We are thrilled to introduce you to Elemental Music’s newest member of our Board of Directors, Lynn Hutchinson!
Lynn is not only an Elemental Music parent, but she is a musician in her own right. Her passion for music and music education makes her the perfect fit to join our board, and we are so excited to have her continued guidance in the years to come.
LEARN MORE ABOUT LYNN IN OUR INTERVIEW BELOW!
Elemental Music: What kind of role did music play in your life growing up?
Lynn Hutchinson: I was surrounded by music in my childhood. My mom had a stellar vinyl collection that was playing all the time. Her mom and dad met playing jazz together (piano and trumpet, respectively). We had an old…OLD…huge upright piano in our house that was handed down by someone on my dad’s side (although my dad’s the first to admit he can’t carry a tune in a paper bag!). But that instrument would end up being a life changer for me. When I was kid, our television broke down and we didn’t have the means to fix it. After crafting every possible interesting scenario for my Barbies (it didn’t last long), I got bored enough to get interested in that worn down box of wood and ivory. My mom taught me how to read music and handed me a stack of old sheet music. I went to town, reading through and teaching myself everything I possibly could. By the time we repaired the tv a few years later, not even Fantasy Island could tear me off the bench.
From roughly sixth grade on, I was playing everywhere I could: accompanying choirs, playing for community theater musicals, playing in church, rock bands, jazz bands, talent contests…I even played for a Norwegian culture group! As a natural extension, I started composing and arranging music. I had an amazing teacher in high school who allowed me to teach and conduct my peers in an arrangement I wrote of the Star-Spangled Banner. I saw many sides of musical experience from a young age. And it all fascinated me.
For me, music was an avenue to see the world and consider the people in it. That has never changed.
EM: Can you tell us a little bit about your career in music now?
Canvas online - the music news desk (February 2021)
LH: I am the Founding Artistic Director of a concert series called Canvas Presents. In existence since 2006, Canvas explores amazing intersections between music and art, history, science, and human experience. We’ve created over thirty original programs. In doing so, we’ve paired opera with graffiti, pulled apart Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” looked at the relationship between music and Alzheimer’s disease, and taken apart a grand piano as part of a Rachmaninoff concert. To name a few.
One of our projects shares the story of Dutch Jewish musicians suppressed by the Holocaust. We play some pieces that were lost to the world for decades and use the experience to share with audiences old and young conversations about combating hate and embracing humanity in its various forms.
There is nothing greater than sharing music stories with people in this way. Well…except maybe owning Carnegie Hall would make it slightly greater. :)
EM: Do you think that the skills you've developed through a life in music translate to other areas outside of music performance?
LH: Yes, there are countless ways in which music has informed my life. My three favorites: 1) Improvisation is a great skill…especially if you have a tendency to forget things…like your music. 2) Humans need to have moments of expression. As a musician, you will be invited into surprising moments of beauty, sadness, and joy. And 3) No matter how much you think you’re ready, you simply can’t go from quarter at 70 one day and expect to sustain a steady quarter at 130 the next. In other words, things take time to develop for a reason. Don’t fight it. Learn to enjoy the process.
EM: How did you first get involved with Elemental Music?
LH: Our daughter Sadie is finishing her third season playing violin in Elemental Strings. Her teacher had told us about the program for years before she was old enough to start.
Sadie and Lynn at Sadie’s first Elemental Music concert (December 2018)
EM: Do you have a favorite Elemental Music memory?
LH: The first time I saw an Elemental Strings program has to be my favorite memory. I was taken aback by the beautiful sound, the comfort the players had with their repertoire, and the engagement and pride the kids had in introducing pieces - and that Elemental Music directors wanted them to be sharing the spotlight.
EM: What inspired you to join our board?
LH: Since the first year my daughter was a part of it, I have loved Elemental Music’s programming. Earlier this year, I was asked to be a part of a committee that looks into what the next ten years of Elemental Music might look like. The more time I spent with the leadership and board, the more excited I got about the future impact of this organization on music education in Los Angeles. Honored by the invitation, saying “yes" was an easy extension of my desire to be a part of whatever’s next.
EM: Is there anything else you would like to add?
LH: I want to congratulate and thank everyone who had a hand in Elemental Music’s first ten years. I’m talking about directors, teachers, parents and families, kids, financial supporters, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District...and whoever else I’m missing! What has been created through hearts, minds, and hard work is a beautiful thing. I believe the world is a better place because students have had the time they’ve had making music at Elemental Music.