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OCTOBER 2020 | VOLUME 1, NO. 3
NIHCO CLEF NOTES
The Newsletter of the NIH Community Orchestra | nihco.org
NIHCO at 25: Back to the Future? Guest Editorial by Harold Seifried, Ph.D., Board President
Did you know that our 2020-2021 season marks NIHCO’s 25th year? Never mind that we can’t define
“season” until pseudo-normalcy returns, but to mark this milestone, join me for a bit of reminiscing.
Under the direction of founder Gary Daum (d. 2019), then a volunteer chaplain at the NIH Clinical Center,
several NIH employees were part of the orchestra’s auspicious holiday sing-along with Bethesda Little
Theater. Our (captive!) audience was Clinical Center patients. We soon added string players, then winds
and brass. As we grew, the fully-formed NIHCO started its own holiday community tradition, performing
the 0nly Messiah sing-along offered outside the Capital Beltway.
The Clinical Center’s Masur Auditorium, our stable
rehearsal venue, became off-limits to community
groups in the wake of 9/11 enhanced security procedures.
While re-establishing our operations, we rehearsed in a
number of small and inappropriate places, but
nonetheless joyfully presented concerts at: town halls,
nursing homes, elementary schools, libraries, churches,
and the N.I.H. Children’s Inn. Thanks to Music Director
Daum, who also served for over 40 years as a faculty
member at Georgetown Preparatory School (N.
Bethesda), NIHCO’s concert venue was their spacious
Figge Theatre. In exchange for this courtesy access,
NIHCO brass regularly performed at Georgetown Prep’s
faculty holiday party, and at their graduation.
During this period, we also performed at embassies, and
held free summer ‘pops’ concerts in the City of
Gaithersburg’s outdoor concert pavilion. Recently, under
Music Director Richard Scerbo, our concert home has been
the Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church, with
rehearsals at the Saint Mark Presbyterian Church, both in
Bethesda. Access to the latter space was facilitated by the
N.I.H. Chorus, with whom we have historically performed
twice annually.
In tandem with the Board, planning for NIHCO’s pandemic
transition, with possible virtual musical programs (plus our
ever-popular virtual Musical Trivia games!) and smaller
Also in this issue: outreach activities; reminds me of NIHCO’s past
performance pattern of chamber, outreach, and community
Stay-at-Home Stories
concerts. Clearly, this 25th season represents NIHCO’s Back
Virtual Music-Making Tips to the Future phase. I hope you’ll buckle up, wash up, mask
Fall Virtual Events Calendar up, and come along for our musical ride! -- Harold Seifried
OCTOBER 2020 | VOLUME 1, NO. 3
Stay-At-Home Stories
Editor’s Note: Your eagerness to share these glimpses of your pandemic lives – and the diversity of each
contribution – are greatly appreciated! Perhaps one’s heightened risk of social isolation is ameliorated,
ever so slightly, by the connective web we’re building via Clef Notes. October’s authors are blessed by one
of 4 B’s: baby, ballet, a four-legged bundle of energy, and bunker time. – Lee Rucker Keiser
Amanda Pomicter, Viola
While 2020 has been a difficult and challenging year for most
of us, my family and I are grateful to have welcomed a healthy and
beautiful baby girl into our lives. Everly was born Aug. 28th, weighing
9 pounds, 10 ounces. She is being cared for with help from her two
older siblings. I am looking forward to introducing Everly to live
music, especially performances by the NIH Community Orchestra,
once it is safe to do so again.
Steve Soroka, Timpani
Since retirement, my life’s main activities have been music-
making and attending classes at Montgomery College (MC). Last
semester, I took ballet: an extension of music as an art form. At
my invitation, one of the Washington Ballet’s lead pianists, Yelena
Nasinovich, was coming to provide live music. But on that day, the
MC campus closed due to COVID19. Relatedly, canceled until
further notice were rehearsals for NIHCO; and my choir,
Washington Vocals Artists. To suddenly be without these activities
that had given me a sense of purpose was excruciatingly painful,
and I became distraught and depressed. However, realizing that
self-expression through music was my coping mechanism, I
composed “COVID19.” After recording and uploading this
composition to YouTube, I posted it to Facebook, where friends
commented that they had to stop listening midway to my
‘pandemic journey’ because it was so “jarring.” I then encouraged
people to read the description before listening; simultaneous
themes represent COVID19, and the world’s response.
Fortunately, ballet class continued twice weekly via Zoom, maintaining dress and classroom
behavior requirements. We recorded various barre exercises and submitted them for a grade. This
got me halfway through May. To further stimulate my creativity and ward off insanity, I invited
several musician friends to try virtual collaborations, since pandemic in-person playing together
would be unsafe. Fast-forward to the fall; my group’s cellist returned to college in Tennessee, while
I’m back to composing and uploading videos from past NIHCO concerts to my Steve Soroka Channel
on YouTube, where you can also listen to my COVID19. I truly miss playing music with you!
OCTOBER 2020 | VOLUME 1, NO. 3
Stay-At-Home Stories
Pamela Klein, Viola
Last December, our family welcomed the puppy Lily, a Lagotto
Romagnolo (Italian Water Dog). This bundle of energy is
great at paying attention when treats are involved. To get our
attention, however, she loves doing naughty things. In an effort to
nurture Lily’s socialization and to introduce her to new
environments, we’ve embraced social distancing as an opportunity
to discover some of Montgomery County’s less crowded parks and
trails – often stopping to support a local brewery or restaurant
with take-out en route home. Admittedly, although I’ve lived here
for five years, this global pandemic finally propelled me to explore
more fully our county’s natural and nearby culinary wonders.
Meanwhile, when not catering to Lily’s every whim, I’m working
my way through unread books that I’ve accumulated over the years.
A passage from Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance (below) captures
exactly how I felt during NIHCO’s September trivia night, and how
much I miss seeing you in person:
"...and when the familiar music filled her head, the past was conquered
for a brief while, and she felt herself ache with the ecstasy of
completion, as though a missing limb had been recovered.”
Michelle Escumbise, Clarinet
All COVID and no play make Jack and Jill dullards.
“C19” has thrown us for a loop, as we abandon our
normal routines of: work, recreation, spontaneous
public displays of affection with friends; or just
hanging out with people, closer than six feet. What
I’m really missing – and thus will appreciate so
much more post-pandemic – are familiar
faces/places, uniqueness, and randomness that one
encounters on any given day. Heading into autumn
while trapped in our own personal spaceships called
“home,” we watch the global painted canvas slowly
dry from COVID’s fallout.
Music has always kept me sane: offering peace, a sense of connection, and hope in humanity. A sense of
fellowship, and belonging to something greater than whatever I alone may contribute musically, is
something I hope we’ll appreciate. My bunker time includes supporting working musicians (Todd
Marcus, Michael Lowenstern, Imani Winds), practicing, playing along with internet friends/strangers,
zoom – zoom – zooma – zoom, staying in touch with family, getting out in nature as much as possible,
and trying to smile in spite of all of the crazy. Get your flu shot, VOTE, be safe, stay healthy and
connected with those you care or curious about, do ANY KIND of music, stay sane…
OCTBER 2020 | VOLUME 1, NO. 3
Virtual Events
Sept. 23
Virtual Gathering
We kicked off our
virtual Fall 2020
season with an annual
meeting that included
re-election of our
Executive Board, the
Treasurer's Report,
and - of course-
Richard and Philip's
famous musical trivia!
Thanks to our
conductors for
another hearty
challenge!
Upcoming Virtual Events!
Wednesday, October 14: Developing an Eagle's Eye: An Introduction to Score
Reading for Chamber & Small Ensembles
Philip leads a discussion on musical scores and how to best use them,
using Gounod's Petite Symphonie as the foundation.
*RSVP details emailed Oct. 6.
Wednesday, November 18: Illuminating New Voices
Richard helps us welcome back former concertmaster Camille Jones for a
conversation about her Voices Unheard series, and how we can discover and
highlight new and more diverse repertoire.
*RSVP details to come in November.
OCTOBER 2020 | VOLUME 1, NO. 3
Virtual Music-Making
From the NIHCO Brass
The NIHCO Board of
A Brass Ensemble’s Journey to Virtual Music-Making: Directors
Exclusive Online Guide 2020-2021 Season
Necessity (thanks, COVID-19!) has spurred NIHCO’s brass ensemble to Harold Seifried,
venture into the world of virtual recording, and we invite 21st century President
NIHCOers to step up and join the virtual music-making bandwagon!
Granted, our experience is only as deep as the pandemic’s shelter-in-place Timothy Doerr,
Vice President
orders are long; but as fast learners, we’re happy to offer our Tips and
Tricks. Find our guide & our recordings in the Members Area of nihco.org!
Lee Rucker Keiser,
Secretary
John Warshawsky,
Treasurer
Katie Kane,
Communications
Officer
Karin Caifa,
At-Large Member
Pam Klein,
At-Large Member
Richard Scerbo,
Virtual Music-Making Tips from Steve Soroka Music Director
1. Decide which songs you want to perform. Philip Espe,
2. One person makes a lead track, usually the melody in strict tempo. Assistant Conductor
3. The lead track is sent to rest of the participants; each person listens
with headphones or ear buds on one device, and records their individual Bob Johnson,
part on another. NIHCO Chorus
4. All participants send their recordings to a repository using naming
conventions (song name – participant name).
5. A technical participant combines all the videos into one, using video
editing software. I used “PITIVI,” freeware that can be used with
UBUNTU. Adobe Premiere is another popular program, and MAC comes
with imovie.
6. Then, you’re ready to distribute the final, combined video to friends,
to upload it to YouTube, or to post it to social media. For more virtual
music-making
resources, visit
the Members
Area of
NIHCO Clef Notes
nihco.org!
October 2020 | Vol. 1, No. 3
Editor: Lee Keiser
Design + Distribution: Karin Caifa
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