We recently connected with Linda East and have shared our conversation below.

Linda, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Because of COVID, ECHOrchestra sought to provide additional methods of offering music to our community. We knew that many people would not feel comfortable in a crowded space, so we created a new series of small concerts with small ensembles of musicians and called it “ECHOes in the Area.” These have included outdoor events at Parkway Plaza and CityCentre and other limited seating musical evenings at local restaurants. The popularity of these events has resulted in a decision to keep this series in our season offerings for now and the foreseeable future. The other benefit to these events is that they have actually shown a profit, as opposed to many arts events that are possible only because of large donations from the public. The development of this addition to the ECHOrchestra image has been very gratifying to me.

Linda, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

ECHOrchestra was the brainchild of Sarah Plunkett McDonner and Michael Fahey one day in 2014. As they shared a cup of coffee at a local shop, they discussed their feelings about the lack of cultural events in the Energy Corridor and decided to create a community orchestra which would allow musicians the opportunity to hone their skills by playing together and audience members the opportunity to attend low cost, easy to access full orchestral concerts.

At first, the organization offered four concerts a year: Fall Concert, New Year’s Eve, Spring Concert, and a Memorial Day Concert. These were well attended by residents of West Houston who were looking for an alternative to driving through traffic to the downtown area, paying high parking fees and even higher ticket prices, and fighting large crowds. Since our concerts are mostly in and around the Energy Corridor, they offer an evening of quality music that can be attended conveniently. As ECHOrchestra continues to grow into a well-known entity, the concerts have also changed with the needs of the community. Not only have we added the series called “ECHOes in the Area,” (described in the previous question), but we also performed at the Inaugural Tree Lighting Ceremony hosted by the Energy Corridor District at the Hyatt Regency West Houston on December 1, 2021.

Our main concerts have included various themes through the years, highlighting music from Argentina, Asia, the Americas, and Europe; focusing on Jazz, Big Band, and Hip Hop as well as Classical music; zeroing on Halloween, Christmas, and Memorial Day classics; or even looking at particular musical techniques, such as Minor Keys or Suites of Music. We have featured dancers, such as Mercy Renteria’s flamingo and the Fly Dance Company’s hip hop.

For five years now, ECHO has offered the Young Artist Concerto Competition. The winner is featured at the Spring Concert as a soloist during a full orchestral piece of classical music.

ECHO is also planning a Summer Workshop which will give young musical students the opportunity to improve their playing through instruction by professional music educators.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

My personal story intertwines with the story of ECHOrchestra in many ways, but the one that pops into my mind as I read this question, “Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?” is this:

There is something out of balance in our society as far as monetary rewards for work. Every field requires a certain amount of creativity and innovation, but for some reason, we still hang on to the archaic design that the Visual and Performing Arts are not worthy of large financial rewards. Those in accounting, law, medicine, and other professions (with the exception of our valuable teachers) are paid much higher than those who create art, provide music, theatrical innovations, and other performing arts. Although these treasures are a part of our everyday lives through clothing and building designs, music from a multitude of sources, producing and acting in movies and TV, and graphics on almost everything we own and view; they do not result in financial benefits for many of the original creative thinkers.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Through the years, a book that has been a continual inspiration for me as I work toward continuance of the arts is Arts with the Brain in Mind by Eric Jensen. As a former secondary teacher in public schools and then a part of a museum education department, I have recommended this book repeatedly to colleagues and friends. Most recently, resources that have been particularly helpful to my role as Executive Director of ECHOrchestra include the Houston Arts Alliance, Executive Service Corps of Houston, United Way webinars, and other organizations that have offered free opportunities to learn about running a non-profit.

Contact Info:

• Website: echorchestra.org
• Instagram: ECHOrchestra
• Facebook: ECHOrchestra
• Youtube: ECHOrchestra

Image Credits
Photos by Friedhelm Luening