Maine Public Radio Geek

Everyone knows I am an NPR nerd, and this is part of what makes me such a despicable person....haha. Suzanne Nance is a wonderful and beautiful woman who is in charge of all the music programming for MPBN.....and, in addition, she hosts the morning classical music program each weekday from 9-12. During the summer, especially, I listen to the program a lot, while I am doing chores around the house, getting the kids set up for the day, or building things with blocks....

On Monday, as I was listening in the car after dropping Callum off at Pirate Camp, I heard her say how she was 'dedicating' this morning's program to all the teachers and principals of Maine for all their hard work and dedication. I thought this was nice. In addition, she said that she would try to make all that morning's pieces 'school' or 'teacher' themed; one of the pieces she was going to play, as she said, was Samuel Barber's "Overture from School for Scandal." This piece is a special piece to me for many reasons, and I decided to write her the email below:

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Dear Ms. Nance:

I just wanted to chime in and say thank you for dedicating today's morning music to teachers and principals! I am an English teacher at Winslow High School in central Maine. I grew up in Mass, met a 'MaineGirl' and never looked back. I love it here. At school, I teach all seniors, and I quite often have your morning program on at school. I figure the kids need some good classical music appreciation these days, right? My students know what a big fan I am of yours! In addition, how wonderful for you to play Barber's "School for Scandal" piece--my wife is a classically trained oboist (we both went to UNH) and, while I was 'falling in love' with her, she played that beautiful oboe and English horn solo in the piece. That little solo got me 'hook, line, and sinker,' as they say.

Might I make one 'shamless' request? Since you are such a great radio personality around here AND a performer, do you have any 'photos' that you autograph for your fans? Or even an autograph on some MPBN stationery or something? Again, I know this is a shameless request, but I figure since today's show is for 'teachers' I might as well take a shot...haha! I would hang it in my classroom and I would treasure it! If so, my address is 123 Fake Street, Anytown USA, 01234

Thanks Ms Nance for all you do. Staying home all summer with our 5 and 2 year old is such a treat, and we have built many lego towers to your morning program!!


All the best

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Well.....before she played this piece, she actually mentioned both me AND my email on the air (moments after I sent it to her!).....she read excerpts from the email, and emphasized to the audience how I 'fell in love with my wife' while listening to the oboe and English horn pieces of the music. I was thrilled!

Here is a photo of  Suzanne:

And here is a link to Barber's piece. You should really check it out.....or at least the first few minutes or so...up to when the first oboe solo is....the piece is very dynamic for its many moods and rhythms....and it has lots and lots of energy before 'resolving' into the English horn and oboe solos.....and, what makes this even more amazing, is that Barber composed this in graduate school when he was 21 years old...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QresB7D6KDU