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Welcome to Arts Blast on the Air.
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It's a podcast, a radio show, and it's an Alexa skill,
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all presented by Ballet Vero Beach and Riverside Theater, two
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of the greats in Florida arts, and they support the arts.
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I'm Willie Miller, and I'm here every week talking with
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people in the arts on the Treasure Coast and beyond. Well,
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it's time to grab your season tickets for the new
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Ballet Vero Beach season, and it starts today. With a
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collaboration with Vero Beach Museum of Art in November, and
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then everything we've been waiting for, the holiday season begins
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with our new family tradition, Nutcracker on the Indian River.
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It's December 10th to 12th this year on the Stark
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Stage at Riverside Theater. And note that auditions for young
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dancers are open until October 9th, and information is on
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the Ballet Vero Beach website.
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Learn about the coming season and get tickets.
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For yourself and for gifts online at BalletVeroBeach.org. And now
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on with the show, my guests today are Tony Spadafora
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and then Beth Green.
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Tony, how are you?
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I'm well. Thank you, Willie, for calling in and inviting
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me to your show.
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It's been such a long time, and maybe you can
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remember how long it is since we started talking.
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Oh, God, it has to be at least 10 years
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or more, actually, Willie.
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I'm sure it has to be more than that. Maybe... Well.
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We'll see, at least back to 2015, I want to say. Okay. Yeah, yeah,
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so it's been a while.
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Yeah, that's okay.
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And I've been talking about and to the Indie Atlantic
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Chamber Singers since.
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Probably 1999 when David Bozhedane.
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Founded it.
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Yeah, yeah, it's, God almighty, what's that, 26, 27 years now, right?
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Long time.
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Yes, yes, indeed.
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And with good reason.
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Well, you know, we have a good group, the folks
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sing very well, and, you know, the audiences love to
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hear us, and I guess that accounts for a lot
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of the longevity, Willie.
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Well, yeah, you have to have the talent, you have
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to have the people who appreciate the talent, and a
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good place to perform, and you're all set.
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Indeed.
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Okay, could I go back with your history, your musical history, Tony?
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Were you a musician forever?
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Well, I personally was in and out of music. I
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never formally studied music because I actually went down the
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engineering path and then into management and then upper management.
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But music was always in my heart. I always, always
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had things that I was involved with musically, starting with
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Broadway shows and singing in choruses and then getting lead
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parts and moving up to, after I retired, to the
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Indiana Chamber Singers, which was always a goal of mine,
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but I was so busy with my activities that I
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was never able to really commit to the time required. Well,
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that all changed in 2005, and I've been singing with
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them ever since, and it's been a wonderful, wonderful experience.
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I think it has to be. What a way to
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retire into music.
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Exactly.
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You can be doing everything you've always loved and enjoying it,
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and not only doing it with people you like, but
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for people you like. I know the audiences are so
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appreciative of what you do. Maybe we could talk just
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a little bit about the concert coming up, and then
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get back to you if we could.
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Sure, sure. Well, our most recent addition to our concert
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repertoire is coming up this October 2nd and 4th. We'll
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be performing on the 2nd at Our Lady of Grace
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Church in Palm Bay. And our second performance is at
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the Eastminster Presbyterian Church. That's on the 4th at 3 p.m.
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And that's in Indielandic, which is where we were founded. Okay.
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This is a
Load full transcript
particularly interesting concert because, Willie, as you know,
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this is our 250th year that we're celebrating here in
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the United States. And part of that also, it turns out,
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was we're celebrating 100 years of Route 66.
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That's pretty amazing.
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And so... Our concert is actually based on the anniversary
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of the founding of the United States and also a
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musical tribute to the 100-year anniversary of Route 66.
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All I can think of is, get your kicks on
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Route 66.
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And we will be doing that song.
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The concert has a title, Journey Across America. A hundred
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years of Route 66. Right. And by the way, could
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I mention that you have a link to Route 66.
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It has its own website.
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Correct.
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And that link is on your website.
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Correct. That's actually sponsored by U.S. government. Okay.
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It doesn't matter who sponsors it.
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Yeah.
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It's actually just chock full of information. I never knew
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about Route 66. I've been on segments of Route 66,
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particularly in Arizona, but that has basically been my maximum exposure.
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Well, I got something.
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This must be from your website. It was the primary
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escape route for hundreds of thousands of farmers heading west
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during the Dust Bowl migration period.
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Of the 1930s.
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Its original terminus was Los Angeles, but federal highway rules
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required routes to connect with another highway. So the road
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was extended 13 miles west to US 101A in Santa Monica.
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And today, Route 66 draws nostalgia seekers and those who
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want to slow down just a bit. And that's your
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history lesson for this morning.
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Indeed, that's excellent.
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It is interesting how things come about. I mean, that
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is such a famous route. I have not ever driven
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on Route 66, but I'm curious about it.
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Yeah, I have been on segments in Arizona, particularly around
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Kingman a couple times there, and that's my maximum exposure, really.
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Okay, well, you're going to expose a lot of people
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to it on the 2nd and the 4th of October
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in the concerts.
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So let's talk about the concerts. What are we going
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to hear?
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Well, we have some really exciting pieces, basically pretty much
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all Americana. It goes anything from Unforgettable... Nat King Cole.
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And we have some very interesting pieces like Shenandoah. And
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we have pieces that are maybe not that familiar, but
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it's called Sourwood Mountain. And these pieces that we'll be
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doing represent stops along the way, so to speak. And
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we eventually wind up here in Florida.
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Wait, Route 66 comes to Florida?
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Well, no. No, we invented that.
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Okay, so the concert is Journey Across America, 100 Years
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of Route 66. And that, again, is October 2nd at
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Our Lady of Grace Church in Bombay. And on the 4th,
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Eastminster Presbyterian Church in the Indie Atlantic. Now, I understand
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that the concerts are free, but there is a suggested
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donation of $ 15. Is that right?
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That's right, Willie, and that's how we keep on going.
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We have no other way of raising cash other than
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our loyal audiences, and they have been so generous towards
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us and allowed us to keep on going for the
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last 27 years. Okay.
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Before we run out of time, because I'm going to
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be talking to Beth Green in the second segment and
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She will fill me in more on the concert itself.
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Yes, she will.
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Could we mention the Christmas concerts coming up? I know
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how important they are to your audience.
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Yes, we can. We have a few of them coming up,
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and I'm going to have to go double-check the date.
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Do you have the date, Sandy?
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Yeah, December 4th, 7 o'clock at Our Lady of Grace
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in Palm Bay.
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Yes, ma'am.
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And then Sunday, December 6, 3.30 at Riverside Presbyterian Church
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in Cocoa Beach.
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Yes.
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And then Friday, December 18, 7 o'clock at Eastminster Presbyterian
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Church in the Atlantic. What wonderful concert series for the
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holiday season. I'm really looking forward to that. How do
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people get tickets, by the way?
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Well, there are no tickets required, Willie. The admission is free.
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There are no tickets required. About the only thing you
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should bring with you is a few dollars for a
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free will collection.
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Okay, okay. And people can get more information on the website,
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which is?
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Www.indialanticchambersingers.org. And you've got to remember there are two C's
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in it.
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Oh, right, in the Atlantic.
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Chambersingers.org.
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Right, okay. We won't spell that. People can figure that out.
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Or just Google it.
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Yeah, just Google it. It's a lot easier.
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Okay.
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Very quickly, David Bozhedin, is he around?
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David Bozhedin is around. We got a little bit of
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sad news about David, who recently lost his wife.
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Oh, wow.
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But David's still around, and he's playing, and he sings
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with us and plays the organ from time to time.
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He was the founder back in 1999.
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He was.
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1999, he started it on basically a thread, and here we.
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Are, 27 years later. Okay, we've run out of time.
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So I will thank you, and I'll be talking to
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Beth at greater length in just a few minutes. But first, indiantlanticchambersingers.org,
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The Journey Across America, 100 Years of Route 66, October
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2nd and 4th, and more information on the website.
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So good to talk to you.
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Likewise, Willie. Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Thank you. Take care.
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You too. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Riverside Theater is all set to
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go with a great new season. From the very funny
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Clue to the uproarious Hairspray, Riverside's schedule is filled with
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six terrific productions.
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And they include a world premiere. And here's the deal.
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But time is running out.
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Buy tickets to four or more shows, save 20%, buy three,
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and save 10%. Season subscriptions are available through September 30th,
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and it's all at RiversideTheatre.com.
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Anything is possible with Ballet Vero Beach. Join the company
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for a spectacular 2026-2027 season, celebrating the golden jubilee of
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beloved ballet master Camilo A. Rodriguez as he turns 50.
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Experience bold new repertoire, exciting venues, and deeper community connections.
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Become a seasoned subscriber for exclusive benefits like priority seating,
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free companion tickets, and more. Subscriptions are on sale now
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by visiting the Riverside Theater box office or calling 772-231-6990.
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Welcome to Riverside Theater's Comedy Zone, where the comedy is wild, untamed,
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and downright hilarious. Hit the zone this Friday and Saturday
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night at 6.30 and 8.30 for the Treasure Coast's best
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live stand-up comedy show featuring nationally recognized comedians with cabaret-style
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seating and food and drink table service. Buy tickets at RiversideTheater.com
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and get ready for a night of nonstop laughs.
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And we are back with Arts Blast on the air.
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I'm Willie Miller talking with Beth Green for our second segment.
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Hey, Beth.
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Hi. Nice to meet you.
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Yeah, nice to meet you, too. I can't believe we
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haven't spoken in the past. I've seen you.
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Yes.
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In fact, I remember the very first time I saw you.
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I don't remember when it was, but it was years
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ago at the Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center.
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Oh, yes. I've performed there several times with Space Coast Symphony.
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Yes. Okay. That's what it was, Space Coast Symphony.
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Wonderful. We're going to talk.
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About you as the artistic director for the Indialandic Chamber Singers,
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but go back in your history in music on the
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Treasure Coast, the Space Coast, and Florida in general.
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Absolutely.
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So I... Completed high school in Tampa, and then I
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went to the University of Florida in Gainesville. And then
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I moved to this area, and I was an elementary school,
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public school music teacher on Merritt Island for 11 years.
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And during that time, I volunteered my time at Riverside
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Presbyterian to do some of their oratorio performances every March
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with Richard Sabino. And so we would put together a
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group every January that would perform in March. And also
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Aaron Collins would do some works there as well. He's
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the conductor of the St.
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Louis Symphony.
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And so we did several performances there together and started
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doing an annual patriotic show. So every June we would
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do a performance together with a wind band. And so
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that kind of got us involved in doing performances together.
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And then I began joining some other local groups. I
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worked at the Henninger Center through the Joy of Singing.
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I was a voice teacher for students in elementary and
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middle school then. And then I began a church job
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when I left the classroom and then took on the
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Indie Atlantic Chamber Singers as well. So I joined the
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group first as a singer. I was a soprano in
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the group and got to sing songs in the choir
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with the original conductor, David Bojiting, and under the direction
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of Kyle Jones, who was the director at the time
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that I joined the group. And then he left the
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state for another job, and I was able to step
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into that role and be in charge of the choir.
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So that's been really a blessing.
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Okay, before we go on to that, could I just
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step back a minute and ask you, you talked about
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teaching music to elementary school children. How do you.
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Go about that?
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Oh, that's a very big question. Okay. So my degree
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is in choral music education, and I'm certified to teach
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music kindergarten through 12th grade. And with children, I would
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say I tended to have classes that were about 40
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minutes long with about 18 children at a time. And
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so we tried to divide up the time into classes singing, rhythm, dance, play, instruments.
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So we tried to divide it into segments so that
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they weren't like sitting like they do in the classroom
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at times. So there were different ways we could do projects.
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We would do concerts with different age groups. I would
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teach songs to different classes and then they would sing
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them together and create harmony at performances. And We would
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have ORF instruments in the
classroom, which are like those
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small xylophones, metallophones, and glockenspiels, and then some individual rhythmic
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instruments that we could pass around the circle, and everyone
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would get a chance to learn how they worked and
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how they were made and then get to experience one
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for themselves. So lots of interactive play, learning through play.
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Is it ever too early to start a child on music?
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No, but you have to keep in mind some things about, like,
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children's hands, for example, the way that their bone structure is. Like,
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children should be playing with Play-Doh early, but they shouldn't
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necessarily be holding a pencil until more like kindergarten, first
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grade timing because of just the way that their bodies develop.
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I had no idea.
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Yes.
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And things like the recorder. We talk about children playing recorder,
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and I found that starting in fourth grade was the
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right time for me because they– can't physically get their
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fingers to completely cover. Their finger pads don't completely cover
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the hole and it creates a lot of difficulty playing
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if you start them too early. Some teachers do third
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grade and it works for them, but I found fourth
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grade to be kind of the sweet spot for starting
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that instrument with our students.
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Is it good to.
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Expose children to listening.
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To music early?
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Absolutely. From the very first, from pregnancy, really, from in
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the womb, honestly, because my son was in my belly
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as I taught my final year of teaching at Audubon Elementary,
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and he came out singing, and and now has perfect pitch.
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So he definitely grew up in the music classroom, even
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though it was only in utero that he was actually
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with me in the classroom.
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And he's still musical?
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Yes.
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In fact, he sings in my Brevard Youth Chorus. I'm
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also the conductor of the Brevard Youth Chorus in our area.
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Wow. Okay.
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Tell me about that.
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We just lead from one thing to the next.
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Yes. So on Thursday evenings, we practice It was started
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in 2004 by Sharon Maslin, and it has been around
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for about 22 years, and it's our local youth singing organization.
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We sing at the Avenues at Christmastime. We sing at
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Buena Vida. We sing at different retirement communities, and we
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like to sing patriotic music. I teach them music. some
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sign language to do as they are singing some of
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those songs. And we also play an instrument called the
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choir chime. It's very similar to a hand bell. Your
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hand kind of moves in that same motion, but they're
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a little easier for their smaller hands to carry and
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hold on to.
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Okay.
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Let's get to the Indie Atlantic Chamber Singers before we
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get too far gone. You are the artistic director. I am.
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I have a question.
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Can you audition for the singers, and how do you
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do it.
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If you can?
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Absolutely. So at our website, we have a special button
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that says Audition for the ICS, and that sends an
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email to our president, who you just spoke with, Tony Spadafora.
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In fact, we just had a few auditions two weeks ago.
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in preparation for our Christmas season. So in general, we
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audition at the beginning of the fall and at the
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beginning of the spring. So usually the end of July
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and then the beginning of January are our main times
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to add singers. But we needed a couple of men
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to join us. And so we went ahead and had
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an extra audition time for those two guys that had
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already reached out and requested an audition. and so we're
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getting them in for our Christmas concert. So, yes, people
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are welcome to audition, but what they should know is
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that sight reading is kind of important for our group
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00:22:22.849
because we only have limited rehearsal time as a group,
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and so they need to be able to pick up
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music quite quickly.
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Okay.
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Any other requirements?
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They need to match pitch, and they need to be
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able to blend. So often that's involved with... the way
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that they're producing their sound, and their ability to use
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vowels that blend with each other. So like if you
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think of someone with two different accents speaking, and then
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if they spoke at the same time, you can kind
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of still hear both voices. The idea is that we
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want to make the vowels taller and more unified so
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that we can sound like one group together. And so
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the whole group has to not sound identical to each other,
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but as a group together without individual voices sticking out.
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And so it's something that as they audition for me,
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they sing a song, and then I'll often jump in
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and sing the song with them and make sure that
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they can match what I'm doing in certain aspects of
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the singing. So, yes, all of those are involved.
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We are about out of time.
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When will the Indie Atlantic Chamber Singers be singing?
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We would love to see everyone. We're performing Journey Across America,
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100 Years of Route 66. And our performances are not
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this weekend, but next weekend, Friday, October 2nd at 7 p.m.
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We'll be at Our Lady of Grace Church in Palm Bay, Florida,
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and Sunday, October 4th at 3 p.m. at Eastminster Presbyterian
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in Indialandic. And there are no tickets needed. Just show
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up for the concert. There's going to be a collection
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taken to cover... some of our costs, but it is
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a free will offering, and we hope that everyone will
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just come and enjoy that music from all over America.
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We are out of time, Beth, Artistic Director for the
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Indie Atlantic Chamber Singers.
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Great to talk to you. See you at the concert.
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Thank you so much. We'll see you there.
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Okay, thank you. Bye-bye. Bye. Okay, thanks to Beth, and
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thanks again to Tony Spadafora. And thank you, listeners, as always,
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for joining us again this week for Arts Blast on
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the Air. It's a podcast, a radio show, and now
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00:24:35.660 --> 00:24:40.009
an Alexis skill, all presented by Riverside Theater and Ballet
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00:24:40.069 --> 00:24:44.049
Vero Beach, covering the arts online and in Arts Blast,
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00:24:44.369 --> 00:24:46.869
the free weekly Florida arts news email.
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00:24:46.970 --> 00:24:49.990
I'm Willie Miller. Thanks for sharing. Thanks for listening.