Currents
Sweet music goes out to troops
Related Photos
-
Kenneth Freed talks to the audience before he begins conducting the Mankato Symphony Orchestra Monday. The evening’s performance was teleconferenced to troops in Iraq. Luke Gronneberg
Discussion
Add a comment on this storyTools
MANKATO — It was 4:30 a.m. Tuesday morning in Iraq, but Minnesota troops were able, via a live television feed, to talk with family members and watch a concert performed Monday by the Mankato Symphony Orchestra at the Minnesota National Guard Training and Community Center.
“Can you hear us?” Minnesota Symphony Orchestra Musical Director Kenneth Freed asked into the television before beginning the hour-long concert, which brought around 80 people to the National Guard gymnasium.
The soldiers watched the concert from the Freedom Call Center in Iraq, which allows troops video access to friends and family.
“It’s so strange to see people clapping from halfway across the world,” Freed said. “They were into it the whole time.”
Freed said he was inspired to play a free concert for the soldiers’ families after listening to Minnesota Rep. John Kline, who has a son in Iraq, grill U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on the toll war the war has taken on soldiers’ families.
“One of our goals is to be outward-looking as an organization,,” said Freed, whose orchestra was augmented by the guest appearances of members of the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra. “I was in the car listening to Rep. Kline roasting (Defense Secretary) Robert Gates on the radio, and I thought, “These families have been through so much, how can we as an organization and musicians be of service to the troops’ families?’”
Barb Fleming’s son, Capt. Jesse Fleming of Garden City, was one of the soldier’s watching the concert.
Throughout the concert, Jesse’s beaming mom often turned around to look at her son on the television screen.
Barb Fleming, who along with her daughter and husband, Lewie, talked to Jesse on television for 45 minutes before the concert, said it was thrilling to see her son for the first time since he left in September for his second tour of duty.
Darlene Langevin, whose daughter, Staff Sgt. Tamatha Smith is in her third tour of duty in Iraq, said many soliders’ families aren’t aware they have other communication options with their loved ones outside of telephone and e-mail.
“I am surprised by the number of people who don’t realize this is available,” said Langevin, “because the word just doesn’t get out.”
Langevin said families interested in a live-feed with a solider need to contact the soldier’s troop, which will contact the Freedom Call Center, where the live-feeds are held.
The concert underscored the limitless power of music, Freed said, and helped to provide solace and for both the troops and their families.
“These families have been through so much,” he sad. “It was an emotional feeling,” “Music provides healing and comfort. I thought we got the point across.”
- Currents
-
-
Waseca carries on ice harvesting tradition
Ice covering Clear Lake in Waseca will be scored, then cut and sawed. The blocks of ice will then be clamped, with a rope attached, waiting to be harvested.
-
Area colleges spring theater events kick off
MSU, Bethany, Gustavus announce spring entertainment schedule.
-
Printing her way to success
When Liz Madsen got laid off, she went to work beginning a fruitful career as a printmaker
- Entertainment Calendar
-
Grizzly’s gets makeover and rare wood-fired rotisserie
After closing for two weeks to set up a new wood-fired rotisserie and make a few smaller renovations, Grizzly’s Grill N’ Saloon reopened in December with the name Grizzly’s Wood-Fired Grill and Steaks.
-
Readers' Choice '09: Food and Drink
The results are in.
Every year, we at The Free Press poll our readership. We want to know where you eat, where you take in a show, where you take the fam’ when they’re in town to show off the Mankato area to outsiders, and so on.
From Nov. 25 through Dec. 18, readers voted for their favorites in four categories: Activities and Entertainment; Food and Drinks; Services; and Shopping. You certainly had your opinions, and we like that.
Here are the 2009 Readers’ Choice Award winners in Food and Drink. -
Readers' Choice '09: Services
The results are in.
Every year, we at The Free Press poll our readership. We want to know where you eat, where you take in a show, where you take the fam’ when they’re in town to show off the Mankato area to outsiders, and so on.
From Nov. 25 through Dec. 18, readers voted for their favorites in four categories: Activities and Entertainment; Food and Drinks; Services; and Shopping. You certainly had your opinions, and we like that.
Here are the 2009 Readers’ Choice Award winners in Services. -
Readers' Choice '09: Activities and Entertainment
The results are in.
Every year, we at The Free Press poll our readership. We want to know where you eat, where you take in a show, where you take the fam’ when they’re in town to show off the Mankato area to outsiders, and so on.
From Nov. 25 through Dec. 18, readers voted for their favorites in four categories: Activities and Entertainment; Food and Drinks; Services; and Shopping. You certainly had your opinions, and we like that.
Here are the 2009 Readers’ Choice Award winners in Activities and Entertainment. -
Readers' Choice '09: Shopping
The results are in.
Every year, we at The Free Press poll our readership. We want to know where you eat, where you take in a show, where you take the fam’ when they’re in town to show off the Mankato area to outsiders, and so on.
From Nov. 25 through Dec. 18, readers voted for their favorites in four categories: Activities and Entertainment; Food and Drinks; Services; and Shopping. You certainly had your opinions, and we like that.
Here are the 2009 Readers’ Choice Award winners in Shopping.
-
Le Sueur artist chosen to submit Grammy exhibit
Gregory Euclide, an artist who lives in Le Sueur, found himself to be quite the attention-getter last weekend at the opening of the Who Killed The Music Grammy Exhib-ition above the Grammy Museum in L.A.
- More Currents Headlines
-
