Music and Words, November 9

A Musical Party for Eli and Krissy

     I had a great time last spring when I had my first ever book signing at the Pocono Community Theater for my first book, How I Grew Up. Some nice, very talented people performed songs from Carousel, the musical which features so importantly in that book. People who came to the event thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It was a party!

     I look forward to having people join me to enjoy some wonderful music on Sunday, November 9, at 7 p.m., again at the PCT. The Theater has generously agreed to let me use their very lovely space for this chamber music concert. Since music is important in my second book, Eli’s Heart, I have very gifted friends performing classical selections which are particularly meaningful to my characters Eli and Krissy. I am looking forward to hearing Scott Besser, pianist, Chris Souza, violinist, and Kara Snyder, soprano, perform this beautiful program.

     By no stretch of the imagination am I the kind of pianist that Eli Levin, the prodigiously gifted character in my book, is. Scott was extremely helpful while I was writing, making suggestions about sections of the book I asked him to read. Chris was also a great help: I wanted a work which showed the virtuosity of both pianist and violinist equally. He suggested the Franck Sonata in A Major. I listened to it and immediately fell in love with it. It becomes quite important to Eli and a violinist he performs with named Warren Anderson. Scott and Chris are playing two movements from the sonata on Sunday.

     Scott is playing the Rachmaninoff Prelude in G Minor and Debussy’s Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum, pieces he plays in the book for the girl who later becomes his wife. Kara and Scott are joining forces to perform two songs by Robert Schumann from his song cycle, Frauenlieben und Leben, songs which are meaningful to Eli and Krissy since they perform them together.

     While there will be copies of both Eli’s Heart and How I Grew Up available for purchase at a reduced price, primarily I hope people come to hear and appreciate this beautiful music, superbly performed by these musicians I feel privileged to call friends.

     Thanks to my sponsors, Jim the Hairdresser (JTH Salon) and DryJect Northeast, there is no admission charge for the event. I promise to keep my remarks and readings from Eli’s Heart brief! It would be great to see people at the theater this coming Sunday.