Tennille Helps get AZ Phil running in Prescott;

Pain?  Rx=Music

It’s “This Week in Classical Music”; an update on what’s happening in the classical music world; I’m Randy Kinkel.

AN Arizona town known for its history, charm and spectacular scenery will soon have music to match.

And a lot of the credit goes to the female half of the 70s pop duo “The Captain and Tennille”-- Toni Tennille, who, except for a couple of years just spent in Florida writing her memoir, has called the Prescott area home for 10 years.

The AZ Philharmonic has been a pet project of Tennille, who has been working on bringing a pro orchestra to Prescott for quite some time. She explains:

“I was attracted to Prescott for it’s moderate four-season weather, its historic small town charm, and the stunning beauty of its surroundings… but to my delight I found welcoming residents, wonderful new friends, and a thriving music scene that continues to grow… Rising out of this community’s passion for music is the AZ Phil… a permanent, professional Orchestra that will attract people and grow Prescott’s reputation as a quality place to live. (and) establish a legacy that will bring the joy and thrill of professional symphonic music to the central Highlands of Arizona.”   In a video on the Prescott Enews website, Toni asks the public for donations and to become founding members of the orchestra.

the Arizona Philharmonic’s inaugural, full-orchestra concert, “Currents”, is a tribute to New Orleans' complex relationship to water and an emotional statement on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, showcasing the works of composter Henry Flurry, who grew up in New Orleans but has lived in Prescott for the last 16 years.

The concert features Prescott’s Steinway Artist Pianist James d’Leon, marimbist Maria Flurry and conductor Peter Bay of the Austin Symphony. The debut concert for the Arizona Philharmonic will take place on Sunday, August 26 at 5 PM at the Yavapai College Performing Arts Center (YCPAC).  The new orchestra’s opening season includes a Bach Festival with the Prescott Chorale October 6th, and The Messiah with Yavapai College  December 1st.  you can get tickets at YCPAC online or at their box office.  They are also looking for musicians for the orchestra.

Two new studies present compelling evidence that pleasant melodies can reduce physical pain.

The "umbrella review," published in the journal Early Human Development, analyzed results from previously published papers. "Most of the reviews found a significant effect of music on pain," writes a team led by Colombian researcher Juan Sebastian Martin-Saavedra.  It concludes music should be considered "a clinically significant complementary therapy to be used for the management of pain."

The study featured 80 full-term newborns, all of whom had painful medical procedures—The infants were randomly assigned to have the procedure done in silence, or while music was playing— either Mozart's "Sonata for Two Pianos" or the first movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata; The final group was exposed to the human heartbeat. "Musical intervention was associated with a significant decrease in heart rate, improvement in oxygen saturation, and reduction in the perception of pain," writes a research team.

For more on these and other items and events, go to the website, K-B-A-C-H dot org; Be listening each week at this time for another update. Follow us on Facebook and twitter, and also listen every weekday at Noon for the Most Wanted Hour with Linda Cassidy, playing your top 100 classical hits.  I’m Randy Kinkel for KBACH’s “This Week in Classical Music”; Member supported 89.5 KBAQ Phoenix and HD, a service of Rio Salado College and Arizona State University.