Playing
at Troy Music Hall
2007
By far and away, the apex of my singing and music career
was performing at Troy
Music Hall. Our group, Saratoga Faire, performed at the hall earlier in the year (
January 9, 2007
) to what I was told was a crowd of about 1,000 people. Interestingly, I did not
approach the stage with any nervousness (a stage which has featured Julian
Bream, Yo Yo Ma, Ian Anderson, The Baltimore Consort and many other “stars”
from the world of music). In fact, I was actually enchanted.
The reason why this stage is so special to me is that I attended many, many
performances at Troy
Music Hall
as a child (dressed up in my finest dresses). I would look up at the ornate
ceiling and boxes with a sense of awe. I would wonder where the performers went
when they slipped out the colorful side doors of the stage. I had visions,
dreams and even fantasies of what the backstage area looked like and what the
musicians did back there.
This was my chance to finally see! But more about that later.
The other reasons are purely musical: I know so many famous performers who have
said that Troy
Music Hall
has the best acoustics in the country. Just about every performer I have seen
there says, “We are so honored to play in such a special place.”
So we arrived at the hall early for sound checks and to relax a little before
the concert. We went to the performers’ entrance up a maze of staircases that
eventually got tighter and smaller until we finally arrived back stage. We
weren’t sure we could get the hammered dulcimer up these tangle of stairs
easily, or without getting exhausted (it’s a very heavy instrument).
Supposedly, the crew of Troy Music Hall hoists up large instruments (like double
basses and cellos) with a hook and cable (for such a prestigious hall, they
still do not have an elevator, but that’s the charm of it, you see: you get
these other experiences).
I was most surprised to see the backstage areas. The immediate backstage area is
a very narrow hall up against the outside of the building with a wooden floor
that slopes from a century of settling. The green room for performers is
underneath the stage and very small (and built for short Victorian-era people).
I imagined the large orchestras that I have seen there all squished in together,
like family.
Also interesting to my inner child was the stage door where we waited to go on.
There were small little holes in the corners of the panels where the door-man
could look out and see who was coming. And when it was time for us to go on, he
opened the door, smiled at each one of us and wished us luck. When we were
finished, he opened the door to let us back in, again greeting us with his
winning welcoming smile. How often is a performer treated like that? He truly
made it so wonderful for us!
The most interesting aspect of the experience was the acoustics. The stage is
built so efficiently at pushing the music forward into the audience and upper
balconies and boxes above that it is barely audible on stage. At least it was
for me. The only instrument I could hear well was the hammered dulcimer which
was flat and pointed up. All of our other instruments were played pointed
towards the hall, and it seemed to swallow up the sound. So, the amazing
acoustics and reverberation that are so magical and rich for the audience are
not felt on stage. That was the most eye-opening experience for me! But, it
would make sense!
And then the memory of scenes from the book I had recently read called “Down
from
Troy, A Doctor Comes of Age” was swimming through my head where the author’s
mother sings at Troy
Music Hall
during the days before modernization was adopted by the city.
Anyway, playing at this wonderful venue made me so
happy, fulfilled, captivated and joyful for weeks.
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