Orchestra in the summertime, a psychological experience
From Rob Hoff, Board of Directors, Vice President- Artistic Affairs
Ask many teachers what they most enjoy about teaching and the reply might be (only partly in jest), June, July, and August! The same could be said about living in Erie, Pennsylvania! Of course, each of the four seasons in Erie offers unique delights, but summer in Erie means music outdoors. Whether you are looking for music at Frontier Park, at Presque Isle, or right “in your hometown,” summer in Erie offers a lot of music outdoors.
Best of all, our Erie Phil brings free concerts open to the public in July and August. We can hear the Brass Ensemble outdoors in North East, Lake City, Erie, and Edinboro. Last year the ensemble performed selections by Henry Purcell, Scott Joplin, and Giovanni Gabrieli. (Absolutely delightful!) The Chamber Ensemble will perform July 22 and 24 at parks in Girard and North East. Beautiful music in pastoral settings. And the orchestra is preparing a very special program for folks in Corry and Meadville following the Wednesday July 10 opening concert in North East. Maestro Daniel Meyer will conduct the light and witty suite Love’s Labour’s Lost by the English composer Gerald Finzi and Beethoven’s shortest, sunniest, perhaps even funniest symphony, his Symphony No. 8. We eagerly look forward as well to hearing Erie Phil cellist Will Teagarden perform one of the truly great cello concertos, Camille Saint-Saens’ Cello Concerto No. 1.
Since I began this little blog with a note about teaching and what folks enjoy about Erie summers, I may add that I taught psychology at Mercyhurst University for over 50 years and especially enjoyed holding classes outdoors in good weather. (Students liked being outside as well and were more talkative and engaged– plus no PowerPoints!) One of the newer branches of psychology I’ve always found quite fascinating is environmental psychology, which examines the influence of natural and human-built surroundings on how people feel, think, and behave. Parks and gardens are examples of restorative environments with the promise of promoting relaxation and stress reduction. Green spaces (more than gray spaces) enhance emotional and mental well-being. Last summer I saw people doing Warrior I, sun salutations, and other yoga poses while the orchestra was performing music by Robert Schumann and Florence Price. Listening to classical music per se is linked to multiple health benefits (including for the brain as described by Oliver Sacks in his book Musicophilia). Positive and joyful social interactions are also beneficial, so imagine the combined benefits of being in a restorative environment and listening to great music in the company of friends, family, and other music lovers!
For many people, music is immensely powerful. It can move people emotionally and behaviorally, sometimes in intense and memorable ways. I experienced such effects myself in outdoor spaces such as Woodstock 1969 and the Great Lawn of Central Park listening to the New York Philharmonic or Tanglewood with James Taylor singing about kindness and human connection in “Shower the People.” Recent research indicates that music can often encourage altruism and increase empathy. Of course, such benefits certainly may occur in human-built indoor environments such as our gorgeous Warner Theatre, but this July and August we can have a relaxing evening enjoying ourselves in natural environments surrounded by trees, flowers, birds, little kids, grandparents, and our friends while listening to our glorious Erie Philharmonic. I hope to see you there!