Page 4 - Phil Connections Magazine 11-2020 final_Neat
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A walk with


                                      Steven Karidoyanes







                                      Conductor & Music Director



                                      On a recent morning walk, I couldn’t help but notice a confluence of celebration décor.  A
                                      leftover Jack-o’-lantern.  A cornucopia-themed mum display. A light post adorned with
                                      Christmas garland.  Many holidays are on simultaneous display in my neighborhood,

                                      which certainly makes my stroll more interesting.

                                      For most of us, our traditions give us comfort and cheer.  I can 100% relate!

                                      One tradition we have at the Phil, which has brought lots of joy to many over the years,

                                      is our annual March of the Toys indoor parade and collection of donated gifts for the
                                      Children’s Holiday Fund.

                                      The history of this special addition to our holiday concerts spans back over 26 years to

                                      when we were planning my second season as the conductor of this wonderful orchestra.
                                      Yes, our holiday concerts were lovely up to that point, but we wanted to make them even
                                      more special for our community.

                                      In an informal brainstorming session with the orchestra’s then executive director, Bobbie

                                      Otto, I shared my experience as the associate conductor of the Winston-Salem Symphony
                                      in North Carolina.

                                            Every July 4th this orchestra had the tradition of presenting the Miss Liberty

                                            Parade.  Literally thousands of flag-waving children dressed in red, white & blue
                                            marched around the concert grounds following this tall woman in flowing robes
                                            costumed convincingly as the Statue of Liberty while I conducted the orchestra
                                            playing non-stop Sousa marches for a solid 20 minutes.  It was a sight to behold!

                                            It was also the highlight of the concert and an annual tradition the area families
                                            adored.

                                      I wondered out loud to Bobbie, “How could we capture the spirit of an outdoor Miss
                                      Liberty Parade and harness it for our indoor Holiday Pops concerts?”  In rather short order,

                                      our concept of The March of the Toys was born.

                                      We ran this ‘charity toy drive set to music’ idea past the then publisher of the Old Colony
                                      Memorial, Phyllis Hughes, who enthusiastically organized The Children’s Holiday Fund to

                                      assist in the distribution of the toys to deserving families, connecting us to the Plymouth
                                      Area Coalition for the Homeless in the process.


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