Live Concert with Earphones

Hunter Noack said, in his introduction to his concert series, “In a Landscape,” that he and his mom brainstormed about a dream he had, to put a piano on a truck-bed and travel around the world playing Liszt, Schubert, Mozart, and Gershwin. He wanted his concerts to be free, and he wanted to appeal to people who have never had access to “classical” music. He imagined having the concerts in beautiful places: thickly populated urban parks, sparsely populated deserts, little forest nooks by waterfalls. But he realized that the acoustics in public places are less than ideal, so he wanted every person in the audience to get wireless headphones. Every seat would be the perfect seat. 

He got some grants. He got some patrons. His partner, who happens to be Thomas Lauderdale, of Pink Martini, chipped in. Other musicians joined him. A sound man joined him. And the dream came true. He sent out emails and asked people to register--the tickets were free, but we had to register so he could get the necessary number of headphones. He has completed about five of the ten planned concerts, each in a different part of the State. His mom takes tickets. His dad distributes headphones. 

This young woman was as blissed out as I was.


It was odd, wearing headphones. The headphones separate us from each other; and yet they free us, too. We can walk around. Take photographs. And hear every note. Noack and Lauderdale in the Extra.