Project Symphony No. 1 will raise funds for nonprofit
CARRBORO -- This article was reprinted from an article
that appeared in the Herald-Sun newspaper, Sunday August
12, 2007
Ari Picker calls his latest musical project "fairly simple."
"Basically, I'm writing a symphony," he said. "It's
a three-movement symphony, or it could be four. The first movement
is very traditional -- I'm following all the rules -- and then as
it progresses it becomes more of a modern piece."
While writing a symphony may come naturally to the 26-year-old
musician, what Picker is doing is, by all means, noteworthy. Not
only because he's writing a full classical symphony, which he plans
to debut next summer, but because he's donating all the funds raised
from the performance to a local nonprofit organization.
The project -- dubbed "Project Symphony No. 1" by Picker
-- will raise funds for Chatham County Together! The organization
provides mentoring and other academic services and general support
to at-risk youths.
The name is easy to explain.
"Well, it's my first symphony, so I called it Symphony No.
1," Picker said.
The rest, thanks to his good will, talent and connections is falling
together -- well -- harmoniously.
Picker, who was born and raised in Chatham County and is a part-time
student at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, said he benefited
from Chatham County Together! services when he was young. He still
visits the nonprofit from time to time.
Now he said he realizes how much the program meant to him. His
writing the symphony is a living example of what that kind of program
can do for a child who needs it, he said. Those who attend the event
will see a product of the nonprofit they're supporting, he said.
Beyond writing a full symphony to raise funds for the organization,
Picker is also writing the symphony for purely artistic reasons.
He envisions his concert -- to be held next July or August at a
local venue yet to be determined -- as a large, well-attended affair,
both community oriented and hip.
Picker, who got into classical music as a teenager and cites Vivaldi,
Beethoven and Ravel among his favorite composers, isn't your typical
classical music junkie. He lives in Carrboro when he's not in Boston
and is involved in the local independent ("indie") music
scene, releasing albums with North Carolina Record Label Trekky
Records and working on his own production company, Lost in the Trees
Productions, which provides original music for films and other types
of media.
Once a member of acclaimed, local indie rock band The Never, Picker
has now released an album and an EP, and is receiving praise of
his own from the likes of "Billboard" and "Entertainment
Weekly."
He admits he's busy, but it all just sort of falls together, he
said. Now, with the symphony, he's excited to bring modern classical
music to the masses.
"People do like classical music -- it's just how it's presented
to them," he said.
People generally think of a mandatory suit and tie when attending
an orchestra performance, he said, but that's not his angle on classical
music.
"The scene I've been involved in is really amazing right now,
and I think this would be accepted by this community," he said.
"I'm going to get writers to come out, filmmakers, everybody
I possibly can. I've listened to a ton of music throughout my life
and that style of music touches me more than anything else."
But first, the money. Picker is applying for grants and asking
for donations so he'll have enough money to finance finishing the
symphony as well money for hiring the sound engineers, travel expenses
for orchestra players, and a huge promotional campaign.
He's thinking of asking for about $20 donations for the concert,
and hopes nearly all that money can go to Chatham County Together!
Kim Caraganis, director of Chatham County Together!, a United Way
and Governor's One-on-One program, has known Picker all his life.
She said she's feeling so "grateful and weepy" that the
program was meaningful enough for him that he wants to give back.
She's proud of him, too, and plans to attend the concert with Chatham
County Together! employees, volunteers and participants. She knows
experiencing Picker's work will benefit everyone involved.
"The whole concept of mentoring is that kids get confidence
from other adults in the community. When you feel good about yourself
it allows you to grow," she said. "I think this will set
an amazing example for people involved in this program, and it's
also really great for volunteers to know that what they're doing
makes a difference."
For more information on Project Symphony No. 1, visit www.projectsymphony.org.
Donations can also be mailed to Project Symphony No. 1, 801 W. Main
St., Carrboro, NC 27510.
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