that I like reading and that I like writing, I call them relationship driven, and people jump to the conclusion that I'm talking about romance, but they're specifically not that.

That it's a story about a relationship, so my picture book is a story about a dad and his daughter, who are caught on a rainy day together, and it's kind of about their interactions and how they deal with this disappointment.

My graphic novel that I'm working on, it's about a house cleaning robot whose family gets a cat.

And so again, it's about this relationship of this robot trying to deal with this cat that is making its job difficult, right?

And so that's the kind of story that I find interesting, and I think that other people really respond to that as well because all of us are dealing with relationships.

(playful music) Most of my illustration work was, and even still is done digitally.

So I developed my style, experimenting digitally, and I saw linocuts and I thought it was just a really interesting style that I would experiment with.

And the more that I did it, the more I imitated linocuts digitally, the more I enjoyed it.

Lino is short for linoleum.

So you take a block of linoleum, it's referred to as a block, and you carve away from it anything that you don't want to take ink.

And so once you've removed everywhere that you don't want ink to appear, you've carved it away, you roll ink over the surface and you run it through the press and it's kind of like a rubber stamp, but on a larger scale.

I really love the graphic quality of the black and the white.

And the carving gives a very interesting kind of shape and line quality and texture that I find really interesting, and I just keep coming back to it.

(playful music) (chair clatters) - Okay.

- All right.

I love teaching and it was entirely kind of self-driven.

One thing that I and many other artists can be annoyed by is people dismissing artistic skill as a talent, and say, oh, "I could never do that.

You are just so talented."

And it feels dismissive because art is a skill that is built with hours and hours of time, right?

And also, it didn't sit right with me because it's not that complicated.

You're literally copying what's in front of you.

And so I knew that drawing was a simple enough concept if I could only figure out how to explain it to somebody.

I had something to prove.

(chuckles) And so I figured out the way that I would explain to people how drawing works, and then I found a place locally to teach.

I had people who came to the class come and say, "Oh, I thought that you'd just set up a still life and you'd tell us to draw it and then you'd tell us we were doing it wrong.

I thought that's what I was signing up for in a drawing class.

But you actually explained to us how drawing works."

It's like, yeah, that's the whole point.

If you really do want to draw, you can learn if you get a good teacher, and it does take a lot of time and practice in order to develop the skill, but it is absolutely something that people can learn.

(carefree music) - Approaching its 150th anniversary in 2025, the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall recently announced plans for a transformational expansion project, called "Renaissance 150."

I sat down with the Hall's executive director, Jon Elbaum, to learn more about what we can expect to see.

Big changes are coming to the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.

Jon, give me a little overview of "Renaissance 150."

- Sure, well, "Renaissance 150" celebrates our 150th anniversary.

The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall opened in 1875, 150 years ago.

So yeah, a lot of history there.

Tremendous amount of history, but "Renaissance 150" looks back and celebrates that, but also is looking forward to the next 150 years, which is kind of (chuckles) hard to imagine, sitting here.

But it's very exciting, and one of the things that we'll introduce into the music hall is a new HVAC system, which will allow us to provide conditioned air into the music hall and make it a little more comfortable and safe for our patrons and our artists, and extend our season.

- That's big because currently there is no air conditioning.

- It's really huge and will allow us to present more and different things, which I think, is part of our objective as we move forward into the future.

- And in addition to that, tell me about on the first floor, 'cause for people that don't know, the halls on the third floor.

- Right.

- On the first floor, what's going on down there?

- So the first floor used to be the Troy Savings Bank and has not served as a bank in probably a dozen years now.

So it's a fairly large space.

There's a large, open area where the banking action used to take place, and that will become a sort of a multipurpose event space where we can do small performances, rehearsals, community events, family celebrations, business meetings, a wide variety, and then we'll have some other spaces as well for classrooms that we can use for our educational programs.

And then we're also putting in a recording suite that'll serve the very large and growing emerging artists that are here in the region.

- That's amazing.

That's really gonna help make the hall a major destination.

- It does, it makes it kind of an integrated, performing arts center, which has certainly been our vision for quite some time, seeing this vacant space and really activating it and making it part of the capital region's cultural asset.

- Yeah.

For people that haven't been to the music hall, give us a little bit of the history.

What makes it so special?

- Well, it's world renowned for its acoustics.

It's what's called a shoebox style, so it's reminiscent of the Paris Opera House, and that gives it some of those acoustic properties.

And it's a beautiful room and we've had so many great artists over the years, from Vladimir Horowitz to Sergei Rachmaninoff, to Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald- - Tuscanini- - Tuscanini, Paderewski, and then more modern artists, Yo-Yo Ma, Lyle Lovett, Benny Goodman, just so many.

And we wanna continue that.

- That's wonderful.

So what precautions are being taken?

This is a building that's a national historic landmark.

So what precautions are being taken when you put in this HVAC system to make sure that the acoustics aren't gonna be affected?

- Sure.

It is a very high priority for us, and we're working with an internationally renowned acoustical consulting firm, and they've been very good working with our engineering team to ensure that vibrations and noise from the equipment that we'll installing won't affect the performances.

And also to isolate what's going on down in the music hub from what's happening in the hall, so that we can operate both those spaces simultaneously.

- Now something that everybody sees when they go there is that big, beautiful organ.

- Yes.

- So there aren't plans in this project to fix that or renovate that.

Are there any hopes or wishes down the road to do that, do you think?

- We would certainly love to do it.

Many people approach us and say, "Well, can you play the organ?"

Or, "When are you gonna have an organ concert?"

And it would be such a wonderful thing to do.

It's costly, and so, it's really not within the scope of this project, but once we put this one to bed, we'll take another look at that and hopefully get it done.

- Are there even really a lot of organ experts like that, technicians?

- We have found that organ aficionados are very passionate and there are a lot of folks who are really interested and knowledgeable about how to do that.

There's an Organ Historical Society that actually had their convention here, I don't know, maybe 10 or 15 years ago, and I expressed a lot of interest in that.

- Wow, okay, maybe down the road, but this is quite a big step right now.

So this is right now just a plan, right?

What's the timeline?

Has construction started?

Has the funding come in?

- Sure.

Well, we're fortunate enough to receive some funding from the New York State Council and the Arts Empire State Development, the City of Troy, a number of private funders and foundations, but it's an expensive project, so we're still in the fundraising mode, but we have begun the project, in terms of preparing the site for future construction.

So we've done some demolition, some abatement of the asbestos, which is typical of a historic building.

So we're in that process now and we hope to be done by the end of 2025.

- How do you foresee this transformation affecting the growth of the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall?

Do you see any projected growth in revenue coming in and the creative economy of the whole Troy area?

- Right, well, there's so much energy in that area right now, and then we're there to support that.

So we'll have resources available.

We're committed to making the Music Hub, which is what we're calling this project, available to the whole entire community.

It will bring more people to downtown Troy, more business, again, extending the season.

We currently attract about 50,000 people a year.

We think that could go to 70,000 or more.

And we'll be able to do our education programs both in-house and in the school.

So it really gives us a lot of opportunities to expand the things that we're really doing now.

- Awesome.

So, 150th anniversary season, do you have any plans to celebrate that?

- Well, we have a few things up our sleeve.

We've got a great season coming up.

Kathleen Madigan, Victor Wooten, Branford Marsalas, and keep a lookout for a very special event next spring to celebrate the anniversary.

- Jon, what does this mean for you?

You've been at the helm here for how long?

- I've been here 12 years.

- 12 years, so what does it mean to you to see this big transformation taking place?

- Well, it's kind of awe inspiring really, personally.

I mean, when I first came to Troy and the bank had been closed at that point, I just saw the potential, and there were many hurdles that we had to overcome to actually realize this vision, but to see it all starting to come together is really amazing for me professionally, and it's amazing, I think, for the community as well.

It's gonna be the most transformative thing ever to happen to that beautiful building.

- Well Jon, thank you so much for joining me on, "AHA."

And we all look forward to seeing the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.

- Thank you, it's such a pleasure.

- We recently hosted a Glimmer Glass Festival Event right here in the WMHT studios, where glimmer glass artists performed some selections from their current summer festival.

And we, of course, were there with our TV cameras to capture it.

Take a look.

(upbeat piano music) ♪ Poor wandering one ♪ ♪ Though thou hast surely strayed ♪ ♪ Take heart of grace, thy steps retrace ♪ ♪ Poor wandering one ♪ ♪ Poor wandering one ♪ ♪ If such poor love as mine ♪ ♪ Can help thee find true peace of mind ♪ ♪ Why, take it, it is thine ♪ (carefree piano music) ♪ Take heart, fair days will shine ♪ ♪ Take any heart, take mine ♪ (carefree piano music) ♪ Take heart, fair days will shine ♪ ♪ Take any heart, take mine ♪ ♪ Ah ♪ ♪ Ah ♪ ♪ Ah ♪ ♪ Ah ♪ ♪ Ah ♪ ♪ Ah ♪ ♪ Poor wandering one ♪ ♪ Though thou hast surely strayed ♪ ♪ Take heart of grace, thy steps retrace ♪ ♪ Poor wandering one ♪ (playful piano music) ♪ Ah ♪ ♪ Ah ♪ ♪ Fair days will shine ♪ ♪ Take heart ♪ (playful piano music) ♪ Take mine ♪ ♪ Take heart ♪ (playful piano music) ♪ Take mine ♪ (carefree piano music) ♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah ♪ ♪ Ah ♪ ♪ Ah ♪ ♪ Ah ♪ (audience applauds) (gentle piano music) (singing opera in foreign language) (singing opera in foreign language) (singing opera in foreign language) (singing opera in foreign language) (gentle piano music) (singing opera in foreign language) (singing opera in a foreign language continues) (singing opera in a foreign language continues) (singing opera in a foreign language continues) (dramatic piano music) (audience applauds) (gentle piano music) ♪ Elizabeth ♪ ♪ We've know each other for quite awhile ♪ ♪ Too prosaic ♪ ♪ Elizabeth ♪ ♪ Dear Elizabeth ♪ ♪ I still recall the night we met ♪ ♪ Hopeless cliche ♪ ♪ Since my father passed away ♪ ♪ Morbid ♪ (audience chuckles) ♪ Elizabeth ♪ ♪ Dear Sweet Elizabeth ♪ ♪ I'd like to share ♪ ♪ John ♪ ♪ You're shaking ♪ ♪ LIfe in the theater I'd bid it all farewell ♪ ♪ If I could ♪ ♪ Father, may he rest his soul ♪ ♪ Hated my vocation ♪ ♪ Wanted me to be a surgeon ♪ ♪ Even studied for awhile ♪ ♪ Can you imagine me wielding a scalpel ♪ (dramatic piano music) ♪ Elizabeth ♪ ♪ We've known each other for quite awhile ♪ ♪ And how is your writing ♪ ♪ My writing ♪ ♪ I've begun a new play ♪ ♪ Even have the title ♪ ♪ Misery Charging ♪ ♪ Sounds uplifting ♪ (audience chuckles) ♪ You inspired it ♪ ♪ A young women, Catherine Dove ♪ ♪ Suffers poverty, starvation, and degradation ♪ ♪ But in the final scene ♪ ♪ Is released from her horrid world ♪ ♪ Indeed redeemed by a better life ♪ ♪ A better life ♪ ♪ Elizabeth, dear Elizabeth ♪ ♪ I still recall ♪ ♪ And do you intend to marry this girl in the end ♪ ♪ Not sure yet ♪ ♪ Only if her character tells me to ♪ ♪ You could wait a long time ♪ ♪ For her character to do that ♪ (gentle piano music) ♪ You forget I began my career in the theater ♪ ♪ As a prompter ♪ (gentle piano music) ♪ I can promise you ♪ ♪ A life without worry ♪ ♪ A life without care ♪ ♪ I then promise you ♪ ♪ Freedom from need ♪ ♪ Freedom from want ♪ ♪ The world is a perilous place ♪ ♪ A perilous place indeed ♪ (pair sings over each other) ♪ You need someone to look after you ♪ ♪ To take care of you ♪ ♪ With enchant-less heart ♪ ♪ And shield you from harm ♪ ♪ And shield me from harm ♪ ♪ For inside ♪ ♪ Inside I am but a terrified child ♪ ♪ May I promise you a life without worry ♪ ♪ A life without care ♪ ♪ May I promise you freedom from want ♪ ♪ Freedom from need ♪ ♪ And give you, give you ♪ ♪ I give you comfort and ease ♪ ♪ Kindness and love ♪ (dramatic piano music) ♪ Don't force a tale of charm ♪ ♪ From now on ♪ ♪ We will be one ♪ ♪ Say more ♪ ♪ From this day on ♪ ♪ We will be one ♪ ♪ We will be one ♪ (audience applauds) (bright music) - Thanks for joining us.

For More Arts, visit WMHT.org/AHA and be sure to connect with us on social.

I'm Matt Rogowicz.

Thanks for watching.

(upbeat 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 Malesardi, and the Robison Family Foundation.

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