After 6 long months, the Boise Phil returns!

While we’re thrilled to start performing with you again, and we know that like most things this year, our concerts look and feel different than they have in the past. We want to make sure that you have the best possible experience, so the next few blog posts will be dedicated to just that – sharing tips and tricks for you to connect!

This post is all about how to set up your account and how to access the Boise Phil on all your devices so you can stream concert videos anytime, anywhere.

It just takes 4 easy steps to get connected for the first time:
1. Purchase
2. Activate
3. Watch!
4. Download

STEP 1: PURCHASE – Subscribe at boisephil.org

A subscription or membership is your way to unlock 27 performances along with exclusive musician interviews on the Boise Phil’s Digital Stage.

You can subscribe online at boisephil.org/subscribe/ and choose the subscription that works best for you.

You can also call the Boise Phil box office at (208) 344-7849. Our patron services team is standing by to ensure you have quick and easy access to our programming and can take care of your specific subscription needs.

For all subscription options, you can opt for monthly auto-renew or prepay for the entire season (October 2020 – June 2021).

If you have credit on your account from the canceled concerts, you may apply that towards your
subscription. If you plan to apply account credits to your subscription, please be sure to call (208) 344-7849 and we’ll help you.

After your subscription is processed, you will receive an email with instructions for
accessing the Digital Stage.

STEP 2: ACTIVATE – Check your email and set your password

After you subscribe, you will receive an email to activate your account.
When you receive this email, click on the blue button (as shown below).
This will take you to the Boise Phil Digital Stage where you can set your password.

When the Digital Stage opens, click the green button in the top right corner of your screen that says “set password”

After you have created your password, you will receive a confirmation that says, “your password has been updated.” That means you have successfully created your new password. When you log into the Digital Stage on other devices, you will log-in using your email as your username and the password you just created.

STEP 3: WATCH
Congrats! You are ready to start watching. Simply click the green “START WATCHING” button or select the BROWSE link at the top.

The 20/21 Season lasts from October 2020 to June 2021. During this time, new concerts will be added to the Digital Stage several times a month. Check out the concert calendar and digital playbills here: boisephil.org/events/calendar/

Concerts will be online for a minimum of 30 days after they are added and Digital Stage subscribers have access to unlimited views of each performance.

Now, this is where it gets cool…

STEP 4: DOWNLOAD

Once you’ve set up your account and activated it, the next tip is to connect your other devices so you can enjoy the Boise Phil in your living room, while lounging outside, or anywhere else that you’d like to watch and listen.

Download the Digital Stage application (also known as an “app”) to your mobile phone, tablet, and/or streaming device (Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Andriod TV, and Chromecast).

You can activate up to 4 devices in your household at one time.

Watch on your mobile phones and tablets

iPhone and iPad instructions

android phone and tablet instructions
*Click on the GooglePlay icon to find and download the Boise Phil app.

Watch on your television

Apple TV instructions

Amazon FireTV instructions

ROKU instructions

androidtv instructions

chromecast

Watch on your computer

BOISEPHIL.TV boisephil.tv/browse

A complete listing of concerts can be found here: boisephil.org/events/calendar/

And lastly, if you haven’t subscribed yet, click here to get started!

We’d love to see you watching the Digital Stage. Post a photo on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and add #getyourPHIL so we can find you.

The brass section will always be my favorite section of the orchestra (see blog post 1 for more on that subject). So, it’s my pleasure to introduce you to our Principal Tuba Adam Snider.

The tuba is a relatively recent member of the modern symphony orchestra. The instrument was invented in 1835 and is a descendant of the ophicleide and serpent instruments (see photos).

Since the instrument evolved into the modern-day tuba, it has become a core part of the orchestra ensemble. The tuba is the lowest instrument in the brass family and is famous for its starring role in the music for Jaws.

Laura R.: Hi Adam, it’s great to catch up with you to learn more about you and your instrument. Let’s kick off by learning a little bit about you. Was the tuba your first instrument and how did you get started?

Adam: In fourth grade, I actually signed up to play saxophone. Everyone else did too; there weren’t enough to go around and the beginning band director asked that some students consider another instrument. He told me that if I played tuba, he’d lend me one to practice at home and keep another one at school for rehearsal so I wouldn’t have to lug it back and forth; I was sold! Of course, the joke was on me: now I lug around tubas everywhere I go.

LR: What are some surprising things about the tuba that you would like people to know?

 Adam: Because the tuba hasn’t been around as long as other orchestral instruments, it hasn’t really settled into a “standard” design. Tubas come in a wide array of shapes and sizes, in 4 different keys, and have between 3 and 7 valves that can end up in a range of configurations. As if one tuba wasn’t enough to deal with, I regularly use two different instruments: my “big” horn, a contrabass tuba in the key of C that I use for most orchestral works; and my “small” horn, a bass tuba in F that I use for chamber music as well as for solo playing.

The tuba often functions as a “background” instrument in ensembles and when it’s given a feature it’s often depicted in a comic manner. But it’s capable of a host of characters and emotions, from triumphant to somber to downright conniving. A few pieces worth checking out include the tuba concertos of John Williams and Jorge Salgueiro, Anthony Plog’s Three Miniatures, Daniel Nelson’s Metallëphônic Remix, and James Meador’s Six-Pack.

LR: What does it feel like to be the only one that plays your instrument in the orchestra?

 Adam: It’s an interesting situation. Not having a larger section of my own, my main job is to fit in with and support different sections around the orchestra. Often I hang out with the trombones, but I regularly blend with other lower-voiced instruments like the string basses and the bassoons, and at times I get to join the horn section. Each setting takes a different mindset to pull off successfully, so it’s a great challenge.

LR: How has your work changed as a result of COVID-19?

 Adam: I’m very privileged that I’ve been able to do most of my work remotely from home. I’ve taught private lessons online for years; fortunately, all my students have transitioned smoothly to this setup. I’ve been doing some solo recording, remote chamber ensemble recording with former Phil musician Bill Shaltis, and a few multitrack projects. Though the setting has changed in the past few months, the Phil’s mission remains the same: to bring musical experiences to the Treasure Valley community that entertain, transport, and inspire.

LR: Outside of strength training your lungs to fill up your giant instrument with sound, what hobbies or interests do you have?

 Adam: Hiking, camping, discovering new music, and fermentation (beer, kombucha, sourdough, pickles, mead, cider, etc.). Coffee roasting is my latest obsession.

LR: Are there any last nuggets of advice that you’d like to share with our readers about the tuba or being a musician?

 Adam: It’s an incredible privilege to make music professionally, and I take it very seriously. I greatly enjoy my work, as it’s always in service of the listener. The hours I spend every day maintaining and refining my craft are so I can do my part to bring the audience the deepest, most meaningful experience possible. Often, the tuba’s job is not terribly glamorous, but it’s very fulfilling to create art with my exceptional colleagues. I hope the audience has as much fun as I do at concerts!

Click here to access our full orchestra’s webpage.

An orchestra’s music director guides the artistic vision for the organization, which extends well beyond the podium. This week I had the chance to catch up with Eric Garcia, Boise Phil’s music director, to dig into the nuances of his work and learn more about the ways that he has had to adapt to our shifting landscape.

Laura R: Let’s start from the beginning. What is your musical origin story?

Eric G: I grew up listening to pop and rock music – I was a product of the early ‘80s MTV culture.  I started playing drums at age five and had every intention of being a professional rock drummer.

LR: At what point in your musical journey did you discover conducting and how did you know it was your path?

EG: I fell in love with classical music around the age of 10. Upon discovery, I was obsessed. I listened to all styles and genres. I read every biography I could get my hands on. Also, I started composing – later studying composition in college. Watching conductors like Bernstein, Ormandy and Karajan inspired me beyond measure. I began to understand their role as a conductor by watching what they did and, more importantly, what they did not. I loved practicing piano and performing as a classical percussionist, but I ultimately came to find that conducting was the most fulfilling way to express myself through music.

LR: For all artists, but I imagine for conductors especially, this pandemic has dramatically altered how you work and create. What has been the biggest shift for you?

EG: A conductor makes no sound. We can only make music through collaboration with performing musicians. Because I’ve been unable to perform concerts during this time, I have had a vast amount of silence. On a personal note, I have been able to jump into the complete short stories of Chekov (my favorite Russian writer), watch a treasure trove of one of my idol filmmakers, Chantal Akerman, and go on long and relaxing walks with my wife and two dogs.

I spend the majority of my time constructing our new season, score studying, and practicing piano. And I have had a considerable amount of time reflecting on the role of music in our society. I have never believed with more conviction that music holds an inimitable and vital presence in our lives. Music heals, soothes, comforts, and it ignites ideas and our imagination.  We are incomplete without music and all of the arts and humanities. They enable us to communicate in the most remarkable of ways.

LR: Adjusting to our new COVID-19 landscape has meant rethinking what it means to be an orchestra and what our concert season will need to be. Can you share more about how you approach programming a concert? What or who inspires you?

EG: My process usually begins with thinking about one work – a prelude, a concerto, a symphony, anything. A work that sparks excitement or generates a flow of ideas. What inspired the work, or what did it inspire? Sometimes there may be opposing aspects between pieces that accentuate qualities of each piece. These qualities will often create an incredibly exciting and unexpected musical dialogue.

I love visiting the MoMa, Guggenheim and IFC Film Center in New York City. Observing the curation of great art and film is a never-ending source of inspiration for me.

LR: While you’re preparing a work with the orchestra, how do you handle interpretation differences between the performers and yourself?

EG: If I encounter an interpretation that differs from my own, I always listen and consider how it fits into my broader vision of the work. It may add in its way to the larger picture, and I will very happily embrace the interpretation. After all, our art thrives on the spirit of collaboration!

LR: To baton, or not to baton (and why?), that is the question.

EG: Both! In certain circumstances, the baton enhances the connection between the musicians and conductor. While other times, the hands better accomplish the connection. In general, the smaller the ensemble, or the more intimate the music, hands feel more natural.

LR: In our current world, we’ve all had to quickly adopt new technologies. Some may rejoice that and others may loathe it, but I’m curious about what kinds of apps or tech gadgets you might be using that have helped you explore music in new and exciting ways?

I embrace all technology. The world is at your fingertips. A must on my iPhone is a metronome that subdivides. If you look at my computer and television, you will find any streaming service you can imagine. The ability to watch a performance of Mahler 7, The Bicycle Thief, and Seinfeld from my rocking chair is a delight!

LR: Final question. What advice do you have for aspiring conductors (of any age)?

EG: Read everything, listen to all kinds of music, and have other interests that drive you. Don’t just be a musician. You want to find beauty and inspiration everywhere. To quote Virginia Woolf, “If you are losing your leisure, look out! — It may be you are losing your soul.” Being a musician is the never-ending study of culture, geography, politics, languages, and everything in between. Last but not least, be willing to be vulnerable and always have a curious and receptive mind!

What makes a great team?

Both onstage and off, orchestras are filled with teams – whether it’s the brass section getting a chord tuned just right, or the stage crew calling the light cue at the exact moment the music swells, or the administrative staff who manages the business and logistics for a concert – the art of being a team is central to the art of being an orchestra.

Today, I’m excited to introduce you to the Boise Phil administrative team. This small, but mighty, crew of individuals is the creative force that works behind the scenes to make sure that our artists and audiences can focus on the music.

CAMERON BRIZZEE
Patron Services & IT Director
I manage the box office, subscriptions, front of house, and IT for the organization.

What’s a common misconception about your job? People often assume that the Morrison Center and the Boise Phil share a ticketing system, but we are entirely separate.

What do you wish people knew about your job? The Box Office staff is here to help our patrons with any problem, big or small. Don’t be afraid to ask.

If someone aspires to have your role, what advice would you like to share with them? Be creative, flexible, and patient when solving problems! Working for an orchestra can be a very different experience day-to-day.

Favorite Boise Phil moment: Watching The Empire Strikes Back with a live orchestra!

What do you do for fun? Exploring the beauty of Idaho – hiking, biking, camping, fly fishing, etc.

AMY GRANGER
Marketing Director
I’m zealous about the design and promotion of our amazing musicians and performances.

What’s a common misconception about your job? That marketing and design are frenemies. Since I do both, it’s more like besties.

What do you wish people knew about your job? I’m not selling a product, but rather an invitation to an experience.

If someone aspires to have your role, what advice would you like to share with them? Care.

Favorite Boise Phil moment:  John Cage’s 4’33” at my first Uncorked concert.

What do you do for fun? I like to build stuff, make stuff, glue stuff, paint stuff, sand stuff, and sew stuff.

ASHLEY GILLIS
Donor Relations Specialist
I have the opportunity to work with the most talented people, organize events, and show appreciation to the many people that support and love the Boise Phil.

What do you wish people knew about your job? I wish people had the opportunity to see what the Boise Phil truly means to our community and the passion people have for music in their lives. The arts community is so important!

If someone aspires to have your role, what advice would you like to share with them? The smallest detail can be the biggest decision.

Favorite Boise Phil moment: I would have to say attending my first concert as a Boise Phil staff member – seeing our patron’s love for music and my co-workers’ dedication to the Boise Phil – really the best memory.

What do you do for fun? Anything outdoors or with my three kids – hiking, camping, and horseback riding. I also consider myself a foodie, so trying new restaurants or cooking for friends and family is the best weekend!

DAN HOWARD
Director of Operations & Education
I wrangle dates and events, some dollars and cents, for all the adults and children in the Boise Phil fam.

What do you wish people knew about your job? That I’m in a room with five tribbles, wait, 10 tribbles… I mean 45… I mean 134…. (Translation: the job is filled with many fun things that need attention and if we aren’t prepared and organized it can get out of hand.)

If someone aspires to have your role, what advice would you like to share with them? Three things; 1) never take it personally. 2) leave work at work. 3) Be grateful every day. Remember this is a really good gig – you aren’t taking enemy fire, you aren’t cleaning up fluid spills in a hospital – you get to help musicians make music.

Favorite Boise Phil moment: There’s A LOT to choose from – Star Wars. Playing the music live to the film was a literal dream come true. Radical!!!

What do you do for fun? Camping/fishing in the middle of nowhere especially when it’s deep in the mountains and surrounded by old-growth forest. That’s my heaven.

NICKIE SHELL
Patron Services Admin
I take care of people – be they patrons, musicians, staff, board members or just ordinary folks answering questions, directing phone calls, booking tickets, processing donations and acknowledgment letters, and any other job I can do while sitting at my desk!

What do you wish people knew about what you do? I would like people to know how much I enjoy conversing with everyone and what a great place to work this is. I love my job!

If someone aspires to have your role, what advice would you like to share with them? For someone aspiring to my job: knowing a little about a lot, enjoying meeting many different people and liking repetitive work are huge advantages.

Favorite Boise Phil moment: Working on our updated season plans for the 2020-2021 season. It was empowering to contribute and work together as a team and I’m full of excitement for the promise of a new and dynamic future.

What do you do for fun? Outside of work I enjoy grandkids, playing with fabric and yarn, reading a lot, hanging out in my garden swing watching the birds and trees, and clouds – it’s very peaceful.

JOANNE TAYLOR
Director of Advancement
I manage all aspects of charitable giving, along with our relationships with the many wonderful individuals, corporations and foundations that support our mission.

What’s a common misconception about your job? That fundraising is a glamorous and relatively simple job. There is a high degree of planning and strategy involved in fundraising, with a great need for meticulous attention to detail. It involves the management of a database and several software platforms. It also involves manual labor–for set up and tear down of events – and requires a great amount of teamwork.

What do you wish people knew about your job? It’s the toughest but most rewarding job I’ve had. I’ve developed many friendships through fundraising.

If someone aspires to have your role, what advice would you like to share with them? Study the craft. There is an art and science to fundraising. Most importantly, put people before money. It’s a people business and you must genuinely like, enjoy and have an interest in people to succeed.

Favorite Boise Phil moment: Associate Concertmaster Chia Li warming up the orchestra while Dan Howard and I came on the stage to thank our donors, all of us off cue, then laughing through what could have been an awkward moment.

What do you do for fun? Spending time with my two teenage daughters, traveling, gardening, hiking, playing piano, friends and family.

MELISSA WILSON
Librarian
I research, obtain, prepare, and distribute sheet music to musicians for our concerts, and other duties as assigned.

What’s a common misconception about your job? That it’s not a labor-intensive job. For some concerts, I may handle around 1,000 different pieces of music!

What do you wish people knew about your job? That it takes an incredible level of focus, organization, patience, and that you actually do have to be a musician to successfully perform your duties.

If someone aspires to have your role, what advice would you like to share with them? There is a lot of repetitive, and seemingly thankless work involved.

Favorite Boise Phil moment: Oh gosh – there are so many! We are so lucky to have such a wonderful orchestra, and amazing guest artists join us every season. All of our guest artists are masterful at immediately pulling the audience in. One that stands out in a really special way in my mind was Joseph Fire Crow’s performance of Jim Cocky’s “Gift of the Elk” in 2016. Joseph’s performance was transcendent, and he was able to inspire something far more than admiration and respect. He filled the entire concert hall with a sense of peace and unity that I think we rarely have the honor of experiencing.

What do you do for fun? I love playing music with my partner, Bernie. I also enjoy investing my time working on our wonderful “fixer-upper”, playing with our two cats Blu and Simon, watching our chickens Harriette and Claire futz around while I work in the yard, eating beautiful food, and having a few hiking adventures in the beautiful wilderness of Idaho.

As we close out the month of June, I want to share a project that we’ve started here at the Boise Phil that reflects on classical music’s past with the goal of busting down stereotypes, expanding our musical experiences and making visible the people who are part of classical music history (even if you didn’t learn about them in your music history class).

The project is called: #HaveYouHeard

#HaveYouHeard introduces us to composers and their works that due to racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, and other biases have kept their voices and stories out of our concert halls and the canon of repertoire that we know and love.

Why is this important? It matters to us because throughout history people from all walks of life have shaped classical music and we want to make visible their contributions and to highlight the excellence that exists beyond what most of us know in the classical music canon. We want people who have historically been marginalized to feel empowered, seen and valued.

This week’s #HaveYouHeard playlist will focus on American composers from the LGBTQ+ community in honor of both Pride and Independence Day. From the quintessential American sounds of Bernstein and Barber to modern mavericks like Julius Eastman and Alex Temple – the LGBTQ+ community has played a critical role in shaping classical music in our country.

Click here to listen to the American Pride Playlist on Spotify

American Pride Playlist
Leonard Bernstein: Overture to Candide
Chrysanthe Tan: Bundle of Joy
Mari Ésabel Valverde: Darest, O Soul
Samuel Barber: Summer Music, Op. 31
Alex Temple: It’s Hard Even to Say It
Julius Eastman: Fugue No. 7
Nico Muhly: Four Studies: II. Fast Canons
Jennifer Higdon: All Things Majestic: I. Teton Range
John Corigliano: Symphony No. 1: IV. Epilogue

I’m Laura Reynolds, Boise Phil’s new executive director, and I’m excited to meet you!

When I drove a U-Haul out to Boise with my cats back in March, I was dreaming of a spring full of performances featuring our fabulous orchestra, master chorale and youth orchestra. But we all know what happened next.

During this period of navigating through a global pandemic and embracing a renewed movement for human rights in our country, the Boise Phil has been hard at work readying itself to share a season of music that aims to reflect our lives and the world in ways that will be more accessible than ever before.

While we put the finishing touches on our programming and get it ready to share with you all, we’re kicking off this weekly series Inside the Symphony to share more about the Boise Phil: who we are, what it’s like behind the scenes, our musical recommendations, and other thoughts about the business of an orchestra. More importantly, I want to engage in conversations with you – so if there’s a topic you want us to explore together, let me know!

As we get started, you might be wondering who I am, where I come from, and why I think the Boise Phil is the most awesome place to work. So today will be my introduction to you as we continue to practice our social distancing.

When did music become part of your life?

Music has been part of my life since before I can remember. Both my parents were musicians who met in marching band at Santa Monica College. My dad played French horn and my mom was a color guard but also played accordion in a Japanese accordion band.

Before reading words, I could read music. In elementary school I started singing in chorus and took some taiko drum lessons at my Buddhist temple. At age 10 the clarinet became my first instrument, but not for long – in band class I realized there were 16 other clarinets and just one other horn player. Being a competitive person, I realized that it would be much easier to become first chair playing the horn than playing the clarinet. It turned out to be a decision that would set the course of my life and my career in music.

Where did you go to school?

I’ve had the opportunity to study the French horn with legendary musicians both at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music and also at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. During college I was in a French horn quartet that organized community engagement concerts at shelters, hospitals and in schools – which helped me see the ways that music can bring people and ideas together to have a positive impact on the community.

Where did you work before the Boise Phil?

Prior to joining the Boise Phil in March 2020, I was the Vice President of Education & Community Engagement at the Seattle Symphony where I built community programs like the Simple Gifts initiative which addresses the region’s homelessness crisis through artmaking and service projects. I also led the development of Seattle Symphony and Benaroya Hall’s newest venue Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center, a $6.7 million capital project, which explored the future of music through the intersection of technology, art and community engagement. In addition to my work at the Seattle Symphony, I have served on the boards of Compass Housing Alliance and WindSync and also served as co-chair of the League of American Orchestras’ Education & Community Engagement leadership committee.

What’s your vision for the future of the Boise Phil?

The Boise Phil is already an incredible organization, thanks in large part to the community here in Boise that clearly values the arts. The team of staff, musicians, and board are some of the most creative and talented people in the industry right now – and I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to be part of this organization.

The last few months have been tough and we’re still in the midst of the viral pandemic that changed life for all of us. I believe orchestras exist to reflect our time, our place, and our local communities, which feels especially important in this moment. As we are beginning to imagine what the future looks like for the Boise Phil there are some important questions that I’m asking myself: How can the Boise Phil become an active participant in civic life?

In what ways can music uniquely interpret our experience of the past year and help us heal and memorialize this important time? What intersections between art and technology will help us amplify the voices of our community? How can we create love tsunamis in our community through music and service?

What do you do when you’re not working?

I love to travel, explore new restaurants and try new recipes, spoil my cats, and ride bikes with my wife. Last summer we took an epic trip to Europe to see the Grand Depart of the Tour de France and spent a day riding our bikes from Amsterdam to The Hague.

Locally, I’m always on the lookout for scenic bike trails and sour beers. As a newbie to Boise, I welcome your recommendations!