A one-of-a-kind concert truck will be making a stop in Bay Harbor in the coming days as it crisscrosses the country playing classical music concerts.
The performance on wheels has been around since 2015 and features a 16-foot box truck that transforms into a mini concert hall.
It's driven around the country by the two creators from Baltimore, classically trained pianists Nick Luby and Susan Zhang.
WCMU's Tina Sawyer had a chance to talk with Luby and started the conversation by asking him why this type of venue was created.
This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Nick Luby: I think the goal was to be able to share music as widely as possible to be able to take the concert experience outside of the traditional hall and bring it to people where they are.
Rather than demanding that people come to a certain place at a certain time, we hoped to create a spontaneous experience of of making and sharing music that I found to be very powerful.
Tina Sawyer: What came up first, like a catalyst to perhaps spark this idea?
NL: I was traveling with relatives and inspired by my travels by seeing beautiful community spaces where people were were gathering and enjoying festivities in each other's company, but without music and at the same time, I was without an instrument and would practice in churches and people would wander in off the street. Just to sit and listen and those two separate but parallel experiences combined for me, you know, what if what if we had a mobile concert hall that was able to bring music to any outdoor space?
TS: Is it just classical music or do you play other types of music?
NL: Classical music is where where I started and I've developed a deep appreciation for music of of any and all kinds, and we've had many different genres on the truck today, from bluegrass to hip hop to jazz and more.
TS: Are there any stories that you can share with us where you've touched lives in those areas that you've reached?
NL: We've had a lot of special experiences, especially during COVID. We were able to continue concert experiences outdoors at a time that was very difficult and there was a a hunger for that and a deep appreciation for the connection that music could offer. So we shared music with a lot of hospitals, staff and and some patients as well and that was extremely moving.
TS: So what's next for the concert truck?
NL: We'll be at the Great Lakes Center for the Arts to the 12th with concerts starting August 7th, so we're very excited for that. We'll have a guest artist with us, Chelsea Desouza.
TS: What is one of the favorite, I guess pieces of music that you'll be presenting to the audiences?
NL: Well, I'm a big fan of Chopin, but we we always come back to Gershwin.
The Concert Truck will be bringing their show to the Great Lakes Center for the Arts in Bay Harbor, August 7-12.
