Pecatonica conductor Kevin Stites returned home from New York four years ago. He recently spoke with WNIJ’s Yvonne Boose detailing his role in Rockford Symphony Orchestra’s Star Spangled Spectacular concert.
Yvonne:
Did the RSL contact you? How did you get looped in into this year's event?
Kevin:
I was raised in Pecatonica, Illinois. And I moved back during the height of COVID 2020. And in the process of moving back contacted a number of people, including a friend of mine, who's a musician with the RSO. And he let Julie Thomas, the executive director, know that I had moved back into town. And I contacted them and said, “I would love to do some work.” And they needed a conductor for two concerts. They had not yet hired their full-time music director Yaniv (Attar). They we're in the middle of that process. So, she gave me A John Williams Evening. And a classical concert of which I was able to choose the music for, which I called Americana. Coincidentally, which sort of lines up with the Star Spangled Spectacular. And then they offered me Holiday Pops last year, it resulted in they're going to do two performances of it next year. And so the third of July program came up and, and they asked me to do it. And I happily said yes, because I remember fondly growing up in Pecatonica, which didn't have a fourth of July celebration, a very small town, population 2000 it was then and it is now, so I remember fondly watching A Capital Fourth, which is a PBS special that they do every year, it's pretty classy, actually. It's sort of on the mall, you know, in DC, and has, you know, some -- it's a little I don't want to say more serious, but it's just different than the Boston Pops Fourth of July, which I would also watch. Which is completely different, much more commercial, in a good way. And lots more flag waving. And I also was touring once in Boston and was able to go to the esplanade and attend one of these live. So, when this was offered to me, I jumped at the opportunity to program a concert. From my experience and love of both of the things I just talked about.
Yvonne:
How did you go about choosing what sounds to include?
Kevin:
That's…well, that's a hard one. I do not want to be political. But right now, I feel, and I don't mind going on record as saying this, I feel that the country is very divisive right now. And I think that anybody who denies that is not living in a real world. So, I didn't feel it appropriate to do a solid evening of blind flag waving, patriotic songs that lack some sort of depth, or emotion. Now, let me be very clear, that doesn't mean unentertaining. I didn't want to do an evening of Sousa marches, which are great and have their place.
I wanted to make a combination. And I thought long and hard about what is American that has absolutely nothing to do with politics that has absolutely nothing to do with anything in our current situation. And I kept coming back to America's composers, and the music that they wrote. That is music for the general populace that people enjoy hearing. I chose music that I believe, if you listen to it and didn't know that piece, there would be no other country it could be from. I just know that the program is going to be so entertaining. Hoe-Down from “Rodeo”, come on. Who doesn't want to listen to that? You know, The Carousel Waltz. You know, who doesn't want to hear that outside with the breeze blowing and, you know.
Yvonne:
It just sounds like — it sounds very nice and romantic too.
Kevin:
It will be romantic and fun and really fun. And then I hope moving. We could use a little bit of united feelings. You know if we can do it through music, all the better.
Listen to an extended version of the interview here.
