(gentle music) (upbeat music) - Join the Albany Symphony on the Erie Canal.

Learn about this summer's Water Music concerts.

And catch a performance from the Ky McClinton Band.

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

(gentle 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 Fisher Malesardi.

And the Robison Family Foundation.

(upbeat music) - Hi, I'm Matt Rogowicz, and this is "AHA," a House for Arts, a place for all things creative.

Before learning about Albany Symphony's upcoming summer events, let's take a look back at an event from the 2024 Water Music Festival.

- We're really trying to shine a light on these amazing historic and cultural artifacts, but also on the immediacy and the beauty of the canal and all this water that runs through our lands and our places.

- It was a late, stark and rainy night, a solitary figure hunches over a desk, a composer surrounded by silence, scrappling with an unusual theme for a new composition.

- The Erie canal.

(gentle music) - Water Music New York is one of the things that we at the Albany Symphony are most excited about.

Back in 2017, we had a number of conversations with the New York State Canal Corporation, because I happen to know that the beginning of the bicentennial of the Erie Canal was going to be on July 4th, 2017.

That was when the first shovel full was dug in Rome, New York in 1817.

And so we developed this incredible project to float the orchestra, essentially down the canal from Albany to Buffalo over a week, around the July 4th holiday, celebrating the bicentennial, the kickoff of the bicentennial.

And so we began conversations a couple years ago with the Canal Corporation and the Power Authority.

And they very much wanted us to come back and do a sort of similar thing, but we and they very much wanted to make it a little bit different.

We call it now Water Music New York: More Voices.

The idea being that there are so many stakeholders and historical figures and populations whose voices and whose stories really haven't been heard or haven't been told.

So we're really focusing particularly on the stories and the voices of women, immigrants, people of color, indigenous Americans who obviously occupied this land long before the canal was built, and the voice of the environment, of nature.

We're doing these five little really fascinating pop-up events, one of which is right here in Schoharie Crossing Park.

(gentle orchestra music) - This is a very beautiful and unusual place.

It's where you can see all three versions of the canal, but it's called The Crossing because of that beautiful aqueduct behind me that was built in 1841.

I can't think of a more peaceful setting to be able to sit here and to reflect and to imagine what it was like when the canal was going at full bore, both in 1825, but later in the 1860's and the 1870's when literally hundreds of boats were going across the aqueduct.

And to have it set to music is just a beautiful thing.

So I'm really looking forward to enjoying the evening.

(gentle orchestra music) ♪ I speak with grace to you ♪ ♪ My water ♪ ♪ Flowing from mountains high to valleys low ♪ ♪ Carrying my spirit's flow ♪ - My name is Clarissa Saad and I'm a composer and performer originally from Brazil.

Today we are premiering a piece that I wrote called "Earth and Water."

And the idea for this piece came from a conversation I had with Kay Olin and she is a member of the Mohawk Nation.

And she told me something so beautiful.

She said that the oldest spirit that they believe in and they care for is Mother Earth, right?

And she also said that water was Mother Earth's blood.

So this piece is a composition that, it's a conversation between earth and water, earth being worried about everything that's happening to them, right?

Manmade structures, things like that.

And there are interjections where I am the composer.

So you literally see like where I stopped, my thought, train of thought, and there's narration.

It's like, from here on you continue, and I have an idea and I feel, so it's like as if I was writing the piece in real time.

(violins harmonizing) - Right then, the composer paused, taking a long breath and letting the air flow into the lungs, carrying oxygen to every cell.

Silently, thanks were given to all plants, the phytoplankton, the atmosphere.

- And of course, the earth itself.

- This is a very important program with the support that we're having from local communities, right?

We're coming together to make this happen.

I think this is fantastic.

We're building a strong community for people to have their pieces heard, for the audience to listen to new works that they haven't listened.

So I think it's just, it's a very important thing.

We need that more in the world.

(gentle music) ♪ Whose dreams ♪ ♪ The humans who inhabit this place ♪ ♪ Why the worry ♪ ♪ Other canals have been built millennia ago ♪ ♪ What sets this one apart ♪ - These popups are a little different from what we normally do in that they're for, you know, fairly small ensembles, quartet, quintet, four or five musicians plus singers, plus speaker, et cetera.

So, but it's the same exercise as bringing the whole orchestra, a little more manageable with the smaller group, but it's all about celebrating and connecting to our communities and all the communities around us, and who feed this incredible culture that is the capital region in New York state.

So we feel this is like the most important and the most exciting and original work we do.

(audience clapping and cheering) - And now, to learn more about this summer's Water Music New York concerts, Jade Warwick, sat down with Albany Symphony's, David Allen Miller.

- Hey David, welcome back to a House for Arts.

I'm excited to have you!

- I'm so happy to be here, Jade.

Great to be with you!

- It's great to connect again.

So this time we're gonna be talking about this amazing festival you have coming up, which is called Water Music: More Voices, correct?

- It is.

- So, what's this festival about?

- I should probably say it's called Water Music New York: More Voices.

- New York.

- 'Cause it's all about celebrating not only New York and New York history and New York heritage, but it's also about broadening the narrative to explore the stories of groups that have been marginalized.

And it's really centered on the Erie Canal and the New York state canal system, 'cause those are our partners, the Canal Corporation and the Power Authority of New York state, which have really made possible all this wonderful free summer programming we've now been doing for a few years.

So last year, the big commemorative year, which was the final year of 2025, we embedded five composers in towns along the canal, and each one was kind of handling a different focal area of this more voices theme.

And this year, because we're now, you know, sort of at the very end of the bicentennial period, we're looking forward with the canal to like the next 100 years.

And so issues of accessibility, of making sure the canal is available to everybody, to people of all backgrounds, as well as to disabled people.

But far more issues of access, which even go bigger than just people with disabilities, that everyone should have access to the canal and to the beauty of New York state.

We're dealing a lot with that and we're doing three communities, and again, embedding composers in those communities.

- That's amazing.

And what do these communities look like to you?

Like, what does that look like?

- Well, we're doing three.

So we're actually, we did it kind of tactically or strategically.

We're starting on July 10th, Friday night.

Friday day and night in Waterford, which is, you know, right here in the capital region where the, it's essentially considered the eastern terminus of the canal.

And then the next day and night will be in Rome, which is kind of the halfway point ish, not quite halfway, but it's where the first shovel was dug on July 4th, 1817.

So a very seminal place in the history of the canal.

And they we're ending up at the Western terminus in mid August, on August 15th in the Tonawandas, which is, you know, kind of just above Buffalo, kind of considered greater Buffalo, but a very unique, beautiful place where the canal empties into the Niagara River and then into Lake Erie.

So, and in each town, as we have done the past years, we're building these amazing free community-based festivals with all sorts of different events, arts, culture, nature, of sharing ideas, culminating in musical events and performing events in the evening.

And the orchestra takes the stage and does a program of "Americana," since it's America 250.

And then this amazing specifically composed piece by each of these three composers in each of these three towns.

And then a lot of pop music, sing along stuff with our amazing singers.

- Okay.

- So it'll be a really fun, each one will be an amazing, fun, kind of festival day, entirely curated for that community and by that community.

- That sounds so amazing!

- It's a lot, but we're really excited.

- Right, I'm gonna say it's a lot, but a lot of good!

- We got very good at this.

This is something we love to do, and the main thing we love about it is that it's free and really an invitation to everybody from far and wide.

From the community, but from far beyond the community.

We hope everybody in the capital region will come on up to beautiful, beautiful Waterford.

But people beyond the capital region should come.

And if you've never been out to the Tonawandas, they are beautiful.

And Rome and Utica, which are kind of sister cities next to each other are amazing communities that everybody should know.

- I wonder if you have any Albany Symphony groupies that will go to each one, you know?

- Oh, we do.

Mainly- - Make it to all of them.

- Mainly relatives of mine.

But yeah, we have some and some, I always thought we should get the T-shirt.

I survived the entire tour, you know?

- Right!

That would be so funny.

- Yeah.

Yeah.

- So I know Albany Symphony has a big summer coming up, you know, you have this festival and then you also have the American Music Festival in Troy.

- We do.

- How do all these tie together?

- Well, in two ways.

The American Music Festival, which is an annual event that we do every early June, first weekend in June, basically, as we're doing it this year.

And we're actually starting earlier, we're starting on Wednesday night with an amazing retrospective concert of The Dogs of Desire, our great new music ensemble.

We're playing a bunch of hits from the last 30 years and recording video and audio recording them.

But then that whole weekend, the 5th, 6th, 7th, we've got programming all weekend long, the orchestra's playing on Saturday night up at EMPAC.

The Dog's Desire is playing again on Friday night.

We have a free community recital in this beautiful new Troy arts hub, which is, I guess part of the music hall.

And we've got open rehearsals free to the public and such.

So we always think of that American Music Festival, which is wall to wall, new and unusual American music as kind of the culmination of our subscription season, 'cause it's the final big set of concerts we do every year, kind of leading up to that all year.

But at the same time, we also view it as kind of a portal into our summer programming.

So, it's kind of a way to get people excited about the cool things like the Water Music concerts that we're doing in the summer.

So it's kind of aa portal in both directions.

- I love that.

So with the Water Music Festival, I know you mentioned that there's a lot of community, like, you did a lot of community outreach and involving the community in, why was that so important to shape this festival?

Like, why is that so important?

- Well, I must say, I must say for us, for my team and for me and for our friends at the Canal Corporation, I think that's by far the most exciting, beautiful part of it.

We don't want to just show up and play a concert.

Look, there's an orchestra, and kind of be not connected to the community.

We wanna be the antithesis of that, the absolute opposite.

And so, we spend the year basically visiting ourselves, and then we bring the composer in.

Our composers have been in two or three times to each of the communities, really kind of embedding ourselves in the community and getting to know the communities really well.

Because the whole premise of the project is really to be of, not just for, but of the community and to sort of speak to the uniqueness of each of these communities.

So, we've learned such incredible things about these communities.

In Waterford, the piece that Celka Ojakangas is creating is about, it's called "Peeble's Eagles," or "Mr.

And Mrs.

Peeble Eagle."

'Cause on Peeble's Island, which faces Waterford, they're these amazing, you know, new, recent Eagle populations.

- Yeah.

- And there's a pair called Mr.

And Mrs.

Peebles.

And so, and she actually has solicited poetry from the community, particularly from the senior center in Waterford.

And she has used this poetry to set, and as the ideas behind the piece she's creating.

So, the pieces are really of and for the specific communities.

In the Tonawandas, we had amazing tours.

It turns out that the Wurlitzer Company, which made all those organs and then made Jukeboxes, had their main manufacturing facility in North Tonawanda.

And then there's an amazing carousel museum, which we got a special tour of.

And so we've learned all about the history of these places and we're embedding that into the pieces and into our activities and inviting all sorts of community groups.

Everything from, you know, nature groups, their kayak trips and nature hikes to certainly performing groups which will performing with us.

And also on the stage, before we take the stage, there'll be a drone show in every town specific to that community.

And then all sorts of other food and beverages of the region, arts walks that are going on in the communities.

So it's gonna be just a huge celebration all day, all afternoon and evening of the community and about the community.

So that's what's exciting about it, that we're amplifying the messages of the uniqueness of these particular communities.

- It's beautiful.

Not just your average festival.

- Not at all.

- So before we wrap up, what do you hope stays with the person after visiting one of your festivals?

- Well, I think we really hope that they will not only develop a greater appreciation for and love of the community and its relationship to this beautiful waterway which runs through these communities, but that they will really feel a sense of ownership.

Whether they're from the community or not, that, you know, this canal belongs to all of us.

That these natural resources are so valuable and belong to us.

You know, it's a celebration of community through art and through exploration.

And if there were ever a time when we need to kind of re commemorate the idea of all being connected and related and working together and thinking together and feeling for each other and being great neighbors, this is an important time for that.

And so, I think it's really about community and the canal.

That's really what it's all about.

- Well, thank you so much, David.

I can't wait to visit one of these festivals myself.

They sound exhilarating!

- Thank you, Jade, I hope you bring the whole family.

At least- - I will!

- Certainly- - Maybe I'll become one of those groupies.

- To Waterford.

Yeah, come on down.

And it's really fun, each of these towns is really special.

- All right, well thank you David so much.

We appreciate you for joining us.

- Thank you for having me.

- Please welcome the Ky McClinton Band.

(relaxing music) (relaxing music continues) ♪ Oh, why do I bother ♪ ♪ I said, love, love, love, love, love ♪ ♪ Why do I bother ♪ ♪ At least they appreciate me ♪ ♪ They all see what I see ♪ ♪ When you tell me to let you be ♪ ♪ I'll let you be ♪ ♪ But that's when they appreciate me ♪ ♪ Baby, I am understanding ♪ ♪ To a certain point ♪ ♪ You're crazy if you blame me ♪ ♪ As if you have a choice ♪ ♪ Then you tell me to let you be ♪ ♪ I'll let you be, yeah ♪ ♪ That's when they appreciated me, yeah ♪ (relaxing music continues) ♪ Now you can say I've lost myself ♪ ♪ But I know ♪ ♪ I've never felt any more wonderful ♪ ♪ Like a toy put on a shelf, so good ♪ ♪ I've always found them to be less than good ♪ ♪ At least they appreciate you now ♪ ♪ Yeah, they all see what I say ♪ ♪ Yeah, when you tell me to let you be ♪ ♪ I'll let you be ♪ ♪ Yeah, that's when they appreciate me ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ (relaxing music continues) ♪ Oh, I say, love, love, love, love, love ♪ ♪ Why do I bother ♪ ♪ Yeah, oh, and I say, love, love, love, love, love ♪ ♪ Why do I bother ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ I say, love, love, love, love, love ♪ ♪ Why do I bother ♪ ♪ Yeah, oh, and I say, love, love, love, love, love ♪ ♪ Why do I bother ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah now ♪ (relaxing music ending) (gentle music) ♪ I was waiting on you to call ♪ ♪ But I was wrong ♪ ♪ I was wrong, oh yeah ♪ ♪ Yeah, I was waiting on you to call ♪ ♪ To bless my soul ♪ ♪ Ooh, you know ♪ ♪ You know, I've been waiting on forever ♪ ♪ I've been waiting on forever ♪ ♪ Ooh, I say you gone away ♪ ♪ No way to wait ♪ ♪ Okay ♪ ♪ Can I be, oh, can I be in your passenger seat ♪ ♪ Ooh, please ♪ ♪ 'Cause I was thinking life forever ♪ ♪ Yeah, I was thinking life forever ♪ ♪ Ooh, yeah, I was thinking life forever ♪ ♪ Yeah, I was thinking life forever ♪ ♪ Yeah, oh ♪ (gentle music continues) ♪ I'm already bad at waiting ♪ ♪ You know damn well I'm impatient ♪ ♪ I can hold it too long ♪ ♪ A lot of time being wasted ♪ ♪ And it's me just pacing ♪ ♪ But you a thought in my mind ♪ ♪ 'Cause I was thinking life forever ♪ ♪ Yeah, I was thinking life forever ♪ ♪ Yeah, I was thinking life forever ♪ ♪ Yeah, I was thinking life forever ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) ♪ 'Cause I was thinking life forever ♪ ♪ 'Cause I was thinking life forever, yeah ♪ ♪ 'Cause I was thinking life forever ♪ ♪ 'Cause I was thinking life forever, yeah ♪ ♪ Oh girl ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Na, na, na ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ (gentle music ending) (soft 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.

(gentle music) (gentle music continues) - [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 Fisher Malesardi.

And the Robison Family Foundation.