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Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Our 'Ode to Joy' Flash Mob

As promised, just launched today: cool video of wonderful flash mob that I helped organize in Nyack, N.Y., following a sold-out screening of our Following the Ninth film (which I co-produced) last month. The hosts for the screening, Rivertown Film Society, shot it from the balcony and with three roving cameras on the floor, then edited the video. The musicians hail from local orchestras, arranged by Arlene Keiser,  with singers from Nyack High. They had exactly one rehearsal just before the screening, at another site. Yes, the audience was surprised.  Conductor is Rob Keiser, one of the heroes in my book about coaching my son in Little League, Joy in Mudville.  Of course, the message is: universal brotherhood/sisterhood.

This is in keeping with the theme of the film (featured in recent segments on Bill Moyers' PBS show and NPR's "All Things Considered"), which explores the amazing influence of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony around the world, and our book, Journeys With Beethoven.  In fact, there is now a global phenomenon of "Ode to Joy" flash mobs around the world and I've posted some of them over the past few months.   Maybe you'd like to try it your home town?  BTW, we're doing a second screening of the film in Nyack on Feb. 19.  You can reach me at: epic1934@aol.com.

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