We first performed the music of Michael Markowski in 2012 – Turkey in the Straw. Since then we’ve performed several other works written by Michael, including Elixir, Tidal Forces, Joyride — and City Trees. This was the piece that brought Michael to Tarrytown to hear WSW for the first time, and we’ve enjoyed wonderful relationship ever since.

Michael joined us on Zoom last night. Those present had the unique opportunity to hear him talk about his latest project, released just this past weekend — the collaborative distance performance video of City Trees, performed by the Three Rivers Youth Symphony, and conducted by another friend of WSW, Maestro Brian Worsdale. It was amazing to hear him describe this project, and his unique involvement with it as composer and editor.

We’ve all seen these Brady Bunch-style performance videos, and I’ve talked several times in the Zooms over the past weeks and here on this blog, that we should not be misled into thinking that they are easily produced. Michael (who has an undergrad degree in film, not music) edited both the audio and video of this piece, and he brings this performance form to a whole new level. We all gasped the first time we saw Eric Whitacre’s Sleep video, way before distance learning was a real thing. And I’m definitely not saying we should drop everything and make a video. (The Bach chorale audio project was hard enough!) But, I had goosebumps watching this, and felt I had to share it with you. What Michael, Brian, and these students did is truly noteworthy. The trees were all photographed in Pittsburgh. And there’s a subtle homage to Leopold Stokowski and Fantasia as well.

I hope you’ll find 7 minutes of your time to watch this, and be inspired — like me — to long even more to return to our rehearsals and our real-time musical camaraderie.