The MoMS team recently received some motivational news from Warrensburg, Missouri.
A review of Warrensburg's New Harmonies Grand Finale Concert by TV/Radio talk-show host, Mark Pearce, illumined the exhibit's positive effect on the community -- and vice-versa! The people of Warrensburg worked hard to magnify the exhibit's significance within their community by incorporating numerous varieties of music into their programming events. In his review, Mark Pearce gives us a taste of the dynamic musical spirit evoked by Warrensburg's impressive effort:
“Having recently witnessed the Grand Finale Concert for Johnson County’s New Harmonies celebration I must confess certain optimism for the performance arts in the Western Missouri region.
'Why?' You ask?
Because I have never seen such a collection of local performers – representing so many musical genres – live and on stage and proud to just…to just belt it out. We’ve not had a template for local musicians to celebrate their work before an appreciative, general audience. I must extend congratulations to the scores of people who made the New Harmonies arts and exhibition series such a success. Chief among them was Lisa Irle, Director of the Johnson County Historical Society and curator of the Johnson County Historical museum. It was Lisa’s foresight, incessant determination and her life-long list of friends and acquaintances that made the entire series so inclusive and dynamic.
And, leaving out many others, I’d like to single out Warrensburg resident and radio show host Eddie Osborne who developed a weekly series of musical performances throughout the New Harmonies month and who produced the Grand Finale Concert. Eddie’s vision was inclusive and designed to show the breadth of local talent – many usually resigned to perform only in near-empty halls and byways. And Eddie’s decision to showcase The Nace Brothers gave this iconic group an opportunity to perform before a swath of the population who don’t tend to hit the night spots where the group tends to perform. So, through the New Harmonies celebration and the Grand Finale Concert we all grew musically.
Warrensburg’s local music scene has never had such potential as it does right now.”
-- Mark Pearce – KMOS-TV, 90.9 The Bridge
Many thanks go out to Lisa Irle and the Johnson County Historical Society for bringing this lively review to our attention.
-- Roxanne Berschler, SITES -- Washington, D.C.
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