Why I Support the League of American Orchestras
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
"The life of the arts is far from an interruption, a distraction, in the life of a nation, is close to the center of a nation's purpose-and is a test of the quality of a nation's civilization." — John F. Kennedy
Greetings from Baltimore! I'm at the annual conference for the League of American Orchestras and having a really wonderful time. Nine Muses Travel has been a League member and exhibitor since 2019, and our conference has become one of my favorite trips. It's hosted in a different city each year, and it's a nice way to see more of the country and visit cities that are new to me - like Baltimore.
The exhibit area opened yesterday, and I reconnected with League friends I've made over the years and met new people interested in personal travels as well as group travel for their organizations. This community is an incredibly kind, inclusive, intelligent, conscientious, and committed group of arts professionals, and it's uplifting simply being around them. The heart and dedication in the orchestral community is profound in the ways they engage young people through youth ensembles and how they deliver on inclusivity both on stage and off. I'm so proud to be a League member, exhibitor, and donor.
After the exhibit hall closed, it was time for the official opening session, held at the marvelous Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. The League's Gold Baton award was presented to the Sphinx Organization, which develops and supports representation and excellence in classical music at every level. The work they do is amazing and far-reaching. Next we were treated to three pieces performed by young (some were really young) musicians with the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra, OrchKids Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and the wildly entertaining OrchKids Brass Band, who played and danced along to a traditional New Orleans brass band tune that had us all up and grooving. It made me remember how much I loved playing clarinet in concert band with my friends as a kid. I suspect a lot of the adults in the audience felt something similar, remembering our earliest joy of creating music with others.
The rousing keynote speech was delivered by Deborah Rutter, who was president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. from September 2014 to February 2025. She's now Duke University's Vice Provost for the Arts and still innovating and programming with passion. She reflected on JFK's ideals of Courage, Freedom, Justice, Service, and Gratitude and how necessary they remain, especially for those of us who work in and support the arts.
The League community is strong, resilient, indefatigable, and committed to honoring those ideals. Wherever you live, there's probably a professional orchestra or music ensemble. Please, buy a ticket to something (anything), settle in, and let the music lift you. The arts need you, and we need the arts.
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