Mancini and his Music

Next weekend the Elgin Symphony Orchestra will present their first pops concert of the new season, an all Henry Mancini program featuring a performers who actually played with Mancini. The program features all of the songs you might expect from a concert like this - Baby Elephant Walk, Moon River, the theme for Peter Gunn, and The Pink Panther of course! What you might not realize is the commitment Mancini and his family had to advocating music education.

Since Mancini's death in 1994 his family, friends and wife, Ginny, have continued to advocate for musicians and music education. In 1984 Mrs. Mancini established te Society of Singers, an organization that looks out for the health and welfare of professional singers. In 1996 the Mancini Institute, a summer program for young musicians to teach performance and music business skils, was founded. Most recently, the Henry Mancini Arts Academy was started up in Midland, Pennsylvania at the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center. The Academy makes high quality training in the arts available, accessible and affordable in a safe, supportive and professional atmosphere for students at every level if interest, experience and ability.

The wonderful thing about all of these programs is that they are run at the highest possible artistic and educational levels. I know this because I was lucky enough to have been chosen as a participant for the Mancini Institute in 2003 on oboe. It was such a great learning experience because the institute focused on all of the things they don't teach you in music school - how to be a good colleague, what the musician's union is, how to network, etc. In addition, the guest artists throughout the month were AMAZING - Gunther Schuller, John Corigliano, Randy Newman, James Newton Howard, Jorge Calendrelli, Diana Krall, Christian McBride, and the musical group Oregon among others. (Not to mention at the finale concert I ran into Quincy Jones, Clint Eastwood, Craig Kilborne and Elvis Costello backstage!) To add to how wonderful this program was (I say was because the Institute ceased operations in December of 2007 due to fuding issues.) it was FREE to all participants, who were chosen by audition. This is a big deal - imagine the amount of fundraising that needs to be done to take on something of this magnitude!!!

So, you see, I gush about Mancini because of the wonderful experience I had. I actually did get the chance to meet the entire Mancini family during the institute, and they really do care about giving back to their communities and to the music that provided so much for them.