Alva Review-Courier -

Music – the arts in general – can be life-changing, Kim Weast said passionately as we sat over mugs of coffee at Holder's Drug.

Weast is the director of the Northwest Oklahoma Concert Series, which will soon launch its 2021 series after a year off due to the pandemic. She is also a professor at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, but the concert series is not put on by the university, although they do provide the auditorium at no charge.

No, the Northwest Concert Series is a nonprofit entity of its own that has been providing top-notch, professional concerts since long before Weast arrived on the scene 19 years ago. The date of the first concert is hard to pinpoint, but Weast believes it began in the mid-1980s. Athough Weast did not found the organization, it seems to have become interwoven with her entire philosophy of education, of raising fulfilled and informed citizens, and of life itself.

"I was very blessed," she said. "My mom was a schoolteacher, my dad owned his own company; they didn't make much money, but my mom and dad exposed us to a variety of activities and arts. On Mom's salary and Dad's encouragement, we went to everything when we were young. When we were little, they would take off work" to make sure their children were exposed to a wide variety of arts and activities. "I know that it cost them a fortune, and I look back now, and I know they didn't have the money to do it. I see now the sacrifice they made.

"We went to everything from going to hear the Oklahoma City Symphony (...) or we would go to the drag races, or the rodeo, or the Ice Capades. I mean, the variety of it! That was their mentality, and it was definitely a gift and a sacrifice," she said.

But as a result of their parents' approach, Weast and her brother got involved in music as they grew older because they reacted to those experiences with, "'That's inspiring, that's entertaining, I want to try that.' It's an opportunity to look outside of the box."

Seeing live music is very different from watching it on TV, she noted, where you just easily click past it if it doesn't instantly capture your attention.

"We don't give ourselves a chance! So my thought is to have a little 7-year-old come and listen to DFW Brass, see someone playing the trumpet or trombone or whatever, and think 'Oh! I want to try that!'

Inspiring Children, Changing Lives

Weast would love to see area schools bring their students to the concerts, she said. "This opportunity, I think it's good for education. I'd like to see more public schools say "Hey! Student tickets are only $5!" While they haven't done group discounts before, Weast said, "I guess if they had a group of 50 or 60, we could work something out, but $5 – you can hardly do anything today for $5, especially to see professional quality."

She's also hoping young families will take this opportunity to bring their children to the concerts and expand their understanding of the kinds of self-expression open to them.

"I'd love for parents and young families to start bringing their children to expose them to different art forms," she said. "We don't get that opportunity here very often. I think that exposure to the arts is life changing," she said. "I think it's the exposure to the variety of arts and ways people are expressing themselves. We forget that we are always expressing ourselves. And I think that art is therapeutic," she adds. "I think there's a sense of art that is maybe an artifact: you can hear and see something from a different time-period. Art has a sense of political and social connection; oh, that song came out during the Vietnam War and here's the reason why we wrote it, and so you learn about that. And, obviously, art is entertainment," she said. "The acronym I use with my students is TAPE: art is therapeutic, it is an artifact, it is political and social commentary, and it's entertainment."

Wide Variety of Professional Music at Bargain Prices

The groups booked this year will bring a wide variety of music, even within a single performance. For example, DFW Brass plays everything from classical to the music from "Star Wars," though Weast doesn't know exactly what they'll be playing this time. Another group focuses on the music of Henry Mancini – music that Weast thinks most people will recognize, even if they think they don't know Mancini's music. A group named Superstar features the music of the Carpenters, and violinist Gary Lovini is bringing his entire band. These musicians are coming from all around the country; putting all this together, not to mention finding the funds for it, is an extremely complicated effort that Weast takes on with love.

Linda Tutwiler of Alva has been a supporter of the concert series for years, and she is still a wholehearted fan.

"I've always said we live in a small community, and we don't have a lot of chances to enjoy quality concerts and entertainment like the concert series provides," she said. "It's also very affordable; I usually get $50 season ticket, and that's just $12.50 a concert, so that 's a great deal. It's something I wouldn't have access to otherwise if they didn't bring it here. They're always fun. I always enjoy going."

She's hoping that a local restaurant will stay open those evenings so concert-goers can go somewhere for coffee, dessert, and a thorough re-hash of what they've just experienced. Or gather your friends and make a night of it, with dinner out before the 7 p.m. concert begins. The performances are over at 9 p.m.

"I'm really looking forward to this," Tutwiler said. "I think the people in charge of this work really hard, and I'm just happy to be able to hear the music live."

This year's line-up includes:

Sept. 14 – DFW Brass

DFW Brass is composed of Dr. Lacey Hays (trumpet), Dr. Carl Kleinsteuber (tuba), Adam Miller (trumpet), Steve Peterson (trombone), and Heather Suchodolski (French horn).

Hays, the group's director, grew up on a farm in central Oklahoma and began playing trumpet in the fifth grade. She is now a freelance musician and clinician who has performed all over the world. She's been a soloist with the Sofia Philharmonic in Bulgaria, with Johnny Mathis, and for Broadway tours. She's played at Carnegie Hall in New York City, the Verdi Opera House in Italy, and the Classical Music Festival in Austria, among many other international venues. She's also on the faculty of several colleges and at The Oklahoma Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain. She can be heard on many DVDs, including the "Messa Da Requiem" with Placido Domingo conducting Verdi's "Requiem" recorded in Munich, Germany.

Kleinsteuber has performed at Carnegie Hall, has performed and recorded with the New York Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein, the Boston Symphony with Seiji Ozawa, the Metropolitan opera under James Levine, and was solo tubist with the Hague Philharmonic in the Netherlands for 24 years. He also plays jazz, performing with Gravity (a jazz tuba sextet), Lionel Hampton and Quincy Jones.

Miller serves on two Texas symphonies, the Jacksonville Symphony, and various brass bands. He attended the Juilliard School, studying under Wynton Marsalis among others. He was principal trumpet at the Shanghai Broadcasting Symphony in China. He has performed with Yo-Yo Ma, Luciano Pavarotti, Josh Groban and Canadian Brass.

Peterson has performed with numerous symphonies around the country and is an adjunct professor at Richland College. He is a member of Bishop Arts Brass and also performs with the Avant Chamber Ballet.

Heather Suchodolski is the Principal Horn of the East Texas Symphony Orchestra and performs regularly with various symphonies and ensembles in Texas. She has been on the faculty of various Texas universities.

Jan. 18 – Gary Lovini

Gary Lovini bills himself as an international violin showman. He is originally from the United Kingdom, where he is known as "The King of Strings," but now lives in Orlando, Florida.

Lovini's performances bridge classical and popular music. He got his start on a major British TV talent show and has since electrified audiences around the world. (He's also met Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.)

March 8 – SuperStar

SuperStar, featuring Broadway entertainer Helen Welch, is a celebration of the music of The Carpenters, with performances of their numerous hits along with stories about the brother/sister duo. Carpenters' classics include "Close To You," "We've Only Just Begun," "Superstar," "Yesterday Once More," "Top of the World," and many more.

The Daily Telegram wrote of Welch, "Her warm, funny and outgoing personality combined with her extraordinary musical abilities made for one of those concerts that really sticks in the mind ... the perfect combination of magnetic stage presence and terrific vocal abilities."

April 19 – The Music of Mancini

This performance celebrates the compositions of Henry Mancini from his early work with the Glenn Miller Orchestra to his memorable melodies from TV and film classics such as "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "The Pink Panther" and many more. A concise narration throughout the show includes historical information from Mancini's very successful career. The event is managed by Glenn Miller Productions, with over 60 years of managing the world-famous Glenn Miller Orchestra.

Tickets and Funding

General admission tickets are $20 for adults, $5 for students and $15 for senior citizens. Season adult tickets are $50.

"Somebody asked about a family plan, and I said if they want to call me, we will work out a plan," Weast said. "We've never really had one before, but we'll work it out. We just want people to come."

A number of sponsors keep the concert series going.

"The organization is supported tremendously by the Share Morton Trust," said Weast. "Their bi-annual gift is what keeps us going, and the season ticket holders." Financial support is largely from local sources, like the Alva Arts Alliance and NWOSU, but the Oklahoma Arts Alliance and the National Endowment for the Arts are also sponsors. Local businesses also support the concert series, but, Weast said, "a lot of times the individual in northwest Oklahoma doesn't know we exist." She would really like to change that.

"Northwestern is a sponsor, like Share Morton Trust; NWOSU provides the facility and the students can run the event, as well as a couple of stipends given to faculty like myself who are the executive and co-directors. But this is a nonprofit organization set up in northwest Oklahoma; it doesn't have anything to do with NWOSU," she emphasized.

The Music of Mancini will be performed at Herod Hall on the Northwestern Oklahoma State University campus at 7 p.m. April 19. Photo provided

"People don't understand the expense. They are all professional musicians and artists, and they all have union contracts. With Share Morton Trust's support, we can at least keep going this year, but without community support it could be lost, or it could be downsized where we can't afford to do four concerts. We don't want to lose it. We want to maintain these opportunities for artistic expression and to bring in professional groups."

She gets suggestions to bring in someone like Reba McEntire, but such groups are far beyond the organization's budget, which is generally around $18,000. That covers paying the musicians, hotels, travel, and on and on. And some of the sponsors, like the National Endowment for the Arts, don't support pop-type music.

"So when someone says to bring in Reba McEntire, there's absolutely no way – unless someone wants to give me $200,000.

For season tickets, or to work out group discounts or other issues, contact Weast at 580-327-8462. Be sure to leave your full name and number and the reason you're calling, she advises.