Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Jacksonville host families forge lasting friendships with returning Britt orchestra musicians ... Police Reports ... Jeffrey Gillespie: Politics, then and now ... Jacksonville host families forge lasting friendships with returning Britt orchestra musicians ... Police Reports ... Jeffrey Gillespie: Politics, then and now ... JACKSONVILLE Jacksonville host families forge lasting friendships with returning Britt orchestra musicians By Kaylee Tornay For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Kaylee Tornay For the Tidings Posted Aug. 14, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Kaylee Tornay For the Tidings Posted Aug. 14, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2324,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> When Britt Orchestra musicians Michael Molnau and Leyla Zamora first appeared at Jill and George Cobb's door to stay for three weeks, it was a meeting between strangers. Fifteen years later, it's become a yearly homecoming. “We know them so well now that we refer to them as our kids,” says Jill Cobb. Neither couple expected a lasting friendship from what began as a volunteer opportunity for the Cobbs and a job for Molnau, who plays viola, and Zamora, a bassoon player. But all four of them had something important in common: a love for the music being played. Unlike the bands that come to Britt on tour, orchestra members performing in the Britt Classical Festival don't come by tour bus and leave after one night. For three weeks, they need a place to stay while they rehearse, eat, sleep and perform. It’s a somewhat grueling schedule, but this concert series is one of Zamora's and Molnau's favorites, they say. Under the direction of maestro Teddy Abrams, the orchestra rehearses in the morning and the evening, with performances on the weekends. During their time off, most of the musicians practice individually at their hosts’ houses, or in the evenings after rehearsal they go out for food and drinks. Often the host families will join the musicians, and a kind of brief community forms over those three weeks. The Britt’s classical concerts began July 31 and will conclude Saturday. Then the musicians, who come from as far as Florida, Hawaii and Toronto, Canada, will go home. Many of them will return here next year, and they’ll often return to their host families, as well. Musicians who are new to the festival may be paired with first-time host families, as is the case with San Francisco clarinetist Jeannie Psomas, who is staying with Elizabeth and Jeff Simas. Elizabeth says she wasn’t sure what to expect from hosting a musician but calls it a very positive experience. “You feel like part of a community. You kind of feel like you’re moving that program forward by being a part of it,” she says. About half of the host families will see their musicians return, according to Vivienne Grant, orchestra housing director. It’s her job to match musicians with hosts, a process she compares to putting together the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. A previous housing director matched the Cobbs with their musicians, but she apparently did her job well, because they have hosted Molnau and Zamora in their guest house for years. “People envy us so much,” says Zamora. “We cherish our George and Jill time.” While a strong friendship has formed between these two couples, not all host families should feel like they're signing up for an annual, decade-long commitment. Jill Cobb and Leyla Zamora say some people might worry they'll have to cook three meals a day and rearrange their lifestyles, but that’s not the case. “I don’t know any musician who expects that,” Zamora says. Hosts are needed each year, though, and the Britt website has information for interested people. Jacksonville residents are preferred, due to the proximity of the venue, but Grant works out placements for musicians who have cars and those who don’t. The Cobbs, meanwhile, are looking into expanding their housing so they can take in more musicians. “It’s fun to see them having fun,” Jill says. “And they give us something back, too, because there’s nothing better than a night at Britt.” Reach reporting intern Kaylee Tornay at [email protected]. By Kaylee Tornay For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Kaylee Tornay For the Tidings Posted Aug. 14, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501