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We all have busy, full lives and many demands to meet between work, family, friends, and community organizations.  Experts remind us of the importance of self-care and not letting stress build up.  But did you know that you can choose an entertainment option that may help you reduce stress and benefit your mind and body?

Research is beginning to reveal how music works to heal the body and mind. The rhythm and tone of music can excite you or relax you. Music therapy, including listening to music that you enjoy, has been reported to:

I love going behind the scenes with the RSO. I had the opportunity to sit in on their first rehearsal for the September 17 concert. The players had, of course, practiced their parts individually before coming, but this was the first time the orchestra as a whole came together to rehearse. They would read through the piece once, and then Conductor Guy Victor Bordo would lead them back through the piece from the beginning, meticulously sculpting and shaping the music to suit his interpretation. “I need to see your faces. A lot,” he said to the violin section as he pointedly directed them...

I received my packet of music for the opening concert of the RSO 2011-2012 season this week. There is some very challenging music on the program. I have played some of the music previously, but other works are new to me.

There are a number of things to do in preparation for the program: 1) acquire and listen to recordings of the works, 2) make part assignments for the players in my section, 3) make sure I am aware of the various tempi (speed) the conductor might want, and 4) most importantly -PRACTICE!

As principal trumpet, it is of the utmost importance that I play with...

Throughout the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons the Marketing Committee ran several programs that we thought were clever and unique, with the intent of getting more people in seats.  These included the Play It Forward, Gift of Music, and Flatter Yourself campaigns. Each of these shoestring budget programs had limited success. Follow-up phone calls to people who had not renewed their season tickets during the past two years overwhelmingly indicated that the cost of the tickets had become a barrier for them. Another common issue expressed by some of our “snowbird” patrons, who headed south for...

As much as symphony orchestras across America don’t like to think about it, the fact is that audiences have been shrinking over the past several years. The reasons for the decline vary by region but common factors include digital access to music, competition from the variety of entertainment options available, and certainly the impact of a slowed economy. 

We’ve also seen that many people feel that a symphony orchestra is a mystery. That it’s out of reach financially, culturally, and geographically. Many feel that they won’t know the ‘rules’ of attending a concert and so...

“Good news.”  Now there’s something we haven’t heard a lot of these days. Isn’t it a good thing that you found your way to the fabulous new Richmond Symphony Orchestra website because there’s plenty of good—no, make it ‘great’—news to share here!

The RSO has reached senior citizen status and we are kicking up our 55-year-old heels this season to show the community that there’s lots of spunk left in our venerable organization. The Board, staff, and musicians look forward to sharing the new face of the RSO, starting right now. From a fresh new logo to ticket prices that are less than...