Jon Becker, Arts & Education Consultant

04/22/2025

Celebrating Earth Day, in words with music.

(links to movements in comments, below)

EARTH DAY PORTRAIT : Eco-ethical words by John Muir, Aldo Leopold, and WI Sen. Ga***rd Nelson; music commissioned from WI composer John Harmon; conception and narrative by Jon Becker; world premiere in 2001; CD released internationally on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day in 2020.

HYMN TO THE EARTH : Words and music by Edward Joseph Collins; composed in WI.

Two works honoring Earth Day comprise this distinctive recording. The first, by composer John Harmon, is a symphonic setting of the words of John Muir, Aldo Leopold, and Earth Day Founder Sen. Ga***rd Nelson with descendants of these men as narrators. The second, Hymn to the Earth by Edward Joseph C...

08/09/2024

Yet another award to Marin Alsop. She was the conductor for several music CDs, for which I was music/general editor and project manager (2001-2020); for links, see comments below).

Composers Joseph Edward Collins and John Harmon
Royal Scottish National Orchestra & Choir
USA/UK pianists, soloists, chamber musicians, and voice actors
Engineers: Jonathan Allen ~ EMI/Abbey Road Studios; Jim Ginsburg ~ Cedille Records

EXCERPT
MARIN ALSOP is one of the world's leading conductors and one of the few women who has made it to the upper echelons of the conducting world. Alsop shattered one of orchestra's highest, hardest glass ceilings in 2007 at 51, when she became the first woman to lead a major American orchestra—the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, a role she held for 14 years. Today, she is its music director laureate and chief conductor of the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Ravinia Festival and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Director Ava DuVernay is at the forefront of finding freedom outside of Hollywood’s traditional studio system. Fran Horowitz made Abercrombie cool again, while pitmaster Lee Ann Whippen is proving that barbecue isn’t just for the boys. These are true culture creators.

07/10/2024

In gratitude for her "Letters From An American," I hardmailed an Earth Day Heritage CD (see link below) to historian Heather Cox Richardson. Didn't have her street address, but figured her local postmaster would know what to do. HCR’s 'thank you' card arrived today.

07/02/2024

Congratulations Patty Loew, who kindly narrated the recording of EARTH DAY PORTRAIT (see comments below).

Patty Loew's 50-year broadcasting career includes legacies at ABC and PBS.

05/12/2024

It was in late 2000, as her star was just beginning to rise, that I convinced my client to engage Marin Alsop as conductor for six orchestral recordings of Edward Joseph Collins. With the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Chorus, Maestra Marin also recorded the music for composer John Harmon's EARTH DAY PORTRAIT. All CDs available on Albany Records.

Alsop has had enviable success, and was the first female conductor to lead a top American orchestra. She wants to take another step up.

01/13/2024

Hard working Marin Alsop has now been named Principal Guest Conductor for the Philadelphia Orchestra, adding to her already daunting professsional calendar.

Hard to believe it's been 23 years since I met her in Glasgow for some projects that I coordinated. She conducted the Royal Scottish National Orchestra & Chorus recording sessions (2001-10) for the MUSIC OF EDWARD JOSEPH COLLINS (complete anthology; pub. 2012, Albany Records) and for John Harmon's EARTH DAY PORTRAIT(pub. 2021).

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/06/arts/music/marin-alsop-conductor-classical-music.html

Marin Alsop has been appointed as Principal Guest Conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra for a three-year term beginning in the 2024–25 season. In this new role, she will lead the orchestra in multiple subscription concerts, special events, annual summer residencies, and national and internationa...

01/07/2023

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with conductor Marin Alsop about concerts she is conducting this weekend in Chicago, which feature exclusively works by female composers.

01/07/2023

Listening to NPR Weekend Edition this morning as usual, when Scott Simon started interviewing Marin Alsop.

Back in 2001-12, Marin conducted/collaborated for six CD recordings, with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra & Chorus, of the Music of Edward Joseph Collins that I coordinated (EMI/Abbey Road Studios).

A couple days ago, reading about her Chicago SO concerts this weekend, I saw that Awadagin Pratt is playing piano. Awadagin and I took a conducting class with Ian Hobson at the University of Illinois-Urban/Champaign

Ian Hobson was a remarkable pianist: For the conducting class, he played full scores at sight; we would then try to conduct him. I remember in particular struggling to lead him in Debussy's Faun. Around then, after being hired on 24 hr notice to fill in for a soloist who took ill, Ian learned/memorized a concerto during his airplane flight.

Awadagin and I have not been in touch since the mid-80s, when he (as an undergrad) and me (as a grad student) were in Ian's class. But I emailed Marin, asking that she say hello to Awadagin, if she happened to think of it. As usual, she responded within hours. Despite her many commitments, she has always been an incredible communicator.

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with conductor Marin Alsop about concerts she is conducting this weekend in Chicago, which feature exclusively works by female composers.

12/22/2022

Juncoes vs English sparrows, refereed by woodpeckers.
Too much action just now for the more sedate mourning doves, or cardinals, blue jays, waxwings, owls, and very plump squirrels and rabbits.

10/18/2022

Can't wait to see this film, which reportedly is loosely based on Marin Alsop, who conducted 6 CDs that I coordinated. NOTE: In my baker's dozen year of work with Maestra Marin, she had none of the patriarchal power issues of the character played by Cate Blanchett ... none.

The film’s thesis is blunt: Put a woman in power, and she’ll be as sexually inappropriate and badly behaved as any man.

09/13/2022

First printed check for Earth Art Publications, my new-ish venture.

In payment for a score/parts set for composer John Harmon's FANFARE FOR A COMMON EARTH. Ordered for a university/community orchestra performance in NC in November. If streamed, there'll be additional revenue for EAP and the composer (as happened during the 2021-22 pandemic season).

All EAP profits are donated to the WI non-profit Earth Art Resources, via its fiscal agent Create WI (in comments below, link to donation website: https://www.mightycause.com/story/EarthArtResources)

08/24/2022

Had to issue a disorderly conduct warning, for crossing Starkweather Creek Path perpendicular to traffic, and es**rt the 4” (!) fellow to a nearby field.