It’s hard to know what to expect when you meet a symphony orchestra conductor, especially one who has been a lauded for his talent and skill everywhere from the
Los Angeles Times to the
Baton Rouge Advocate.
Would he be wearing a tailcoat tuxedo? Would he scoff at someone who couldn’t differentiate between Tchaikovsky and Chopin?
As it turns out, any such apprehension can be set-aside for
Lansing Symphony Orchestra (LSO) conductor
Timothy Muffitt.
Muffitt arrives for our interview sporting jeans and boyishly flopsy hair, his 10-year-old daughter, Clara, riding piggyback. It seems that the Muffitts, including 13-year-old Vince, are just a regular, laid-back Lansing-area family.
What makes their story truly amazing is that they could be a regular, laid-back family from just anywhere they want to be.
Classical LansingWhen Muffitt recently re-signed his contract with the LSO for another three years, the orchestra players, staff and fans let out a collective sigh of relief.
Between his concurrent position as conductor of the
Baton Rouge Symphony and a prestigious resume too long for print, the man responsible for a 50 percent increase in LSO ticket sales over five years probably could have had his pick of jobs anywhere.
For Muffitt, however, the decision to stay in Lansing was an easy one.
“We love it here,” Muffitt says, speaking for himself and for his family. “East Lansing is just a great place to raise kids. We have fantastic schools, it’s safe and there’s great cultural diversity between [being] the State Capital and having a
major university right here.”
It’s a busy life for Muffitt, who travels frequently between Lansing and Baton Rogue during concert season to maintain top-notch performances in both states.
How do they do it? “We just make it work,” laughs Muffitt.
And they make it work pretty well. In fact, hard-to-come-by guest talent has been featured in Lansing by leveraging two-state, multiple-performance arrangements between the two orchestras.
“We’ve created a great synergy between the two,” he adds. “I try to make it a positive energy flow.”
One thing is for sure: a positive energy for classical music is flowing strong in Lansing right now.
Making a life in Michigan’s Capital region wasn’t based solely on his family’s love of kayaking in
Lake Lansing or his son Vince’s affection for
Georgio’s Pizza. According to Muffitt, Lansing is a great place for anyone who loves music.
“Michigan has had a tradition of excellence in music for a long time,” says Muffitt. “I think that stems from not only our public universities having great programs, but also the secondary schools and programs like Interlochen have really attracted a lot of great talent. That’s why we’re able to do so many great concerts here in Lansing because the talent pool is deep.”
“And,” chimes in Catherine Guarino, the LSO's director of education and community engagement, “great conductors attract great players.”
Symphony on the RiseWhile Muffitt himself is clearly uncomfortable with taking such credit, he can’t deny that his organization has been doing uncannily well since his initial hire five years ago.
“We’re growing and we’re growing rapidly,” says Muffitt. “We’re one of the few orchestras in the country that has seen ticket growth at all, let alone the dramatic growth we’ve seen, and we’re very proud that our attendance has been so robust.”
Muffitt volleys credit for the LSO’s success back toward Guarino and his players, stating that the orchestra’s success has also been due to the organization really coming together in all fronts.
“The staff and players are all efficient and creative. There’s a lot of talent both on stage and off,” he says.
The LSO structure itself can also be credited as one of the keys to its recent success. It’s no secret that many symphonies are struggling right now. News coverage of the Detroit Symphony’s recent musician strike has been a sad reminder of this truth. The LSO musicians, however, are paid per performance. This allows for a great deal of financial adaptability.
“It’s a great model for an orchestra, especially in tough financial times,” Muffitt says.
While the merits of both methods could certainly be debated at length, right now, the proof is in the pudding in Lansing. The LSO keeps producing great performances and packing the house with attendees. The upcoming schedule, available at
lansingsymphony.org, includes both traditional symphonic performances, as well as pops, chamber, big band and “MasterWorks” series.
The LSO is also reaching out to potential audiences in new ways. With hundreds of followers on both Facebook and Twitter, “
Lansing Symphony” is using modern strategies to promote their timeless product. In fact, Timothy Muffitt now has his own
fan page on Facebook. His son Vince helped set it up.
“I think there’s an interest and appetite for [great music] in this community,” says Muffitt. “Looking at what’s going on in the Greater Lansing area, there’s a
great interest in the arts. I feel incredibly lucky to be here.”
Life in LansingWhen they’re not working on the family biz, the Muffitts’ life looks a lot like any other Capital region family. They each have their favorite haunts: for Clara, the
East Lansing library and parks are the highlight; Vince can be found hanging out with his friends in
Downtown East Lansing; and Timothy himself is a big fan of the
East Lansing Food Co-op.
When they’re all together they make a point to eat out at one of their favorites—Haslett’s
Blue Gill Grill.
And when friends and family come from out of town?
“Well…” says Muffitt as he ponders the question. “Where do we take them?” he finally asks his kids.
Almost in unison Clara and Vince laugh, “Your concerts!”
After a good family giggle, the Muffitts remind each other that they also take guests out to breakfast at
Flapjacks.
After an exciting night out at the symphony, that is.
Learn more about the Lansing Symphony Orchestra at: www.lansingsymphony.org, and follow their social media updates on facebook.com/LansingSymphony and twitter.com/LansingSymphony. To receive Capital Gains free every week, click here.
Natalie Burg is a writer who loves to say good things about downtowns, communities and the people who believe in making them amazing.
Dave Trumpie is the managing photographer for Capital Gains. He is a freelance photographer and owner of Trumpie Photography.
Photos:
Timothy Muffitt with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra at Wharton Center and with his son Vince and daughter Clara along the River Trail outside the Lansing City Market.
All Photographs © Dave Trumpie