As we near the end of Ann Brown's thirtieth and final year teaching at NCCL, one question constantly recurs: How did she keep her sanity all those years? To be sure, there are rewards inherent in the job, as well as challenges. Still, I like to think that part of her secret lies in how she has applied the principles of creativity she helped to nurture over the years at NCCL to her own situation. I had the privilege recently of sharing one facet of the rich life she has crafted for herself.I arrive late one Friday afternoon at the home of Ann's friend Sally, an English teacher at a local High School and parent of an NCCL graduate. Sally's home, with its fine Yamaha baby grand piano, has been the setting for regular Friday meetings with Ann, Sally, and other occasional friends for over sixteen years. It's been a place to talk, to share the high and low points of the week, both professional and private, with a refreshing drink. The unique aspect, though, is that on Fridays, Sally and Ann also play chamber music together.The gatherings started as rehearsals for fundraising musicales. Ann knew that Sally had studied oboe at Ithaca College. With her own background as a pianist trained at Washington University in St. Louis, and her love of collaborative performance, it was an exciting challenge to organize a series of home chamber music recitals. Over the years, they incorporated other instrumentalists and vocalists, but Sally and Ann remained the core. They tell me that the mix of playing, talking, and socializing has varied over the years, but through it all, a magical rapport developed.This afternoon, after we've chatted a while, Ann sits at the piano, and Sally pulls up a chair for me, so that the three of us are in a cozy circle. Then, they begin to play, and unfold their magic. Ann plays the piano with a rich, detailed, commanding sound. Her control of articulation, contrasting pointed notes with sustained, connected tones, is reminiscent of her quicksilver manner of speaking. In her interpretation, there are no gratuitous effects; as each important moment unfolds, I'm happily aware that she has prepared the way for many measures in advance. Form in art is sometimes described as the attribute which helps the observer to be aware of the conscious choices of the creative artist, and Ann is a master at leading the listener gently to appreciate the thought behind the composer's work. Sally's vocal, singing oboe tone reflects her warm personality. Phrases rise and fall, with ringing tones at the apex of the melody, before relaxing to calm cadences. Ann comfortably matches the flexibility of Sally's expression, and they achieve exact coordination without any sense of restriction or caution. Their interplay, and the obvious respect they have for each other, reminds me of the "concertante" works popular with late 18th-century audiences, which were intended to emulate a lively conversation among equally engaging participants.Today, they play for me three works: "Sea Change" by Kathleen Vadala, "Scherzo Rondoso" by Diana Keech, and "Nocturne" by Arthur Rosel. Since I am professionally interested in music for oboe and piano, I'm astonished that I haven't heard of any of them before, and delighted to hear that they are gems. Over the years, Ann and Sally have explored a repertoire of dozens of works for the combination, amply filling Ann's overstuffed music tote. "Sea Change" and "Scherzo Rondoso" are by women living in the twentieth century. Ann has been interested in researching women composers for in London in 1980-81, she created a large card file of works by women composers. In a typically generous gesture, I learn today that she intends to give the file to another musician interested in helping performers to research new and noteworthy repertoire, so that she and others can benefit from Ann's research. After enjoying their performance, we talk about the pieces, and about the pleasures of working on interpretation of literature over a period of time. The discussion moves on to many other topics: other music and musicians, arts in education, raising happy children, preserving time in your life for continued growth. All too soon, it's time for me to leave, and I take away happy memories of an exceedingly pleasant afternoon.
Interview with Ann Brown, NCCL Founder