What inspires your love of music?
Love of music enriches our lives. When listening to beautiful music, we can be transported emotionally to a spiritual realm that is akin to a religious experience. We are so grateful that our minds and hearts are open to all the beauty and joy that great music can provide.
What initially drew you to the CSO?
Growing up in Chicago, we were lucky to have been exposed to classical music during our childhood. We listened to music on the phonograph, radio and television. I [Mr. Michael Miller] remember watching “Flash Gordon” and being entranced by the wonderful music, not knowing then that it was by Liszt and Tchaikovsky. Attending concerts at the CSO was the logical next step for our musical development. The sound of the orchestra was overwhelming and unbelievable. We still feel that way after 50 years of going to the CSO and Civic Orchestra concerts. No finer training orchestra of talented young musicians (Civic) or professional symphony orchestra (CSO) can be found anywhere in the world today. We feel blessed that music has been such an important part of our lives.
Why do you feel it’s important to support the CSO as a member of the Theodore Thomas Society?
The arts are in a precarious position right now. Funding for the arts in education has dropped considerably as has the hiring of music and art teachers in our grammar and high schools. Funding for our major artistic institutions, including public radio and television, theater companies and orchestras, is also threatened. If we want our youth to have the opportunity to discover the joy of music and the arts, we must support whatever can allow them to flourish.
